Master of Science in Cybersecurity

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers a Master of Science in Cybersecurity.  The MS in Cybersecurity provides a high quality, academically challenging, and career-enriching educational program that is responsive to industry trends, changing standards, and employer needs.  The degree develops students who are highly skilled in the field, technically savvy, and think critically about cybersecurity challenges. This is a STEM-designated master's program. Applications are being accepted.

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To speed up processing and improve the chances of being accepted to the MS in Cybersecurity program, we strongly encourage students to submit a CV, a statement of purpose (SOP), and references to https://engineering.unt.edu/webforms/submission-graduate-application-documents.

Excellence in cybersecurity

The UNT Center for Information and Cyber Security (CICS) has been designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education and Research. As a center for excellence, our students learn from experts in the field and gain knowledge and skills that have practical applications in industry post-graduation.

Growing industry needs in cybersecurity

Currently, there are an estimated 500,000 cybersecurity jobs unfilled in our country, from management, scientists, architects, and administrators to every kind of technical personnel. The Cybersecurity Jobs Report 2018-2021 predicts that there will be 3.5 million unfilled jobs in cybersecurity by 2021. As new technologies enter every part of daily life due to lack of expertise, we expect the demand for people with higher degrees will exponentially increase.

Competitive salaries

Companies hiring cybersecurity professionals are also offering lucrative salaries.

  • On average, information security professionals earn $102,600 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021). That’s almost three times the national median income for full-time workers in the United States.
  • The BLS's Job Outlook for 2021-2031 estimates the Information Security Analyst profession to grow 35%, must faster than average.
  • The Computer Systems Design and Services industry has the highest concentration of cybersecurity jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • As of July 2023, the average annual pay for a Master’s degree in cybersecurity in the United States is $128,870 per year. Based on our students' employment, an MS degree is considered equivalent to 2 years of experience in the industry. Many MS students are hired into leadership roles in the industry after graduation.

Jobs after graduation

After graduation, MS in cybersecurity graduates will be prepared for jobs in secure software development, system test/evaluation, data security analysis, IT security project management, cyber defense analysis, vulnerability assessment, and system security engineering, security architecture, enterprise architecture, and scientific research positions.

Program Requirements

Please review our Requirements for Admission and UNT's Graduate Admission page before you apply.  

All students applying for the Master's program must have completed a 4-year bachelor’s degree.  In addition, international applicants who do not have a previous degree from a U.S. institution must provide proof of English language proficiency (ELP). It is the student’s responsibility to have official scores sent to the University of North Texas Graduate Admissions Office.   If a student has not submitted proof of ELP at the time the application is reviewed, they may be conditionally accepted to the MS program, however, they will be required to provide proof of ELP before they will be permitted to enroll in classes.  If you do not meet the minimum English requirements, you will have the option of registering for the IELI program.

A prior Computer Science and Engineering degree is not required for admission to the Master’s program, but the admission committee will look for evidence that the applicant has a good chance of thriving in a scientific graduate program.  Admission is competitive and based on the number of positions available in our program.

Program Curriculum

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers two Master's Degree options:

Option A: Thesis Option with 30 credit hours. 

  • 15 credit hours of Core Courses
  • 9 credit hours of Elective Courses
  • 6 credit hours of Master's Thesis

Option B: Course Option with 33 hours.

  • 21 credit hours of Core Courses
  • 12 credit hours of Elective Courses

NOTE: Leveling and internship courses cannot be counted toward the degree plans of either Options.

Please view breakdown of Cybersecurity, M.S. (Option A & Option B) below:

Cybersecurity, MS
Option A:       Thesis Option B:             Non-thesis
CATEGORY Hrs Course Name CATEGORY Hrs Course Name
           
Core Courses 15   Core Courses 21  
Required Group 9 CSCE 5550 - Introduction to Computer Security Required Group 9 CSCE 5550 - Introduction to Computer Security
(Must take ALL courses)   CSCE 5565 - Secure Software Development (Must take ALL courses)   CSCE 5565 - Secure Software Development
    CSCE 5552 - Cybersecurity Essentials     CSCE 5552 - Cybersecurity Essentials
           
Applied Group 3 CSCE 5050 - Applications of Cryptography Applied Group 6 CSCE 5050 - Applications of Cryptography
(Choose 1 course)   CSCE 5555 - Computer Forensics (Choose 2 courses)   CSCE 5555 - Computer Forensics
    CSCE 5560 - Secure Electronic Commerce     CSCE 5560 - Secure Electronic Commerce
           
Networking Group 3 CSCE 5520 - Wireless Networks and Protocols Networking Group 6 CSCE 5520 - Wireless Networks and Protocols
(Choose 1 course)   CSCE 5575 - Blockchain and Applications (Choose 2 courses)   CSCE 5575 - Blockchain and Applications
    CSCE 5585 - Network Security     CSCE 5585 - Network Security
           
Elective Courses 9 CSCE 5170 - Graph Theory Elective Courses 12 CSCE 5170 - Graph Theory
(Choose 3 courses)   CSCE 5210 - Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (Choose 4 courses)   CSCE 5210 - Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
    CSCE 5214 - Software Development for Artificial Int.     CSCE 5214 - Software Development for Artificial Int.
    CSCE 5215 - Machine Learning     CSCE 5215 - Machine Learning
    CSCE 5216 - Pattern Recognition     CSCE 5216 - Pattern Recognition
    CSCE 5290 - Natural Language Processing     CSCE 5290 - Natural Language Processing
    CSCE 5300 - Intro to Big Data & Data Science     CSCE 5300 - Intro to Big Data & Data Science
    CSCE 5380 - Data Mining     CSCE 5380 - Data Mining
           
Master's Thesis 6 CSCE 5950 - Master's Thesis      
(Must take ALL Courses)   CSCE 5950 - Master's Thesis      
           
TOTAL HOURS 30   TOTAL HOURS 33  

Core Courses

There are 3 different groups of Core Courses: Required group, Applied group, and Networking group.  

Required Group: ALL Cybersecurity, M.S. students are required to take these courses regardless of chosen option.

Applied group: Option A (Thesis) students must take 3 hours (choose 1 course) from the group. Option B (Non-thesis) students must take 6 hours (choose 2 courses) from the group.

Networking group: Option A (Thesis) students must take 3 hours (choose 1 course) from the group. Option B (Non-thesis) students must take 6 hours (choose 2 courses) from the group.

Students must earn a grade of B or higher on all core courses taken in order to qualify for Cybersecurity, M.S.

While the Applied and Networking group have several courses to choose from, students must discuss their selections with their advisor prior to semester enrollment.

 

Elective Courses

Option A (Thesis) students must take 9 hours (choose 3 courses) from the group.

Option B (Non-thesis) students must take 12 hours (choose 4 courses) from the group.

Master's Thesis

ONLY Option A (Thesis) students must take 6 hours of CSCE 5950 - Master's Thesis. 

 

Financial Assistance

Currently, UNT has an SFS (scholarships for service) program for MS students pursuing a PhD program. Students interested in scholarships can find information at https://cics.unt.edu/sfs-phd-program.

Teaching Assistantship or Teaching Fellow (TA/TF) positions are offered to current Cybersecurity majors who are attending classes at UNT.   Prospective students are welcome to apply, but these positions are very rarely offered to potential new students.  Research Assistant (RA) positions are selected by the individual professors from their current students.  Students must submit a completed Assistantship Application, separate from the Admission Application form, in order to be considered.  

If you have any questions about the MS in Cybersecurity program, please contact us at csegrad@unt.edu