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Master of Science - Columbus State University

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Academics

Master of Science

Program Description

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management offered by the TSYS School of Computer Science provides students with the opportunity to join the cybersecurity workforce as well-qualified professionals. Students will learn how to protect critical information infrastructures by developing, implementing and maintaining appropriate cybersecurity policies and practices to help prevent, detect and eliminate security threats.

Career Opportunities

Typical current cybersecurity positions include:

  • Cybersecurity Manager
  • Cybersecurity Management Consultant
  • Cyber Security Analyst- Awareness and Education
  • Cybersecurity Regulatory Governance Lead
  • Cyber Security Measures and Reporting Lead
  • IT Cyber Security Controls Assessor
  • Information Security Governance Specialist
  • Cybersecurity Regulatory Compliance Instructor
  • Cybersecurity Policy and Compliance Analyst

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission into the program for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management include the following:

A four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA,

AND

A minimum combined score of 290 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE, OR a minimum score of 410 on GMAT.

The GRE/GMAT requirement may be waived for applicants with a graduate degree or four years of approved industrial work experience or a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher from an accredited institution.

Learning Outcomes

All graduates in the MS in in Cybersecurity Management program offered by the TSYS School of Computer Science will learn the essential skills necessary to join the cybersecurity workforce at mid to upper level management. Graduates will be able to:

  • Identify threats and vulnerabilities to information systems
  • Formulate policies for the protection of information in compliance with prevailing standards, legal frameworks and best practices
  • Manage the implementation of policies to help prevent, detect and eliminate security threats
  • Oversee the use of technologies to mitigate threats and reduce risks to information systems

Additional Program Requirements

Approval of an application for the Master of Science degree in Applied Computer Science is contingent upon the successful completion of an approved program and recommendation for the degree by the Turner College of Business. Applications for degree conferral must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the semester prior to completion of degree requirements.

The following requirements must be met for the completion of the degree program:

Students must earn a 3.0 grade point average calculated on all graduate work attempted for which letter grades are awarded.

A maximum of two courses (not to exceed eight semester credit hours) with a grade of "C" may apply to the degree.

At least 24 of the hours required for the degree must be earned in the program. A maximum of six semester hours with no grade lower than B may be accepted for transfer. Transfer credit will not be used in computing the student's grade point average.

All degree requirements must be completed within seven years of first enrollment.

Any program for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management must include at least ten courses (30 semester hours) taken for graduate credit.

Any program for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management must include at least six courses (18 semester hours) at the graduate (6000 or above) level.

Any program for the Master's Degree in Cybersecurity Management must include six courses (18 semester hours) in the Core Curriculum.

Any student who has taken a 5000-level core course for undergraduate credit at CSU will not be required to retake the course and may apply it as a prerequisite as appropriate. The student will not receive graduate credit for the course.

A student opting for a thesis in Applied Computer Science must take at least six hours of CPSC 6984 - Thesis Proposal and at least three hours of CPSC 6985 - Research and Thesis.  Although only three hours of CPSC 6985 may be applied to the Master's Degree, the student is cautioned that successful completion of a thesis may require taking CPSC 6985 more than once.

A student who elects the thesis option for the degree may not graduate until a thesis has been produced, approved by the student's thesis committee, and successfully defended in a public presentation.

A student who changes from the thesis option to the non-thesis option for a degree may not apply any hours taken in CPSC 6985 towards the 30-hour minimum for the degree.

Program of Study

Students will be able to graduate with an MS degree in Cybersecurity Management at Columbus State University by completing thirty credit hours.

Area 1 Program Core Required Hours: 18
CPSC 6126 Introduction to Cybersecurity
CPSC 6136 Human Aspects of Cybersecurity
CPSC 6157 Computer Network and Management
CPSC 6159 Cybersecurity Investigations and Crisis Management
CPSC 6167 Cybersecurity Risk Management
CSMT 6222 Foundation of Cybersecurity Policy and Management

Area 2 Program Concentration Required Hours: 6
Select two courses from the following list of Technical and Non-Technical Electives

TECHNICAL ELECTIVES (Recommended for students with non-technical background)


Total Required Hours: 30

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