Cybersecurity (MS)
As cybersecurity becomes an increasingly valuable discipline to protect organizations' devices, networks, software, and data from cyber threats and attacks, the demand for skilled well-trained cybersecurity professionals will continue to grow. This program equips students with the skills and experience needed to begin or advance a successful career in cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity MS program offers a balance of technical and experiential learning through interdisciplinary coursework, innovative instruction, and opportunities to engage in research, competitions, and internships. Guided by Loyola’s faculty, composed of active researchers and experienced practitioners, students develop advanced knowledge and earn first-hand experience in cybersecurity fundamentals, threat analysis, secure system design, incident detection and response, ethical hacking and penetration testing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and more.
Courses may be taken in person or online. The program can be completed remotely, in-person, or hybrid.
The Cybersecurity (MS) also offers an Accelerated Master's Pathway for Undergraduate students to complete their Graduate studies in a fifth year. Further details of the AMP, including the suggested sequence of courses, can be found under the Curriculum tab.
Related Programs
Curriculum
The Master of Science in Cybersecurity requires a total of between 30 and 37 credit hours (typically 10-13 courses).
Besides the traditional Master's program, the Cybersecurity (MS) is also offered as an Accelerated Master's Pathway where exceptional students can complete the program in a fifth year. A suggested sequence for the AMP can be found below.
Foundation courses COMP 400A, COMP 400B, and COMP 400D can be waived based on prior or current undergraduate or graduate coursework; these waivers will be determined by the Graduate Program Director. If one or more foundation courses are waived, the corresponding number of credit hours will be subtracted from the degree requirements. A student cannot both receive a credit-hours reduction for having a course waived and also receive credit for taking that course.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| COMP 400A | Object-Oriented Programming 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400B | Data Structures I 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400D | Computing Tools and Techniques 1 | 1 |
| Required Courses | ||
| COMP 401 | Computer Security | 3 |
| COMP 417 | Social and Ethical Issues in Computing | 3 |
| COMP 447 | Intrusion Detection and Computer Forensics | 3 |
| COMP 448 | Network Security | 3 |
| COMP 452 | Introduction to Computer Vulnerabilities | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select five of the following courses: 2 | 15 | |
| Operating Systems | ||
| Cryptography | ||
| Computer Forensics Investigations | ||
| Computer Networks | ||
| Internet of Things Device and Application Security | ||
| Wireless Networking and Security | ||
| Enterprise Networking | ||
| Theory of Programming Languages | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Deep Learning | ||
| Computer Science Topics 3 | ||
| Independent Project 4 | ||
| Internship 5 | ||
| Total Hours | 30-37 | |
- 1
May be waived based on prior or current undergraduate or graduate coursework; these waivers will be determined by the Graduate Program Director.
- 2
Substitutions to the list of elective courses are allowed upon approval from the Graduate Program Director.
- 3
The topic must be cybersecurity-related. Approval of GPD is required.
- 4
This consists of participating in cybersecurity competitions and/or cybersecurity research.
- 5
Up to 6 credit hours allowed.
For students who have taken Computer Science coursework at Loyola: many 400-level courses in the department are cross-listed with 300-level analogues (e.g. COMP 443 Computer Networks and COMP 343 Computer Networks). Students who enter the MS program after taking a Loyola course in this category must choose to take 400-level courses that are not cross-listed with any 300-level courses taken earlier, with approval from the Graduate Program Director.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
Traditional Master's Program
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Hours | |
| COMP 400A | Object-Oriented Programming 1 | 3 |
| COMP 400D | Computing Tools and Techniques 1 | 1 |
| COMP 401 | Computer Security | 3 |
| COMP 417 | Social and Ethical Issues in Computing | 3 |
| Hours | 6-10 | |
| Semester II | ||
| COMP 400B | Data Structures I 1 | 3 |
| COMP 447 | Intrusion Detection and Computer Forensics | 3 |
| COMP 452 | Introduction to Computer Vulnerabilities | 3 |
| Hours | 6-9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Semester I | ||
| COMP 448 | Network Security | 3 |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Semester II | ||
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30-37 | |
- 1
May be waived based on prior or current undergraduate or graduate coursework; these waivers will be determined by the Graduate Program Director.
Accelerated Master's Pathway
Students can take up to 12 credit hours in the senior year with admission to the AMP. These credits are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs.
| Senior | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| COMP 401 | Computer Security 1 | 3 |
| COMP 417 | Social and Ethical Issues in Computing 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| COMP 447 | Intrusion Detection and Computer Forensics 1 | 3 |
| COMP 452 | Introduction to Computer Vulnerabilities 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Master's | ||
| Fall | ||
| COMP 448 | Network Security | 3 |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| COMP 400-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
COMP 440, COMP 443, COMP 448, COMP 449, or COMP 479 may be taken in lieu of these courses to complete the 12 shared credits. Other courses (e.g. COMP 488 on cybersecurity) can be allowed per GPD approval.
Guidelines for Accelerated Master's Pathways
In Accelerated Master’s Pathways, students share limited, authorized credits between their Undergraduate and Graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Shared credits are Graduate level credit hours (400-level or higher) taken during the Undergraduate career and then applied both to the Undergraduate degree and towards Graduate program requirements.
Admission and Matriculation
Accelerated Master's Pathways are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s Undergraduates. Admission to these programs is competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the Graduate program. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the Master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree.
Students enrolled in an Accelerated Master's Pathway who choose not to continue to the Master’s degree program upon completion of the Bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.
Ideally, a student will apply for admission to an AMP program as they approach 90 credit hours in their Undergraduate career.
Students will not officially matriculate into the Master’s degree program and be labeled as a Graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the Undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the Graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their Graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
Advising and Registration
Students in their final Undergraduate year will work with Advising in the home School of their Bachelor's program(s), as well as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program. Any 400-level or higher courses that the student plans to enroll in should be reviewed by both advisors to ensure that these courses will complete requirements for both degrees.
Registration in Graduate level courses during the Undergraduate year may require assistance from the Graduate Program Director and/or the student’s current academic advisor to enroll.
Shared Credits
Only courses taken at the 400-level or higher will count toward the Graduate program. At the Undergraduate level, students are restricted to enrolling in and sharing up to the number of Graduate level credits explicitly indicated in the catalog for their selected AMP program.
In general, Graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Master's Pathway. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Master's Pathway is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Program Director, students may take one of their Graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.
Degree Requirements and Conferral
Undergraduate degree requirements are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Master’s Pathway. Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a Graduate program.
The program’s Graduate Program Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and Master’s degree conferral review process. Graduate credit hours taken during the Undergraduate career will not be included in the Graduate GPA calculation.
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate Program Director will review the relevant syllabus or syllabi to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400-level course or higher.
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer Graduate curriculum to Undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of Undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once matriculated in the Graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the Graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from Undergraduate to Graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Master’s Pathway, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s Graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their Graduate studies after earning the Undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional Master’s degree program. Any application of Graduate credit earned while in the Undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the Graduate degree granting school.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
Learning Outcomes
- Security Fundamentals: Strong understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of cybersecurity, including confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, and authorization.
- Threat Analysis: Ability to identify and assess security threats and vulnerabilities and develop strategies to mitigate cybersecurity attacks.
- Secure System Design: capacity to design and implement secure systems and networks, considering security at all stages of the development lifecycle.
- Incident Detection and Response: Skills to detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity incidents, including malware infections, data breaches, and denial-of-service attacks.
- Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing: Competency in the areas of ethical hacking and penetration testing. This includes adherence to ethical principles and professional standards for cybersecurity, the ability to assess the security of systems and networks and recommend remediation strategies.