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Master of Science in Security Studies: Cybersecurity Concentration

Get ready to meet the challenge of today's ever-increasing cyber threats with UMass Lowell's Master's in Security Studies, Cybersecurity concentration.

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Next Start Date: May 15

Online Master's in Security Studies, Cybersecurity Concentration

Develop the ability to address the technology, security and human weaknesses that leave organizations vulnerable to data breaches and cyberattacks with UMass Lowell's Master of Science in Security Studies: Cybersecurity concentration.

This 10-course program offers a combination of Criminal Justice and Information Technology courses. You will learn contemporary issues in security management, intelligence policy, national security and cybercrime trends. Simultaneously, you will explore computer and network security topics such as virtual systems management, secure mobile networks, cloud computing and digital forensics.

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No GRE/MAT Required

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Earn Your Master's Degree in as Little as 18 Months

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Career Outlook

957,156
Jobs (2020)
+9.2%
% Change (2020-2021)
$104.2K/yr
Median Earnings
119,153
Annual Openings
Source: Lightcast, 2022

Median Annual Wages for Information Security Analysts in the Top Industries

Industry

Median Annual Wages

Computer systems design and related services $102,620
Finance and insurance $101,130
Information $96,580
Management of companies and enterprises $94,180
Administrative and support services $94,120
—U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2019
"Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 32 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high, as these analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for computer networks."
— U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2019

Key Takeaways

Deepen knowledge on a range of topics, including:

  • Computer network security principles
  • Intelligence collection and analysis
  • The history and evolving nature of the relationship between technology, crime and security
  • Domestic and international security threats and responses
  • Critical infrastructure protection
  • Strategies and agencies (federal and state) that aim to protect the nation from cyber attacks

Leaders in Terrorism and Security Studies Research

The Center for Terrorism and Security Studies (CTSS) was established in 2013 to bring together faculty from several colleges at UMass Lowell and other institutions and organizations in the Commonwealth. The CTSS collaborates on research projects addressing the evolution, convergence and complexity of domestic and foreign security challenges such as terrorism, cyber security, transnational crime and weapons of mass destruction.

Learn from CTSS faculty, staff and fellows who are internationally recognized experts in their respective fields, representing psychology, criminology, political science, education, philosophy and computer science disciplines.

Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice Program in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report
Ranked #2 Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice Programs in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report
National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security Badges
UMass Lowell has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security

Curriculum Outline

- Total Number of Courses: 10 (30 credits)

Course Descriptions

This course examines the complex nature of key domestic and international security threats and responses. Topics include terrorism and insurgency, transnational organized crime, WMD proliferation, cyber-security, intelligence, national and homeland security strategies, critical infrastructure protection, and theories of international security. 3 credits.
Students will examine the tradecraft of intelligence collection and analysis from various perspectives. Topics will include strategies, tactics, legal and ethical implications, sources, means, methods, limitations, covert action, methods of analysis, and case studies of prominent intelligence successes and failures in the last half century. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This course is a rigorous introduction to statistical inference: probability theory, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. The course also covers regression analysis, which is developed in a non-technical way, with an emphasis on interpretation of regression results, using examples from recent research. 3 credits.
Research design is a graduate-level introduction to methodology as used in criminology/criminal justice. The course surveys the research design enterprise and covers a host of issues on the measurement and collection of data, and other procedures that influence whether a research study will lead the investigator to scientifically rigorous information. This course explains various strategies for devising social science studies, compares the relative benefits of various designs, and identifies the tools necessary to conduct studies that will yield data worthy of analysis and interpretation. This material will be valuable for students who will conduct research and administrators who must evaluate the research of others. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This course will examine the history and evolving nature of the relationship between technology, crime, and security, with a particular focus on legitimate and illegitimate Internet commerce, and cyber criminal methodologies and techniques. We will study major issues in cyber security including criminal and state-sponsored hacking; data, intellectual property, and identity theft; financial and personal data security; cyber-terrorism; tools and methods used to exploit computer networks, and strategies to protect against them; and new and emerging technologies. This course will be taught specifically for non-computer science majors, although students with computer science backgrounds are welcome for the experiences that they can bring to the class discussions. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

