Cyber Security, Professional Track Online/Hybrid Format, M.S.

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Faculty Director
Tyler Moore

Business Manager
Randy Roberts

The Master of Science (M.S.) in cyber security professional track is designed for working professionals seeking to gain skills and expertise necessary to thrive in this growing field. The program offers both 100% online courses and immersive courses in which students spend one week on campus completing hands-on, intensive training guided by faculty. The program is designed to be completed in 24 months, and students can continue to work as full-time professionals while completing the degree program.

Graduates are well equipped to meet the demand and serve in intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding roles that strengthen national and global security. Graduates of the program master the theory, concepts, and techniques of information assurance and network defense in real-world environments. The M.S. in cyber security serves students with backgrounds in computer science as well as other disciplines. Graduates from the program develop technical and professional skills highly sought after by federal government agencies, national laboratories, law enforcement and intelligence communities and the private sector.

Learning Objectives

Graduates from the Master of Science program in cyber security will:

Possess a comprehensive understanding of the foundational concepts of cyber security.
Demonstrate mastery of techniques in cyber security.
Be able to apply theoretical findings.
Demonstrate professional skills and behavior.

Admission

An applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree in computer science or a related discipline from an accredited college or university. In addition, the following requirements must be met:

A 3.0 undergraduate G.P.A.,
At least 9 hours of mathematics and statistics at the level of calculus and above, and
An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Upon the recommendation of the Graduate Dean, students who fail to meet the above requirements may be admitted conditionally pending removal of deficiencies. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must submit a TOEFL score of at least 85 on the internet-based exam. Non-English-speaking students may substitute a minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS examination for the TOEFL.

GRE Waiver

Admission to the Master of Science in cyber security professional track at The University of Tulsa requires a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) obtained within the five years preceding initial enrollment. A satisfactory score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Law School Admission Test (LSAT) may be substituted, but the GRE is preferred.

The GRE requirement may be waived under certain conditions, as indicated below:

The requirement is automatically waived for all applicants that have already completed a master, doctoral, or law degree at an approved university.
Applicants who have taken the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Law School Admission Test (LSAT) within five years of the date of initial enrollment may submit their score(s) for consideration as a substitute for the GRE.
Experienced applicants who can clearly demonstrate post-baccalaureate scholastic achievement through other means such as patents, professional licensures and certifications, refereed publications in industry-specific journals, expert testimony, company technical reports/analyses, or other documented evidence of career advancement and developing expertise, may petition the evaluation committee for a waiver of the GRE requirement.

The following additional conditions apply:

It is the responsibility of the applicant to request the waiver.
Petitions must be accompanied by all required documentation.
The waiver petition (this form) must be submitted no later than four weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the applicant intends to first enroll in the program.
The waiver petition, along with all required documentation, must be submitted in electronic form to grad-ga@utulsa.edu.
The petition only applies to the Master of Science in cyber security professional track program.

The waiver petition will be evaluated as soon as possible, but generally within ten business days of receipt of all required documentation.

If the waiver petition is denied, the applicant must take the GRE prior to enrolling. It is the applicant’s responsibility to schedule the test and pay the required fee. Applicants are advised that it will be difficult to achieve a satisfactory score without preparing in advance. Study guides and other preparation materials are available from a variety of commercial sources.

Whether the GRE waiver is granted or not, the applicant may still be required to complete one or more leveling courses prior to enrolling in courses.

Course Format

The program offers two distinct three credit hour course delivery formats. In the primary format (100% online), an online delivery mechanism permits students to view online content and interact in regular discussion sections led by the instructor. These courses are offered during the normal spring, summer, and fall terms. Students can complete the program taking only 100% online courses.

A complementary immersive course format is offered during the 10-week summer terms for selected electives. Students spend one week during the summer term on campus for 35 hours of intensive, hands-on instruction. The immersive week is preceded by 4-5 weeks of online instruction, with another 4-5 weeks of online instruction following the immersive week, typically focused on projects that were begun during time on campus.

Course Requirements (30 hours)

Cyber Security Core (12 hours)

Cyber Security Electives (9 hours)

The list of cyber security elective courses below is not all-inclusive, and courses in the list may not be offered online on a regular basis. Students are required to consult the Director of the Cyber Security Professional Program each semester when selecting electives.

Electives (9 hours)

The remaining nine hours of elective coursework may be completed in several different ways, depending on the preference of the student and in consultation with the program advisor. A master’s thesis or master’s report may be completed, but are not required.

Students may take up to 6 credit hours of coursework outside computer science or cyber security, subject to approval from the program advisor and the instructor of record.
If a student wishes to pursue a master’s thesis, up to six of the remaining elective hours may be CS 7981-6 .
If a student wants to complete a master’s report and not a thesis, up to three of the remaining elective hours may be CS 7911-3 .

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