Because heroes can have desk jobs
With an industry rising faster than any other, explore how our program prepares you to protect the digital world we live in and rely on.
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CISC 131, 231, MATH 116 (or MATH 115) and MATH/CISC 120, MATH 122, MATH 201 are prerequisites for the major and must be used to fulfill general education requirement
Master of Science
* Students may take up to four graduate courses to fulfill the open elective requirements of the B.S. in Cybersecurity. These graduate courses may also be used to fulfill the requirements of the M.S. in Cybersecurity. Please see Graduate Catalog for course descriptions. Students who choose the dual degree program in Cybersecurity must complete:
Undergraduate Courses
Foundation Courses
Major Courses
Major Electives
*These courses fulfill part of the General Education requirements. The total of major concentration is 16 courses or 48 credits.
**This course can be transferred into if students have current security+ certificate.
Open Electives
Mercy College's 15-credit residency requirement in the major concentrations of cybersecurity must be satisfied by courses numbered 200 or above
*These courses fulfill part of the General Education requirements. The total of major concentration is 16 courses or 48 credits.
**This course can be transferred into if students have current security and certificate.
Graduate Courses
Any six of the following at most*
*Students should not take any graduate level courses until they have completed 60 credits and maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 each semester at Mercy College. Students are encouraged to discuss with their academic advisors or program heads about suitable graduate course selection.
NOTE:
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The Dual Degree program in Cybersecurity provides an opportunity for talented students to earn a bachelor's and master's degrees in five years. Graduates of this program will take leadership positions in business as professionals in the application of sound security policies, providing protection and disaster recovery to critical control systems.
Information systems are under constant threats from hackers, viruses, and worms. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 edition, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/) describes "Computer security specialists plan, coordinate, and maintain an organization's information security. These workers educate users about computer security, install security software, monitor networks for security breaches, respond to cyber attacks, and, in some cases, gather data and evidence to be used in prosecuting cyber crime. The responsibilities of computer security specialists have increased in recent years as cyber attacks have become more sophisticated". It projects employment under the IT category to "grow much faster than the average for all occupations and add 286,600 new jobs over the 2008-18 decade".
The literature and announced job openings indicate a huge shortage of qualified workers in this field. The Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers/cyberjobfair/) "is using special hiring authorities to fill up to 1,000 skilled cyber specialist positions over three years across many Department components”. Securing cyberspace and the national information infrastructure is critical and can be achieved only when qualified workers are available. Mercy College is responding to this shortage in cyber specialists by offering this undergraduate and graduate program in Cybersecurity at two campuses and online.
Graduates are able to monitor security systems, including firewalls and intrusion detection systems; create, implement, and oversee security policies; plan disaster recovery; conduct regular compliance audits, and prepare to take the CISSP certification exam.
Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Cybersecurity program offers students a combination of strong foundation in theory and practical skills in security and privacy engineering. Graduates of this program will understand security and privacy from technological, legal and managerial perspectives. They will be prepared to create, implement and oversee security systems and security policies. They are positioned for the advanced supervisory positions in the field such as Information System Security Officer, Network Security administrator, Information Security Analyst, Forensic Analyst, IT Auditor, Information Assurance Compliance Officer, Principal System Security Engineer, Information Security Specialist, Information Assurance Specialist, IT Security Analyst, Information System Governance Officer, Information Assurance Engineer and Information Assurance Analyst. Moreover, graduates will be prepared for acquiring professional certificates like Certified Information System Security Professionals (CISSP).