In this required course for the MS in Security Studies program, students will take this course to learn all about the efforts in the public and private sector to design new sensors, scanner, and the general role of science and technology in homeland and national security. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

This course introduces the concepts and techniques of systems and network administration. The course covers topics in a wide range from host management, network management, host and network security to automating system administration. In this course learners will be installing and configuring various popular network based services in a Linux environment. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program

This course examines the strategies for deploying and auditing secure systems. IT auditors primarily study computer systems and networks form the point of view of examining the effectiveness of their technical and procedural controls to minimize risks. Risk analysis and the implementation of corresponding best practice control objectives will be studied. The material will include methodologies that help auditors to: Discover what's really going on at a point in time; Find out about potential problems, before it's too late to fix them; Evaluate business situations objectively; Make informed, if difficult decisions; Implement corrective actions, changes and improvements where needed. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT,IT Certificate Program

This course will investigate the current state of virtualization in computing systems. Virtualization at both the hardware and software levels will be examined, with emphasis on the hypervisor configurations of systems such as Vmware, Zen and Hyper-V. The features and limitations of virtual environments will be considered, along with several case studies used to demonstrate the configuration and management of such systems. Para-virtualized software components will be analyzed and their pros and cons discussed. Processor and peripheral support for virtualization will also be examined, with a focus on emerging hardware features and the future of virtualization. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program

This course focuses on enterprise-level information security, privacy and regulatory compliance through study of the rapidly emerging Information Governance (IG) discipline which is applied to electronic documents, records management and output of information organization-wide. The key principles of IG will be examined including the security, privacy and compliance of corporate e-documents/records as well as email, social media, instant messaging, cloud computing, and mobile computing. The student will learn how IG leverages existing information technologies to enforce policies, procedures and controls to manage information risk in compliance with legal and litigation demands, external regulatory requirements, and internal governance objectives. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT,IT Certificate Program

Intrusion Detection Systems is a survey of the hardware and software techniques that are applied to the detection, identification, classification and remediation of compromised information systems. From this introduction to intrusion detection systems, students will develop a solid foundation for understanding IDS and how they function. This course will give students a background in the technology of detection network attacks. It will introduce all the concepts and procedures used for IDS (intrusion Detection Systems) and IPS (intrusion Prevention Systems). Students will have hands-on experience with implementing and configuring software and hardware based IDS in a network infrastructure. This course is designed with a network administrator in mind. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT,IT Certificate Program

This course focuses on best practices for designing and building a comprehensive Cybersecurity Program based on the NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity ("The Framework"). The Framework was issued on February 12, 2014, as directed by President Obama in Executive Order 13636. This framework provides guidance for reducing cybersecurity risk for organizations, and this course will examine its basic tenets of: "Cybersecurity Fundamentals", techniques applied to "Building a Controls Factory", "Cybersecurity Programs" "Establishing Cybersecurity Centers of Expertise" and "The Cybersecurity Program Implementation Roadmap". 3 credits.
This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts in the design and implementation of computer communication networks, their protocols, and applications. Topics to be covered include: an overview of network architectures, applications, network programming interfaces (e.g. sockets) , transport, congestion, routing, and data link protocols, addressing, local area networks, network management, and emerging network technologies. Cannot be used toward MS or D.Sc. in Computer Science. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program

This course is aimed to provide students with a solid understanding of key concepts of computer network security and practical solutions to network security threats. Topics to be covered include common network security attacks, basic security models, data encryption algorithms, public-key cryptography and key management, data authentication, network security protocols in practice, wireless network security, network perimeter security and firewall technology, the art of anti-malicious software, and the art of intrusion detection. Pre-Req: BS in IT or Equivalent. Cannot be used toward MS or D.Sc. in Computer Science. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program

