Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 EIU Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 EIU Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Cybersecurity


Program Mission: The M.S. in Cybersecurity will prepare students, in an online and/or face-to-face delivered program, to become leaders and technical managers in cybersecurity, with a solid understanding of security technology and organizational management principles and practices, preparing them to make knowledgeable and responsible decisions.


Admission Requirements: To be eligible for degree candidacy, applicants must meet all the requirements for admission to the Graduate School (see “Admission to Graduate Degree and Certificate Programs”).   In addition to the general admission requirements of the Eastern Illinois University Graduate School, the M.S. in Cybersecurity program requires completion of a baccalaureate degree in a related field (i.e. Computer Technology, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, and similar fields).  Exception can be made for students without a degree in those fields but with documented related practical experience and/or knowledge.  


Degree Audit: The graduate plan of study is the EIU Degree Audit, which is generated automatically in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) at the time of degree or certificate candidacy. Modifications of the standard EIU Degree Audit are submitted by the graduate coordinator to the certification officer in the Graduate School at the time modifications are approved. The Degree Audit serves as an unofficial summary of requirements for the program. Degree and certificate candidates are advised to review the comprehensive summary of the Degree Audit process specified on the “Requirements for All Degree and Certificate Candidates” section of the Graduate Catalog. Individual programs may require candidates to submit plans of study in addition to the Degree Audit, candidates should consult with the program coordinator.

Degree Requirements


Degree requirements include those outlined for the master’s degree by the Graduate School (see “Requirements for the Master’s Degree”).

The M.S. in Cybersecurity requires successful completion of 32 semester hours of coursework.  Because of its focus on practitioners, a culminating residential capstone experience, rather than completion of a thesis, is also required. 

Required Courses:

 

Capstone


The capstone experience will separate students into teams that use the knowledge acquired throughout the program to develop security for a computer network.Each group will then be tasked with breaking into another team’s defense system. Post-exercise, evaluation will include discussion, team presentations, and written reports applying program concepts to evaluate the experience, describe lessons learned, produce an IT risk assessment and security audit, and develop organizational security policies and plans.

Graduate Assistantships


In addition to being admitted to the M.S. in Cybersecurity at EIU, a Graduate Assistantship for this program requires at least one of the following:

  1. A professional certification: Cisco CCNA and/or CISCO CISSP and/or, COMPTIA Security +
  2. Two years of documented working experience in the field of Cybersecurity.
  3. A Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity from a recognized Institution.

 

Contact Information:

Dr. Rigoberto Chinchilla, Graduate Coordinator M.S. Cybersecurity

rchinchilla@eiu.edu  Tel 217-581-8534 or 217-581-3226

Accelerated Graduate Program


Admission to the accelerated MS in Cybersecurity requires that a student have completed a minimum of 60 hours of undergraduate course credit and have a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.25. In addition, applicants must have completed a minimum of 30 hours of required technical courses in the CIT or MIS program, which includes the following courses:
For CIT Students-  CIT 2523 or MIS 3200; CIT 2803; AET4163 or MIS 4200.
For MIS Students- MIS 2000; MIS 3200; MIS 4700; BUS 3500

To apply for the accelerated MS in Cybersecurity, applicants meeting the above requirements must submit two letters of reference, a resume  and a statement of purpose essay; which should include any relevant experience in the field of computer technology, academic background, related work experience, personal and professional goals, and reasons to pursue graduate study in Cybersecurity to the Graduate Coordinator and must also complete the Graduate School’s Accelerated Program Application.