The Master of Science in Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary program providing broad and deep technical study of the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity. Designed for students with a background in computer science, computer engineering, or information technology, the program aims to develop the skills needed for employment in the information technology industry or for further graduate study. Core courses offer three complementary perspectives: (1) a practical, hands-on study of current “best practices” in cybersecurity, along with their limitations; (2) a study of the principles of the growing science of cybersecurity; and (3) a study of the broader human context of cybersecurity, including social, economic, and policy aspects. Elective courses provide the opportunity for specialization in one or more areas of interest.
Admission
Minimum requirements
A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a similar field from a regionally accredited institution.
‘B’ average or better in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division student in the bachelor’s program.
TOEFL scores (550 paper-based, 80 internet-based), or IELTS scores (6.5) sent to FIU with the institution code 5206. TOEFL exemptions are based on the country in which you completed your undergraduate degree, not on nationality. See the list of TOEFL exempt countries here.
Admissions materials
Online Graduate Application/application fee.
Official University/ College transcript from all institutions previously attended mailed to FIU in a sealed institution envelope. If you graduated from FIU, you do not need to request transcripts.
Official translations of University/College transcripts, if official transcripts are in a language other than English.
Official TOEFL or IELTS scores reported by the testing agency, if applicable.
Official proof of degree/diploma. The student may provide this upon arrival to FIU (within one term) if the degree is pending.
Translation of proof of degree/diploma, if in a language other than English.
Immigration documents for international students: Bank and sponsor letter; Declaration and Certification of Finances: F-1 Transfer Form (if currently in the U.S.)
Recommended supporting documents: Letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, CV
Deadlines
| Application | Classification | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| Masters | Domestic | June 1st | October 1st | March 1st |
| International | February 15th | August 1st | December 1st |
| Doctorate | Domestic and International | February 15th | August 1st | December 1st |
Please note that all international students, even those who do not require a student visa, must abide by the international student deadline.
Mailing official documents
| Regular U.S. mail | Courier |
FIU Graduate Admissions
P.O. Box 659004
Miami, FL 33265-9004 | FIU Graduate Admissions
11200 S.W. 8 St., BT 201
Miami, FL 33199 |
Required Courses
Five core courses
CEN 5079 Secure Application Programming
Development of applications that are free from common security vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflow, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting attacks. Emphasis is on distributed web applications.
CIS 5208 Social, Economic, and Policy Aspects of Cybersecurity
The broader human context of cybersecurity, from the perspective of society, economics, and policy.
CIS 5370 Principles of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity algorithms, techniques. Mathematical foundations. Symmetric and public key encryption. Authentication, key
infrastructure, certificates. Covert channels. Access control. Vulnerabilities.
CNT 5415 Practical Applied Security
Hands-on training in practical installation and maintenance of secure systems, including such topics as security configuration, DMZs, firewalls, anti-virus software, and hardware security modules.
COT 5428 Formal Foundations for Cybersecurity
Formal models and methods for achieving rigorous security guarantees. Cryptographic indistinguishability properties, reduction proofs. Formal analyses of security APIs. Secure information flow.
Five elective courses
Please note that this list is not comprehensive and will be amended to include relevant courses as they become available. Students interested in taking courses not listed here should seek advisor approval. Please submit the course information and a brief justification to Vanessa Cornwall for consideration.
Offered by: School of Computing and Information Sciences
CAP 5640 Introduction to Natural Language Processing
The concepts and principles of computer processing of natural language, including linguistic phenomena, formal methods, and applications. Students will conduct an independent research project.
CAP 5768 Introduction to Data Science
Foundations of databases, analytics, visualization and management of data. Practical data analysis with applications. Introduction to Python, SQL, R, and other specialized data analysis toolkits. Prerequisites: STA 3164 or equivalent.
CAP 5771 Principles of Data Mining
Introduction to data mining concepts, knowledge representation, inferring rules, statistical modeling, decision trees, association rules, classification rules, clustering, predictive models, and instance-based learning. Prerequisites: COP 4710 and STA 3033.
CAP 6778 Advanced Topics in Data Mining
Web, stream data, and relational data mining, graph mining, spatiotemporal data mining, privacy-preserving data mining, high-dimensional data clustering, social network, and linkage analysis.
CIS 5373 Systems Security
Risk, Trust, and Threat models; Types of Attacks; Safe Programming Techniques; Operating System Mechanisms, Virtual Machine Systems; Hardware Security Enforces; Application Security; Personal Security.
CIS 5374 Information Security and Privacy
Information Security Planning, Planning for Contingencies, Policy, Security Program, Security Management Models, Database Security, Privacy, Information Security Analysis, Protection Mechanism.
CIS 6930 Advanced Special Topics (advisor approved sections only)
A course designed to give groups of students an opportunity to pursue special advanced studies not otherwise offered.
COT 5407 Introduction to Algorithms
Design of efficient data structures and algorithms; analysis of algorithms and asymptotic time complexity; graph, string, and geometric algorithms; NP-completeness.
TCN 5080 Secure Telecommunications Transactions
Telecom and information security issues such as: digital signatures, cryptography as applied to telecom transactions, network policing, nested authentication, and improving system trust. P
TCN 5455 Information Theory
Entropy and measure of information. Proof and interpretation of Shannon’s fundamental theorem for various channels, including noiseless, discrete, time-discrete and time-continuous channels.
TCN 6430 Networks Management and Control Standards
Protocols for management of telecom networks, including Simple Network Management Protocol and Common Management Information Protocol. Extension of protocols to optimize network performance. Prerequisites: TCN 5030 or equivalent.