Identifying, preserving and extracting electronic evidence. Students learn how to examine and recover data from operating systems, core forensic procedures for any operating or file system, understanding technical issues in acquiring computer evidence and how to conduct forensically sound examinations to preserve evidence for admission and use in legal proceedings. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program

This course covers principles and practices of wireless networks, including cellular networks, wireless LANs, ad hoc mesh networks, and sensor networks. The potential attacks against these wireless networks and the security mechanisms to defend these networks will be discussed. Topics to be covered include cellular network architecture, wide-area mobile services, wireless LANs and MACs, introduction to emerging wireless networks, survey of malicious behaviors in wireless networks, securing wireless WANs and LANs, securing wireless routing, securing mobile applications, wireless intrusion detection and prevention, challenges in securing next-generation wireless networks, and privacy issues in wireless networks. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program

This course starts with an overview of modern distributed models, exposing the design principles, systems architecture, and innovative applications of parallel, distributed, and cloud computing systems. The course will focus on the creation and maintenance of high-performance, scalable, reliable systems, providing comprehensive coverage of distributed and cloud computing, including: Facilitating management, debugging, migration, and disaster recovery through virtualization. Clustered systems for research or ecommerce applications. Designing systems as web services. Principles of cloud computing using examples from open-source and commercial applications. 3 credits.
Prerequisites:

MSIT, IT Certificate Program


Program Requirements

To be recommended for a University of Massachusetts Lowell master's degree, candidates must satisfy all of the general requirements below, plus any additional requirements that may be required by the department through which the program is offered. Any additional requirements for this program are either listed below or may be found in the University's Graduate Program Catalog.

General Requirements:

  • Students must complete the program of study designed by the Department in which they are enrolled and approved by the University.
  • Satisfactory grades in all subjects offered for the degree must be earned. See Academic Standing.
  • All financial obligations, including tuition, fees and expenses, must be satisfied as evidenced by completion.
  • Upon completion of all their courses, graduate degree candidates must submit a signed Declaration of Intent to Graduate (DIG) form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Graduate Program Policies

In applying for a degree program or registering for courses, each student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with the definitions, regulations and procedures of UMass Lowell as set forth on our website. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Program Policies found within the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition at UMass Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and our online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. Tuition for online programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same whether you live in-state, out-of-state or outside of the U.S.

Summer 2023 Tuition

Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate

Online† $585 $1,755
Online Business** $655 $1,965
Online IT and Engineering*** $600 $1,800
Online Education $470 $1,410
Online Education for Ed.D. and Ph.D.† $495 $1,485
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*If the number of contact hours exceeds the number of credits, tuition is calculated by multiplying by the total number of contact hours.
†Rate will increase slightly in Fall 2023

Additional Costs

Term Registration Fee $30
Late Fee $50
Graduate Degree and Certificate Application $50

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Applying into the Security Studies: Cybersecurity Concentration Program

Applications to the Graduate Program in Security Studies are accepted and processed year-round. Students accepted into the program can begin their courses in the Fall, Spring or Summer terms. To be considered for admission to this program, applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education, with a final cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

All applicants must submit the following:

  • A completed application
  • Official transcripts: An undergraduate degree in computer science or relevant professional experience is required for many of the technical courses in this graduate degree program.
  • A statement of purpose
  • Letters of recommendation (2)
  • No GRE or MAT required.
  • International students: Submit your official test results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. See Graduate Admissions International Graduate Application Requirements page for additional details.
  • F1 student visas are not issued for this program since it is offered exclusively online.

Graduate Program Admissions Requirements

Admission to all graduate programs at UMass Lowell is contingent upon successful completion of a bachelor's degree. In many cases, applicants may register for a course before formally applying to the program; however, students requiring financial aid may want to wait until they have been formally accepted into the program to ensure that their course(s) will be covered. Contact UMass Lowell's Office of Graduate Admissions if you have questions about the application process.

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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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