Whether you are pursuing a career in cybersecurity or other fields, a major indicator of your likely success is your personal grit. I will explain the importance of grit and how you can improve your score. Continue Reading >
30 Credits
5 Semesters to Complete
$975 Cost per credit
Next Application Deadline: August 19
31%
Growth in employment for information security analysts between 2018 and 2028
$82,000
Average salary for those holding a Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree
$124 Billion
In worldwide spending on Information Security in 2019
Cybercrime is one of the most significant risks faced by businesses and individuals in the modern era. The MS in Cybersecurity degree from the Quinnipiac School of Engineering will provide you with the hands-on training and technical skills needed to prevent, detect, and defend against these threats.
In the United States, the average annual cost of cybercrime increased by 29% in 2018, and Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that the global cost of cybercrime will top six trillion dollars by the year 2021. Further perpetuating the issue is a widening cybersecurity skills gap due to a severe shortage of individuals with the technical skills needed to counter these sophisticated cyber-attacks. In fact, a 2018-2019 ESG survey found that 53% of organizations report a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills, a number that has increased every year since 2015.
The MS in Cybersecurity degree from Quinnipiac provides the professional skills needed to secure a prestigious position in the field of cybersecurity safeguarding our corporate, financial and personal data against these attacks. The program was developed to be in alignment with the key knowledge units established by the NSA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a more cyber-secure nation and is continuously updated to stay current with evolving threats. Our program was designed with working professionals in mind, and in 2021 was ranked the most flexible cybersecurity program in the country by Intelligent.com in their "Best Online Cybersecurity Degree Programs" survey.
Our industry-experienced faculty will guide you through the key components of creating and maintaining a secure information infrastructure, while virtual labs help you immediately apply what you have learned in simulated scenarios. Students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to the program. If you are currently lacking the programming skills required for entry, we will help you build the requisite skills needed to be successful in this program. To learn more, please complete the information request form and a member of admissions team will answer any questions that you have and help you get started with your application.
Cybersecurity Career News
Whether you are pursuing a career in cybersecurity or other fields, a major indicator of your likely success is your personal grit. I will explain the importance of grit and how you can improve your score. Continue Reading >
View a recording of Professor Scholl's discussion about how to position yourself to secure a role in the rapidly growing cybersecurity space, and how Quinnipiac's program can help prepare you with the necessary skills. Watch now >
Two new laws were passed this session by Connecticut legislators; they together make the state a leader in cybersecurity protections for citizens. These new laws take effect on October 1, 2021. Continue Reading >
I will commend the Administration for the recent (May 13, 2021) Executive Order aimed at promoting immediate improvements in cybersecurity within government sector and private sector. At the same time, there are areas that need more attention. Continue Reading >
In the iconic 1967 movie The Graduate, Mr. McGuire tells Ben that he should go into “plastics”. If the movie were to be rewritten for today, I can see him saying “cloud”. Cloud computing continues its advance into all things IT, and I don’t see any boundaries limiting its growth. Continue Reading >
Not many people can make the leap from pre-med to cybersecurity, but Achsah’s driving force was her curiosity in technology. Once she earned her bachelor’s degree in the health sciences field, Achsah began a search for a graduate program in technology that could turn her interest into a career. Continue Reading >
This upcoming "Cyber Monday" is likely to break records for e-commerce shopping. At the same time, cyber criminals have been planning to attack for months will also be out in force. This article highlights some steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Continue Reading >
You have decided you are interested in a cybersecurity career path. You already have an undergraduate degree. There are dozens of cybersecurity programs out there, so how do you decide? Continue Reading >
Linda was introduced to computer programming at her technical high school. It was there she became interested in computers; however, she could not have imagined she would become a cybersecurity professional. Continue Reading >
We’ve all read about people losing money, personal information and more, by going to fake web sites. No wonder-- there are over 1.8B web sites now and it costs less than $11.99/per year to register a new site An easy way to start a life of online crime. Continue Reading >
Andre A. Abbott graduated Quinnipiac University in 2008 with a BS in Information Technology. After graduation, he gained experience in a few firms, however, one question kept reverberating in his mind: How is all of this information secured? Continue Reading >
You have been hearing about the importance of “soft skills” forever. In fact, you are probably tired of hearing about soft skills. But don’t stop reading yet. These are the soft skills that will help you further your career in cybersecurity and other areas of information technology. Continue Reading >
Cybersecurity is, in the end, really about people. Getting them to understand what to do, encouraging them to do it, and following up to make sure it was done. As such, communication plays an extremely important role in the success of the security practitioner. Continue Reading >
No, I don’t mean working for criminal hackers. I’m writing about the security vendor space. There are many opportunities on the security vendor side. Today there are over 2,000 security vendors. Just don’t expect a lot of love from practitioners. You will have to earn it. Continue Reading >
We read daily about fake news, fake handbags, pretty much fake everything. It’s not a lighthearted topic, since social media manipulation is one of the preferred methods used by nation states in cyberwar related attacks. What happens when the information we see cannot be relied upon? Continue Reading >
Students often ask if they should pursue an MS in Cybersecurity degree or a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. My answer is: “It depends”. In this post I want to analyze the factors that might lead you to choose one or the other, or both options. Continue Reading >
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). To help us celebrate safely, Quinnipiac University’s Fred Scholl has developed this helpful list of 31 practical tips everyone can use to #BeCyberSmart in our personal and business lives. Continue Reading >
Many types of organizations have already developed highly reliable business processes. Achieving such goals includes both strategy and execution. I contend that much can be learned from these organizations...and venturing outside the security bubble. Continue Reading >
The cybersecurity field is so broad that standardized work roles and job titles have yet to crystallize. I see huge variation across industry verticals and between public and private sectors. This blog post is part of my series on understanding cybersecurity career trends. Continue Reading >
Last week Verizon published the 12th Edition of its annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). This report highlights the previous years’ 41,686 security incidents and 2,013 data breaches. It also has no explicit information on cybersecurity careers. That’s why I connected the dots to create this blog post on cybersecurity career guidance. Continue Reading >
Two new initiatives out of Washington last week promise to increase the number and skill level of trained cybersecurity specialists. First, President Trump issued a new Executive Order regarding America’s Cybersecurity Workforce. In addition, the Senate unanimously passed a new bill strengthening the Federal cybersecurity workforce; this bill will now go onto the House. Continue Reading >
As digital technology penetrates virtually all business processes, the roles and responsibilities of information security practitioners are undergoing major changes. While data confidentiality was the highest priority over the past decade, newer responsibilities highlight data integrity and data availability. Newer job descriptions reflect this need. Continue Reading >
Many cybersecurity job seekers spend a lot of time perusing job boards, like Indeed, Simply Hired and others. In this post I want to look at trends, as reported by the Society for Information Management’s (SIM) Annual IT Trends Survey. SIM is a national organization of Chief Information Officers and similar IT leaders. Ultimately these people are the ones generating the individual job listings. Continue Reading >
What is driving demand for new cybersecurity professionals? Cyber Seek is reporting 313,735 job openings today. In general we are witnessing an unprecedented digitization of everything. Cyber risks are multiplying proportionally. The Internet of Things (IoT) will be presenting more and more challenges. The security challenge is how to “patch” these systems when security vulnerabilities are found. Continue Reading >
If practitioners today knew exactly what to do, we would not have the continuing cybersecurity risks that we do have. But no one today has all the right answers; if you want to carve out a career for yourself, you need to avoid following the crowds and stay away from imitating what everyone else is doing in the profession. Continue Reading >
The recent ISACA-CMMI Institute cybersecurity culture research illustrates the accomplishments and gaps that are seen in organizations’ cybersecurity culture. In this blog post, I will highlight some of the survey’s findings and then discuss ways you can improve your organization’s cybersecurity culture. Continue Reading >
Sample Simulation
The MS in Cybersecurity program incorporates a variety of simulations and experiential learning opportunities to further enrich your learning experience. To get a feel for what you can expect as a student, we encourage you to try this sample intro to cybersecurity simulation. In this simulation, you will serve as a consultant for Robothink Industries and will need to indenitfy the types of cyber-attacks that were carried out against the company. Click on the image to get started.
