The School of Computing at UGA has several faculty whose research areas are in cybersecurity and privacy. To foster collaboration among these faculty and coordinate related academic courses, the School of Computing at UGA has established an Institute for Cybersecurity and Privacy (ICSP), which has been named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Privacy,Non-Thesis Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Privacy, Thesis Program Description and Objectives This MS Cybersecurity and Privacy program will be useful for all students, particularly in the fields of computer science, mathematics, and engineering. The program aims to develop expertise in various aspects of computer security and privacy, such as networking, operating systems, network and systems security, and data and communications privacy. Admission Criteria: Admissions requirements will align with the current admissions standards set by the Graduate School and the School of Computing. Completed applications will include the: UGA graduate application, bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in Computer Science or a related discipline, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, resume, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are optional for graduate CSCI programs. International applicants also need TOEFL or IELTS official test scores, unless waived by Graduate Admissions. Applicants will need to meet all Graduate School requirements. Students with insufficient background in Computer Science must first take undergraduate Computer Science courses to remedy any deficiencies, in addition to their graduate program requirements. A sufficient background in Computer Science must include at least the following courses (or equivalents): CSCI 1301-1301L, Introduction to Computing and Programming (alternative option CSCI 7010, Computer Programming) CSCI 1302, Software Development CSCI 1730, Systems Programming CSCI 2610, Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science CSCI 2670, Introduction to Theory of Computing CSCI 2720, Data Structures CSCI 4720, Computer Systems Architecture (4 hours) MATH 2250, Calculus I for Science and Engineering Curriculum ( minimum of 30-32 credit hours.) The total number of credit hours required to complete Cybersecurity and Privacy (M.S.) is 30-32 hours for the non-thesis or the thesis option. Below is a table for the program of study for the non-thesis and the thesis options: NON-THESIS OPTION THESIS OPTION Required Courses (19-20 hours) Required Courses (22-24 hours) CSCI 6250, Cyber Security (4 hours) CSCI 6250, Cyber Security (4 hours) CSCI 6260, Data Security and Privacy (4 hours) CSCI 6260, Data Security and Privacy (4 hours) CSCI 6730, Operating Systems (4 hours) CSCI 6730, Operating Systems (4 hours) CSCI 6760, Computer Networks (4 hours) CSCI 6760, Computer Networks (4 hours) CSCI 7200, Master’s Project (3-4 hours) CSCI 7000, Master’s Research (3-4 hours) CSCI 7300, Master’s Thesis (3-4 hours) Elective Courses (11-12 hours)Choose three of the following: Elective Courses (6-8 hours) Choose two of the following: CSCI 6270, Introduction to Computer Forensics (4 hours) CSCI 6270, Introduction to Computer Forensics (4 hours) CSCI 8240, Software Security and Cyber Forensics (4 hours) CSCI 8240, Software Security and Cyber Forensics (4 hours) CSCI 8245, Secure Programming (4 hours) CSCI 8245, Secure Programming (4 hours) CSCI 8250, Advanced Cyber Security (4 hours) CSCI 8250, Advanced Cyber Security (4 hours) CSCI 8260, Computer Network Attacks and Defenses (4 hours) CSCI 8260, Computer Network Attacks and Defenses (4 hours) CSCI 8265, Trustworthy Machine Learning (4 hours) CSCI 8265, Trustworthy Machine Learning (4 hours) CSCI 8960, Privacy-Preserving Data Analytics (4 hours) CSCI 8960, Privacy-Preserving Data Analytics (4 hours) CSCI 8965, Internet of Things Security (4 hours) CSCI 8965, Internet of Things Security (4 hours) CSEE 8310, Security in Cyber-Physical Systems (3 hours) CSEE 8310, Security in Cyber-Physical Systems (3 hours) MATH 6450, Cryptology and Computational Number Theory (3 hours) MATH 6450, Cryptology and Computational Number Theory (3 hours) MIST 7775, Cyber Threat Intelligence (3 hours) MIST 7775, Cyber Threat Intelligence (3 hours) For the MS Cybersecurity and Privacy, Non-thesis program, students must complete 19-20 hours of required cybersecurity courses in Computer Science, including CSCI 7200, Master’s Project. Students must also complete 10-12 hours of elective coursework related to Cybersecurity and Privacy, and CSCI 3030 or equivalent if they have not already taken a suitable ethics course. For the MS Cybersecurity and Privacy , Thesis program, students must complete 22-24 hour of required cybersecurity courses in Computer Science, including Master's Research and Master's Thesis. Students must also complete 6-8 hours of elective coursework related to Cybersecurity and Privacy, and CSCI 3030 or equivalent, if they have not already taken suitable ethics course. Overall, all