Oct 08, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate 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 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, and 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 Analysts’ 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 STEM-designated program (see OPT Extension).

 

Program Admission (Undergraduate)


Students can not enroll in 500- level courses until they are admitted into the combined program.

Requirements

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

Application Process 

  • Students who wish admission to the combined program must do the following:
  • Complete all requirements listed above. Students may enroll 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 e-mail.
  • Program faculty notify students by letter or e-mail after making a decision no later than the start of the semester following the application.

Program faculty are responsible for informing Records & Registration when admitting a student into the combined program.

Program Admission (Graduate)


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Fall or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and be previously admitted to the undergraduate portion of the combined program.

Applicants must confirm with their advisor that they have completed enough undergraduate credits before applying to the graduate portion of the program. A student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours before being fully admitted to the graduate portion of the program.

Program Requirements

This program does not require additional criteria or documents beyond the minimum Graduate School requirements.

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

School Information


Information Security and Applied Computing 211 Sill Hall, 734.487.2490

Sean Che, PhD, Interim Director

Advisor Information


General Education (and other university requirements) Advising

GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology Student Services | Make an appointment, 203 Sill Hall, 734.487.9751 

Faculty Advisor

To find your faculty advisor, please see School of Information Security and Applied Computing Advisors.

Undergraduate Degree -


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

According to university policy, students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours at the 100-level or above for a bachelor’s degree. Completing this combined program’s minimum credit hour total (Undergrad + Grad) will likely require students to complete more than 120 credit hours as an undergraduate.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, see General Education  or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .  

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


Restricted Electives: 21 hours


Choose 21 hours from the following courses. Students may apply up to 18 credit hours of IA courses toward this requirement.

Minor Requirement:


This major does not require a minor.

Graduate Degree -


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

Students must ensure they have completed the necessary graduate credit hours that, when combined with those taken as an undergraduate, equal or exceed the minimum number of credit hours required for this combined program. Sometimes, a student may need additional coursework beyond the minimum requirements listed below to meet the total hour requirement.

Degree Requirements: 18 hours


Core Courses: 12 hours


Choose a minimum of twelve credit hours from the following.

Capstone: 6 hours


Satisfy one of the following options.

Option I - Thesis

A candidate completes fundamental or applied cybersecurity-related research under the supervision of a guidance (thesis) committee. This research must be written in a form acceptable to the Graduate School and defended in an oral examination. The outcome of the study may be published in a conference or peer-reviewed Journal.

In addition students will complete six credit hours from the following:

Option II - Project

Combined Program Total: 142 hours


Critical Graduation Information


Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

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 this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
    • Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
    • At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
  • Earn a minimum of 60 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. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the 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 over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 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; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate 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 similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the 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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