UT Announces Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity; Program Begins This Fall

The University of Tampa has announced it will begin offering a master’s degree in cybersecurity to prepare individuals to become proficient in ensuring the confidentiality, availability and integrity of data, in preserving and restoring systems, and in developing risk management skills.

Starting in Fall 2017, the M.S. in Cybersecurity, offered by the Sykes College of Business, will help students launch or advance a career in the dynamic and growing cybersecurity industry.

The M.S. degree curriculum covers critical topics in cybersecurity and gives students the option of taking valuable courses in project management, business analytics, enterprise systems and SAP certification.

Students may choose between thesis and non-thesis tracks. The thesis track will enable students to earn credentials to pursue doctoral studies or research-oriented consulting work in the growing cybersecurity field. A cybersecurity graduate certificate and an MBA-cybersecurity concentration will also be offered.

The program caters to working professionals, and students may begin the program during the fall, spring or summer terms. Flexibility is built into the curriculum, and degree completion can be done within two years. The program is also ideal for those wishing to advance in the fields of information technology, law enforcement, criminology, criminal justice, forensics, law and government.

Ken Knapp, associate professor of information and technology management and director of cybersecurity programs, said the department is thrilled to start offering these exciting new graduate programs.

“The programs cover some of the most critical topics facing the business community as companies develop, grow and manage their cybersecurity capabilities,” Knapp said. “With courses including analytics, cloud security, incident response management and more, the faculty are also enthusiastic to start teaching these new graduate courses.”

Sample courses in the program include:

Cloud Systems Security
Penetration Testing
Incident Response Management
Secure Software Design
Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning
Security Governance and Leadership
Business Analytics
Cybersecurity Research

The program is housed in the newly built Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building on the UT campus. Cybersecurity program facilities include two dedicated labs and a dedicated virtual cyber range to allow students to engage in real time practice and research.

UT’s cybersecurity lab is unique in that it is one of the only labs in the country to be International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission 27001 certified. ISO/IEC 27001 is an internationally recognized best practice framework for an information security management system. Moreover, the Sykes College of Business is AACSB accredited.

For more information, see www.ut.edu/mscybersecurity. Questions about the program may be addressed to Knapp at kknapp@ut.edu.