graduate students must complete at least 12 hours of graduate-only coursework. Advisory Committee-Thesis Students in the Master of Science Cybersecurity and Privacy (Thesis) program require an advisory committee. The advisory committee will consist of one major professor and two additional members. At least two of the three members must be from the School of Computing. Students in the thesis program will select their committee members through the student Enrolled Student Progress Portal. Students in the Master of Science Cybersecurity and Privacy NT ( Non-thesis) program may select their Major professor through the student Enrolled Student Progress Portal. How to Create Graduate Advisory Committee Core Competency The required core courses are: CSCI: 6760,6730,6250,6260. Select between MS Cybersecurity (Thesis) or MS Cybersecurity (Non-thesis) Core Competency forms. Faculty approved MS Cybersecurity Core Competency forms are uploaded by the student to elC. Please provide an updated UGA transcript in eLC to review your Core Competency and Program of Study forms. Students who take the 4 required core courses, must achieve a grade average of at least 3.15 (e.g., B+, B+, B, B) on the MS Cybersecurity and Privacy Core Competency Form. Core competency is certified by the unanimous approval of the student's Advisory Committee, Major professor, as well as the approval by the Graduate Coordinator. The student’s advisory committee manages the core competency in cooperation with the student. Students are required to meet the core competency requirement within their first three enrolled academic semesters (excluding summer semester). Core Competency Certification must be completed before approval of the Program of Study. Core Competency Forms Program of Study Forms can be found https://grad.uga.edu/current-students/forms/. Courses will be listed in the order taken and must contain at least 12 semester hours of credit ( exclusive of 7000 and 7300) in courses open to graduate students. For Thesis students, a maximum of 6 semester of 7000 may apply to the minimum 30 semester hours. Minimum number of thesis hours (7300) is 3 semester hours. Master's Project and Report ( Non-thesis) To satisfy this requirement, minimum 4 credit hours of CSCI 7200 (2-6 credit hours; repeatable up to 12 credit hours) Master’s Project must be taken, spread over the student’s two semesters. The CSCI 7200 course involves an applied research project under the direction of the student’s Major Professor/Project Advisor and 2nd Professor to guide the student through two semesters. The professors for the MS Project can be: two tenured track professors, or one tenure track professor and one lecturer, from School of Computing only. School of Computing courtesy faculty are acceptable. As part of the requirements, a comprehensive report must be prepared detailing the student's procedures and findings regarding the completed project work. The completed final MS project comprehensive report and the final MS project form with signatures of both professors, with project grade will be both uploaded into eLearning Commons (eLC) by the second semester of the MS project. The final project grade is S/U. MS Project Form Student Learning Outcomes Students in this program should be able to defend against common cybersecurity and privacy attacks by having knowledge of information security, including secure programming and known practices. Students will be able to use their enhanced and improved hands-on experiences and skills to address various security and privacy issues. Students should be able to make risk assessment to IT design decisions. Graduation Requirements Before the end of the second semester in residence, a student must begin submitting forms to the Graduate School, through the Graduate Coordinator, including a Program of Study Form. The Major Professor/Project Advisor (non-thesis students) must come from the Computer Science Faculty (Professors/Lecturers). The Program of Study Form indicates how and when degree requirements will be met and must be formulated in consultation with the student's Major Professor/Project Advisor. An Application for Graduation Form must also be submitted directly to the Graduate School. Forms and Timing must be submitted as follows: Core Competency Form (Departmental) - beginning of third semester (upload to eLC with updated transcript) ( Thesis and Non-thesis) Program of Study Form (G138) - semester before the student’s last semester Application for Graduation Form ( in Athena) - beginning of last semester MS Project Form- (Non-thesis) ( in elC) -end of final semester of CSCI 7200. MS Project- (Non-thesis) (in elC)- end of final semester of CSCI 7200. Graduate Advisory Committee- (Thesis) (Enrolled Student Progress Portal)- to assign your Major professor. MS Thesis Defense and Final Exam Form (G140) (Thesis)- final semester. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (G129) (Thesis)-final semester See “Important Dates and Deadlines” on the Graduate School’s website