The curriculum for this program is segmented into a series of one-credit courses grouped into seven domains of security knowledge that will enable you to thrive in a variety of cybersecurity roles and career tracks. Courses last either two or three weeks with students typically taking six credits per term in a 15-week semester. This format allows students to focus on specific learning objectives and projects before moving on to the next topic while permitting the flexibility needed for success in this fast-paced field.
| Risk Management Coursework (6 credits) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course | Title | Credits |
| CYB 501 | Foundations of Cybersecurity | 1 |
| CYB 502 | Introduction to Cyber Threats | 1 |
| CYB 503 | Introduction to Cyber Defense | 1 |
| CYB 550 | Cyber Policy | 3 |
| Security Technology Coursework (3 credits) | ||
| CYB 540 | Introduction to Secure Networking | 1 |
| CYB 509 | Operating Systems Security | 1 |
| CYB 517 | Introduction to Cryptography | 1 |
| Data Security Coursework (3 credits) | ||
| CYB 524 | Relational Database Security | 1 |
| CYB 526 | Non-relational Database Security | 1 |
| CYB 670 | IoT Security | 1 |
| Software Security Coursework (6 credits) | ||
| CYB 506 | Introduction to Programming for Security Professionals | 1 |
| CYB 660 | Programming for Security Analytics | 1 |
| CYB 661 | Programming for Security Automation | 1 |
| CYB 662 | Secure Web Applications Design | 1 |
| CYB 663 | Secure Web Applications Engineering | 1 |
| CYB 664 | Web Applications Security Testing | 1 |
| Access Security Coursework (3 credits) | ||
| CYB 665 | Workforce Access Security | 1 |
| CYB 667 | B2C Access Security | 1 |
| CYB 669 | B2B Access Security | 1 |
| Cloud Security Coursework (3 credits) | ||
| CYB 680 | Introduction to Cloud Security | 1 |
| CYB 681 | Securing Workloads in AWS | 1 |
| CYB 682 | Securing Workloads in Azure | 1 |
| Resilient Systems Security Coursework (3 credits) | ||
| CYB 683 | Resilient Systems Design and Development | 1 |
| CYB 684 | Resilient Systems Testing | 1 |
| CYB 685 | Operating Resilient Systems | 1 |
| Capstone Project (3 credits) | ||
| CYB 691 | MS Cybersecurity Capstone | 3 |
*Courses and curriculum requirements are subject to change.
Advisory Council
To keep our curriculum aligned with the rapidly evolving needs of the cybersecurity space, Quinnipiac University has developed a dedicated Cybersecurity Advisory Council. This group consists of industry practitioners from a variety of industries and specializations. To read more about our Advisory Council, click on the button below.
Today’s cybersecurity professional needs to be conversant with a range of security tools. Our curriculum is set up to make sure graduating students will have skills in a range of tools, both open source and proprietary. This reflects the typical work environment. In addition, we provide students experience in using cloud native environments, include Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure. Some of the tools we use include:
"The program has introduced me to the language, the intensity and the diversity of the discipline. The coursework is very similar to certain job descriptions I have read. Once I decide where in the field I would like to focus, I feel confident I have a great foundation."
Andre Abbott, MS in Cybersecurity '20
"I truly learned something from each professor. You get to communicate with other students. (The program) is also beneficial to help in obtaining a certification in cybersecurity to increase your career credentials."
Linda Thomas, MS in Cybersecurity '20
"I think one of the reasons I was able to grasp technical information easily was because each class prepared me enough to take on the tasks of the next class."
