Clark School Creates Master's in Cybersecurity Engineering Targeted at High-Tech Professionals

Protecting our electronic resources is an ever increasing national and international concern. Through the Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2 – www.cyber.umd.edu) researchers in computer science, engineering, physics, and mathematics are taking advantage of our close proximity to the leading government and private industry experts to prepare the future cybersecurity workforce and develop new, innovative technologies to defend against cyber threats.

To meet the demand for highly trained security technologists, the Clark School of Engineering has developed a new graduate level program designed for working professionals that will provide the in depth knowledge, skills, and abilities to defend our critical infrastructures from electronic warfare. “We’ve seen the increasing need for technical professionals highly trained in cybersecurity,” said George Syrmos, Executive Director of the Office of Advanced Engineering Education that oversees the program, “but we didn’t see another degree program that focused solely on the science and engineering expertise that is required to lead in the defense against cyber threats. The new Master’s in Cybersecurity Engineering was developed by faculty from MC2 as well as university practitioners, governmental scientists, and industrial researchers to close this gap.”

The curriculum is designed to cover fundamental and applied topics in Cybersecurity Applications, Operating Systems, Networks and Protocols, Network Security, Information Assurance, Network Intrusion & Detection. The student will then customize their educational experience according to their individual needs by selecting from electives in Secure Software Testing & Construction, Security Tools for Information Security, Digital Forensics & Incidence Response, and Reverse Software Engineering. Additional electives courses through the Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Reliability Engineering programs are available to round a student’s academic program.

The advent of this program comes at a time when practicing scientists and engineers are needed in the rapidly developing field of Cybersecurity. The program allows working professionals the opportunity to develop their current knowledge through a highly focused/technical curriculum without leaving their current full-time positions. Students within the program will receive instruction from the University’s foremost scientists in the various areas being developed in cybersecurity as well as experts from the public and private sectors.

Learn more at www.advancedengineering.umd.edu/cyber.

Published December 5, 2011