2019-2020 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Master of Science in Cybersecurity
Admission Requirements
In addition to the university requirements of admission, all students seeking a degree for the M.S. in cybersecurity must also meet the following requirements:
- Grade point average of 3.0 (B) from all undergraduate coursework or a satisfactory score on the GRE or GMAT test
- Resume detailing work experiences and accomplishments
- Personal statement of career goals and background experiences, including an explanation of how this program will help achieve educational and professional objectives
- Recommendations: Two professional or academic recommendations received online, addressing the candidate's potential for graduate study completion. You will provide the emails of two references in your account at www.gvsu.edu/gradapply, and they will be sent a link to fill out for their online recommendation
Requirements for the M.S. in Cybersecurity
Admission to the M.S. in cybersecurity status may be full or conditional; conditional admission may be granted to applicants with deficiencies in their background. Candidates without sufficient relevant background experience may satisfy any deficiency with appropriate graduate or undergraduate courses, as recommended by a faculty advisor in the program and approved by the Cybersecurity Program Director.
All candidates for the degree must complete a total of 33 credits, indicated as follows:
- Foundation courses (6 credits)
- Core (21 credits)
- Electives (3 credits)
- Capstone (3 or 6 credits)
Foundation Courses (6 credits)
All candidates are expected to complete the two foundation courses, CIS 500 and CIS 501. However, a placement exam can be taken to demonstrate proficiency in the topics covered by the foundation courses. A successful score on the placement exam will result in waiving the requirement of the foundation courses (33 credits are still required for the degree, and may be achieved through taking additional electives).
- CIS 500 - Fundamentals of Software Practice Credits: 3
- CIS 501 - Fundamentals of Modern Computer Systems Credits: 3
Core Courses (21 credits)
Students are required to complete the following courses:
- CIS 518 - Secure Software Engineering Credits: 3
- CIS 555 - Applied Cryptography Credits: 3
- CIS 615 - Information Security Principles Credits: 3
- CIS 616 - Data Security and Privacy Credits: 3
- CIS 617 - Digital Forensics and Investigations Credits: 3
- CIS 619 - Data Analytics for Cybersecurity Credits: 3
- CIS 654 - Computer Networking Credits: 3
Additional Elective Courses (3 credits)
Any 500- or 600-level CIS course (other than foundations courses) can be used as an elective toward the M.S. in cybersecurity degree.
Capstone (3 or 6 credits)
Each candidate must complete either the project course, or the thesis sequence. Please contact the graduate program director one semester prior to starting any of these.
- CIS 690 - Thesis Research Preparation Credits: 3
- CIS 693 - Master's Project Credits: 3
- CIS 695 - Master's Thesis Credits: 3