Program Overview

The Master of Science (MS) in Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary program offered by the departments of Computer Science (CSC) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) that trains the next generation of professionals for careers in industry, government, and academia to safeguard our society and our world. The program provides students with the latest technical knowledge and skills in cybersecurity and privacy principles and the engineering aspects of software and hardware security to build secure systems that are resistant to attack. 31credit hours. No thesis required. No GRE scores required.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the MS in Cybersecurity must have a bachelor’s degree with at least a B average. Non-Computer Science majors must demonstrate strong academic performance in computer science and mathematics. Additional requirements include a statement of purpose and three professional or academic recommendations. 

For International applicants must submit GRE General Test scores and provide TOEFL or IELTS scores as proof of English proficiency.

Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 31 credit hours is required for all students. A minimum of 15 credits should be taken from a group of  Cybersecurity Core Courses, and a minimum of 12 hours of Cybersecurity Core or Cybersecurity Foundations courses. Additionally, 3 credits of Cybersecurity Practicum course and 1 credit of graduate orientation course is required of all students.
• The practicum will involve a semester-long team project solving a cybersecurity problem. Practicum projects will be mentored by either an industry partner or faculty member.
• See Program Tracks page for requirement breakdown.

Course Registration

To register for an Engineering Online course, complete the registration form on the Engineering Online website. Students cannot register through the University MyPack Portal system for Engineering Online courses.

Course Offerings

Requirements	Credit Hours
Cybersecurity Core or Foundation Electives courses	12
Cybersecurity Core Electives	12
CSC 600 Graduate orientation	1
CSC/ECE 574 Computer and Network Security	3
CSC 595 Cybersecurity Practicum	3
Total	31

A list of distance education courses available for each semester can be found on the Engineering Online website.

Course Logistics

Online courses are the same as on-campus courses in terms of content, requirements, and academic rigor. On-campus class lectures are captured, digitized, and placed on the Internet for you to access at any time and from any location. You must, however, follow the on-campus class schedule in terms of submitting homework and taking exams. Course assignments, lecture notes, and handouts are made available to you on the course website. All in-class exams must be proctored.

Contact Information

• For more information about the online Cybersecurity degree program, contact:
  Dr. Isabella White, Director of Cybersecurity Education and Graduate Programs
  Email: [email protected]
  Department website : https://csc.ncsu.edu/academics/graduate/masters/cybersecurity/

• For more information about the registration process, course offerings, and course logistics, contact:
  Dr. Linda Krute, Director of Distance Education Programs College of Engineering
  Telephone: 919.515.5440
  Email: [email protected]
  Engineering Online website: https://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu