Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Cybersecurity [BS + MS]


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The Bachelor of Science portion of the program is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skill set necessary for future computing and cybersecurity professionals to build, maintain and protect networks and computer systems in both government and industry.

The program has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) as the Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Information Assurance (IA) and Cyber Defense (CD) education (DHS/NSA CAE-IA/CD).

The Master of Science portion of the program establishes well-informed and practically grounded graduates in cybersecurity to meet the needs of cybersecurity professionals in public and private sectors to contribute effectively in protecting local, regional, and national security. In addition, the program will equip cybersecurity professionals to serve as leaders and computer and information assurance research scientists. The program is designed to be flexible and meet the needs of research-oriented students and professionals by offering two tracks with thesis and project options.

Learn

The Information Assurance and Cyber Defense program emphasizes the design, integration, administration, hardening, and protection of all types of computer information systems and network infrastructures in modern cyber environments. Students are immersed in solid theories as well as intensive hands-on practical experiences to enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities applied to all elements in modern computing disciplines. The curriculum covers:

  • Computing and networking theories/practices
  • System architecture and administration, integration and troubleshooting
  • Cybersecurity threat/risk evaluation
  • Incident response analysis and practice
  • Network/digital forensics and investigation
  • Penetration testing and system auditing
  • Cyber laws, legislation, policy/compliance
  • project management & Cyber Defense

The Cybersecurity program will be able to analyze complex cybersecurity problems and apply security principles of cybersecurity to identify solutions; analyze and evaluate systems with respect to maintaining operations in the presence of risks and threats; design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of cybersecurity requirements; develop and implement cryptography for information systems; understand and implement advanced security to networks and software; recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in cybersecurity practice based on legal and ethical principles, and be active in state-of-the-art research activities and scholarly funded research activities.

Opportunities

Per the U.S. Department of Labor 2018 handbook, computer and information technology occupations are projected to grow 32% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for computer and Information Security Analyst occupations was $98,350 in 2018, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $38,640. Graduates are in demand to work in private, public, and government agencies. Recent graduates have held positions at Amazon, Dell SecureWorks, Duo Security, Google, Snapchat, General Electric, Ford, and Dominos Corporate.

This is a designated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program.

Program Admission


Combined Program Admission

Requirements

At a minimum, a student must meet the following criteria to be admitted to the combined program. A student can not enroll in 500- level courses until they are admitted into the combined program.

Students may apply for admission into the undergraduate portion of a combined program after completing no fewer than 60 undergraduate credit hours.

Students must have a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 for admission to combined programs.

In addition to the above-mentioned criteria, applicants must also complete the following coursework with a “B-” or above before applying to the combined program:

Application Process

  • Students who wish to be admitted to the combined program must do the following:
  • Complete all requirements listed above. Students may be enrolled in one or two of the required courses listed above during the semester they apply.
  • The student shall inform their advisor of their decision to join the program in person or by email.

Decision Notification Process

  • Students will be notified by letter and/or through e-mail after a decision is made. This notification will be made no later than the start of the semester following the application.

 

Graduate School Admission

Applicants must meet the minimum Graduate School admission requirements (see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions) and complete a Graduate Application.

Note: The minimum GPA requirement for students in a combined program is a 3.0, not 2.7.

School Information


Information Security and Applied Computing | Sean Che, Ph.D., Interim Director | 734.487.2490, xche@emich.edu

Advisor Information


Please contact the school for advisor information.

Undergraduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s undergraduate transcript. 

For the undergraduate portion of this program, students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, please see the Undergraduate Catalog or print a General Education Worksheet .

Major Requirements: 84 hours


Requirements for Graduation

  • Students can NOT apply courses at the 300-level or above to this program, if not taken at EMU
  • ALL students MUST take at least 45 credits at the 300-level or above in the IA/CD program
  • Students must maintain a minimum cumulative EMU GPA of 2.5.

Information Assurance & Cyber Security Requirements: 78 hours


Minor Requirement:


This major does not require a minor.

Graduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s graduate transcript.

Degree Requirements: 18 hours


Capstone: 6 hours


Satisfy one of the following options.

Combined Program Total: 142 hours


Critical Graduation Information


The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the on-line catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
  • Complete a Writing Intensive (WI) Course in your major.
  • Earn a minimum of 45 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; the internal review of such courses is conducted by individual departments/schools within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credits for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor, will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements | EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available on the General Education section of the undergraduate catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.

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