Achsah Abraham, MS in Cybersecurity '20
To qualify for admission into the MS in Cybersecurity program, a student must have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet one of the following criteria:
If you do not have the above technical training but have a passion for cybersecurity and motivation to learn, we will provide you with short course recommendations to get you prepared for our program. These short courses will include:
A complete application consists of the following:
Standardized test scores (such as GMAT or GRE) submitted by the students in support of the application also are considered, but are not required.
Please note that admission is competitive and that meeting the minimum admission standards does not guarantee acceptance. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, and students may apply to enter during the fall or spring semesters. Candidates are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible to ensure consideration for the semester desired. Applications are evaluated once all materials and the application fee are received by Quinnipiac. Students can expect to receive a decision within four weeks of submitting a completed application.
Meet the Faculty
Frederick Scholl, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor of Cybersecurity, Program Director
Professor Frederick Scholl, director of Quinnipiac's online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, believes that since cyber crime is everyone's problem, cybersecurity should be everyone's responsibility as well. "My vision and the vision of Quinnipiac is to make cybersecurity technology as accessible to as many people as we can," Scholl said.
Scholl earned his PhD from Cornell University, and graduated from Harvard's internet law program in 2001. He worked in research and product development for 13 years, was a consultant on Wall Street, and worked as a security manager for Nissan America. To date he holds 13 U.S. patents.
Meet the Faculty
Bill Wilder
Chief Technology Officer at Finomial Corporation
Prior to his role at Finomial Corporation, Bill was a cloud-focused consultant, helping companies and individuals succeed in the cloud using the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Consulting clients ranged from startups to very large enterprises, including Microsoft. His expertise with Azure and his contributions to the development community have earned him recognition from Microsoft as an Azure MVP since Jan 2011. He was among the first dozen or so people worldwide to receive this honor.
Bill is the founder of the oldest Azure-focused community group in the world, Boston Azure, and authored the book Cloud Architecture Patterns. Outside of teaching, he can be found blogging at blog.codingoutloud.com and on Twitter at @codingoutloud.
Meet the Faculty
Aditya Gupta
Professor of Cybersecurity
Aditya is a hands-on Information Security leader (Sr. IAM Architect), a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a cloud enthusiast (AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Associate) with over 17 years of IT experience. He has 12+ years security delivery experience providing Enterprise wide Identity and Access Management Security solutions.
Over the past decade, he has focused on IT security – Identity and Access Management ( IAM) space, and has experience leading large scale IAM projects in key areas such as user identity life cycle management (provisioning, de-provisioning, etc.), access management (SSO, federation, privileged account management), DevOps, Robotics Process Automation (RPA), entitlements and recertification, security architecture, assessment and strategy, IT security controls, risk, compliance and risk assessment.
Meet the Faculty
Robert Chaput
Founder and Executive Chairman, Clearwater Compliance, LLC
Bob is the author of "Stop the Cyber Bleeding: What Healthcare Executives and Board Members Must Know About Enterprise Cyber Risk Management (ECRM)". He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of Clearwater, a provider of healthcare compliance and cyber risk management solutions.
As a leading authority and expert witness on HIPAA compliance and enterprise cyber risk management, Chaput has assisted hundreds of healthcare organizations and their business partners, including Fortune 100 organizations, improve their risk posture. Chaput earned an M.A. in Mathematics from Clark University and a B.A. in Mathematics from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Meet the Faculty
Jennifer Bayuk
Cybersecurity Subject Matter Expert, Principal at Jennifer L. Bayuk, LLC.
Jennifer is a cybersecurity risk management thought leader and subject matter expert. She is experienced in managing and measuring large-scale cybersecurity programs, system security architecture, cybersecurity tools and techniques, cybersecurity forensics, audit of information systems and networks, and technology control processes.
Professor Bayuk specializes in cybersecurity risk and performance indicators, technology risk awareness education, risk management training curriculum, and system security research. She earned her master’s degrees in Philosophy and Computer Science, and her PhD in Systems Engineering. Additionally, Professor Bayuk is certified in Information Systems Audit, Information Systems Security, Information Security Management, and IT Governance.
