Master of Science (MS) in Cybersecurity Engineering
The Master of Science (MS) in Cybersecurity Engineering at Washington University will give students the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to work in the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity and to design, engineer and architect cybersecurity technology and systems. Graduates of this program will be equipped with the theoretical and hands-on engineering expertise required to solve complex cybersecurity problems that affect diverse enterprises worldwide.
The program includes a set of core foundational courses that focus on operating systems as well as network and systems security. Students pursuing this degree may also choose from more advanced cybersecurity elective courses that will build deeper integrative knowledge of key concepts. Work in the program culminates in either a capstone project or a final thesis. The capstone project should focus on a specific set of technical cybersecurity challenges, with the objective of designing an implementable solution to those challenges. The thesis option allows students to plan, execute and report on an individual project that addresses a substantial problem, covering both practical and scientific aspects. Students planning to pursue a PhD degree after completing the MS in Cybersecurity degree are particularly encouraged to pick the thesis option.
All students in the MS in Cybersecurity Engineering program must have previously completed (as documented by their undergraduate transcript), successfully tested to place out of, or completed at the start of their program the following courses: CSE 501N Introduction to Computer Science and CSE 502N Data Structures and Algorithms (or equivalent courses offered at other institutions).
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 422S | Operating Systems Organization | 3 |
| CSE 433S | Introduction to Computer Security | 3 |
| CSE 473S | Introduction to Computer Networks | 3 |
| CSE 523S | Systems Security | 3 |
| Total Units | 12 | |
Program Electives
Choose three courses:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 434S | Reverse Engineering and Malware Analysis | 3 |
| CSE 522S | Advanced Operating Systems | 3 |
| CSE 544T | Special Topics in Computer Science Theory | 3 |
| CYBER 565 | Cybersecurity Analytics | 3 |
| CYBER 566 | Cybersecurity Risk Management | 3 |
| CYBER 567 | The Hacker Mindset: Cyber Attack Fundamentals | 3 |
| CSE 569S | Recent Advances in Computer Security and Privacy | 3 |
| CSE 571S | Network Security | 3 |
| CSE 637S | Software Security | 3 |
Culminating Experience
Choose one of the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 598 | Masters Project | 6 |
| CSE 599 | Masters Research | 6 |
| (6 units required, typically completed over the course of two semesters) | ||
General Degree Requirements
- Students who have already taken core or elective courses specified by the program can, with departmental approval, substitute other courses that are suitably technical and appropriate to the degree program. Departmental approval will require justification and will be evaluated with increasing stringency for each additional substitution.
- None of of the 30 units may be taken as independent study (i.e., CSE 400 or CSE 500).
- Courses with an "N" designation do not count toward the master's degree.
- All courses must be taken for a grade of C- or better.
- As per McKelvey School of Engineering guidelines, students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.70.