TCN 6880 Telecommunications Public Policy Development and Standards
A concept-oriented examination of the domestic and international telecommunications policy processes and standards setting environment.
Offered by: Electrical and Computer Engineering
EEL 5278 Smart Grid Cyber Security and Intelligent Electronic Devices
Design, simulate and solve smart grid cyber security issues. Manmade and natural large scale disturbances. Smart grid cyber networked standards and new Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED).
EEE 5718 Advances Security of Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems
In this project-based class, the students will gain advanced hands-on training in the security of Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) areas.
Prerequisites: Programming coursework, any CS oriented courses or any embedded coursework or permission of the instructor.
EEL 5807 Advanced Ethical Hacking
This will give individuals an exposure to the latest hacking tools and techniques to understand the anatomy of computer attacks and teach them the countermeasures to protect their valuable data.
EEL 6787 Network Security
Network Security Requirements, Number Theory, Steganography, Encryption Design Principles and Algorithms, Message Authentication and Digital Signature Principle and Designs, Network System Security Design.
EEL 6803 Advanced Digital Forensics
This course provides students with the advanced skills to track and counter a wide range of sophisticated threats including espionage, hacktivism, financial crime syndication, and APT groups.
EEL 6805 Advanced Malware Reverse Engineering
This course provides the student with the necessary tools and techniques to perform practical reverse engineering on suspicious files and firmware encountered in a range of devices and understanding the implications associated with a malware attacks.
EEL 6931 Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering (advisor approved sections only)
Course covers advanced topics not in existing graduate courses in electrical and computer engineering. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
TCN 5271 Ubiquitous and Embedded Sensor Network-Centric Telecommunications 3
Techniques impacting ubiquitous, embedded sensor network-centric telecommunications, context-awareness, autonomy, data quality, uncertainty, privacy, trustworthiness and wearable computing.
Offered by: SIPA, College of Business
Note: Students may apply a maximum of 6 credits from this list toward the M.S. in Cybersecurity
ISM 6326 Information Security and Compliance
Provides Knowledge and skills needed to protect enterprise assets by mitigating IS/IT related security risks. An exposure to IS/IT security-related Laws, Regulations, and Compliance is also provided. Corequisite ISM 6222
ISM 6328 Information Security Management
Provides knowledge and skills needed to protect enterprise assets by mitigating IS/IT related security risks. Includes application of telecommunication technology and concepts
ISS 5135 National Security Essentials
An examination of the U.S. national security structure, current security-related controversies and potential U.S. responses to security threats.
PAD 6379 Homeland Security Risk Assessment
Provides the technical framework needed for design, implementation, and evaluation of risk assessments used in local, regional, and state Homeland Security administration.
PAD 6399 Homeland Security Management for State and Local Government
Provides a broad overview of the legal, technical, financial, and organizational environment in which Homeland Security initiatives are designed and successfully implemented.
With the approval of the Graduate Program Director, up to two courses not appearing on this list can be substituted as electives, including courses from the University of South Florida’s online MS Cybersecurity program.Students should submit a written request with the course information and a justification to the Graduate Program Advisor.
For more information, please contact Vanessa Cornwall, the Graduate Program Advisor, at vcornwal@fiu.edu or 305-348-7989. Email is preferred.
Course Offerings
Summer 2018 Course Offerings
Note: this list will be updated as courses become available
Offered by: School of Computing and Information Sciences
CIS 5373 - Systems Security
Summer C
Tu 6:30-10:15 PM
Elkuin Angee
CIS 5374 - Information Security and Privacy
Summer A
MoWeFr 12:00PM – 2:15PM
Patricia McDermott-Wells
Offered by: Electrical and Computer Engineering
CIS 5208 - Social, Economic, and Policy Aspects of Cybersecurity
Summer C
Online OR MoWeFr 6:15PM – 7:20PM
Renny Fernandez
CNT 5415 - Practical Applied Secuirty
Summer C
Online
Hidayet Aksu
EEL 6931 - Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering
The following sections have been approved for this degree:
Summer C U04C-O Special Topics on IoT Security
Date/Time TBA
Arif Selcuk Uluagac
Offered by: SIPA, College of Business
ISS 5135 - National Security Essentials
Summer A
Online
Christopher Eddy
PAD 6379 - Homeland Security Risk Assessment
Summer C
Online
TBA
Fall 2018 Course Offerings
Note: this list will be updated as courses become available
Offered by: School of Computing and Information Sciences
CAP 5610 - Introduction to Machine Learning
Mo 5:00PM – 6:15PM
Miguel Alonso
CAP 5768 - Introduction to Data Science
MoWe 7:50PM – 9:05PM
Giri Narasimhan
CEN 5079 - Secure Application Programming
Th 11:00AM – 1:45PM
Bogdan O.P. Carbunar
CIS 5370 - Principles of Cybersecurity
Online
Rick Blazek
CIS 5374 - Information Security and Privacy
Online
Rick Blazek
– OR –
Tu 11:00AM – 1:45PM
Bogdan O.P. Carbunar
COT 5407 - Introduction to Algorithms
TuTh 5:00PM – 6:15PM
Leonardo Bobadilla
CNT 5415 - Practical Applied Security
TuTh 5:00PM – 6:15PM
Hidayet Aksu
TCN 6430 Networks Management and Control Standards
TuTh 6:25PM – 7:40PM
Alexander Afanasyev
Offered by: Electrical and Computer Engineering
EEL 6787 - Network Security
MINI TERM
We 5:00PM – 9:30PM
Arif Selcuk Uluagac
Offered by: SIPA, College of Business
PAD 6379 - Homeland Security Risk Assessment
We 6:25PM – 9:05PM
Michael Gregory