Meet the Faculty
Harry Morrow Long
Director of Information Security Engineering and Principal Information Security Officer at Yale University
Harry Morrow is a Principal Information Security Officer at Yale University and currently the Information Security lead on Yale's Next Generation Network project. He is a UNIX, Windows and TCP/IP security expert, an author, consultant and educator with over 34 years of experience. He has taught computer science, networking and information security courses at several universities, including Yale, University of New Haven and Fairfield University and private seminar institutes, including Data-Tech, Security University, ITMI, Net Security UK and IT Institute Roma.
Professor Long has written and released several information security software programs into the public domain and was an original founder of the InfraGard program in Connecticut. He served on the executive board of CUISP (Campus University & Information Security Professionals), participates in the EDUCAUSE/I2 Computer/Network Security Task Force, CISDG (CT InfoSec Discussion Group) and served several consecutive terms as the President of the Connecticut ISSA (Information Security Systems Association) Chapter.
Meet the Faculty
Kevin Muller
Assistant Director for Software Strategy & Information Architecture at Fordham University
Kevin is an Assistant Director for Software Strategy and Information Architecture at Fordham University. In this role, he is committed to delivering and integrating innovative technical solutions, partnering with a diverse group of key university business leaders. Kevin holds active certifications in information security (CISSP, CISM), risk management and control (CRISC), I.T. governance (CGEIT), information systems auditing (CISA), project management (PMP), and agile / scrum development (CSM). He also serves as an adjunct professor, with specialties in Information Technology, Computer and Information Science, and Cybersecurity.
Meet the Faculty
Charles Pak
Sr. Cyber Security Solutions Architect at CSRA
Charles earned his PhD in Information Security from Nova Southeastern University, an M.S. in Network Security from Capitol Technology University, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University. He has taught Information Systems (IS) courses for over 25 years as an IS practitioner and professor. He has managed U.S. Federal Government data centers for over 20 years, including personnel. He has designed, tested, implemented, and maintained some of the largest enterprise network sites in the world. He has managed state-of-the art systems for military and federal government missions.
His research topics include Cyber Security, Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), PKI, Cyber Counter Terrorism, and Risk Assessment & Management. He has published several research papers in Information Security. As a practitioner, he holds several industry certifications: CISM, CRISC, CISSP, ITIL, SSCP, MCSE, MCT, Security +, and CCNA.
Meet the Faculty
Andrzej Soliwoda
Senior Network Engineer at Quinnipiac University
Andrzej has over 25 years of experience in all aspects of computer networking. Currently he is Senior Network Engineer at Quinnipiac University. His work includes supporting, researching, recommending and proposing plans for Quinnipiac University’s local area network for all three campuses and two data centers. He oversees the management of the Quinnipiac network including all LAN routing, Virtual Private Networking (VPN), remote access, wireless networking, network monitoring system and server integration onto the network. His specialty is network architecture design.
Meet the Faculty
Dennis Klemenz
CIO & VP at Connex Credit Union
Dennis is the Chief Information Officer and Vice President at Connex Credit Union, based in North Haven, CT. He has taught at Quinnipiac since 2016 on subjects including database security, operating systems and systems programming, iOS programming and database programming. Previously he was manager of big data, analytics and business intelligence for Sikorsky Aircraft. He has a BS and MS from University of New Haven.
Meet the Faculty
Tal Melamed
Co-Founder & CTO at CloudEssence
With over 15 years of experience in security research and engineering, Tal is currently leading the security research for Serverless and Cloud technologies at Check Point. Previously, he was Director of Security Research for Protego Labs, which was acquired by Check Point.
Tal has been training developers and hackers all around the world and his credibility has provided him with opportunities to speak at prestigious venues, including BlackHat, Defcon, DerbyCon, OWASP and many more. Tal is also the leader and creator of the OWASP Serverless Top 10 and DVSA projects.
Learn More About the MS in Cybersecurity
Ready to take advantage of the growing opportunities available to cybersecurity professionals and join us in our mission to create a more cyber-secure nation? Request additional information via the form provided or submit your application to get started today!
As a student in the program, you will: