MS MIS/MS Cybersecurity Dual Degree

MS MIS/MS Cybersecurity Dual Degree

A 100 percent online dual degree offered by the Eller College of Management and the College of Engineering.

The dual-degree option allows Online MS MIS students to apply to the Online MS Cybersecurity program prior to completing their first year of the MS MIS. With proper planning, a student can earn a Master’s in MIS (MS MIS) and a Master’s in Cybersecurity (MS Cybersecurity) in eight academic semesters (fall, spring and summer), which is two years and eight months of part-time study. 

The dual-degree program is a good option for working professionals who would like to move from a non‐IT related job into a cybersecurity position, but lack the necessary technical background. Students will develop a solid technical foundation during the first year in the MS MIS program—the necessary foundation for the cybersecurity courses. They can then be accepted into the MS in Cybersecurity program on the Information Systems track.

Admissions

Dual-degree candidates must apply separately to and be admitted to both MS MIS and MS Cybersecurity programs. Successful applicants must meet the application deadlines and prerequisite knowledge for each program independently.

Degree Requirements

  • MS MIS degree requirements: 30 units of coursework
  • MS Cybersecurity degree requirements: 33 units of coursework

University policy on dual degrees stipulates that a maximum of 50 percent of the credit hours for the shorter program may be counted toward both degrees. Therefore, the dual MS MIS/MS Cybersecurity degree requires a total of 48 units (instead of the 63 units required to earn the two degrees separately).                   

Individuals enrolled in the program will complete the core and required track courses for both program. For the dual-degree MS MIS and MS Cybersecurity, students take a minimum of 16 courses (48 credits). The breakdown is as follows:

  • 5 courses (15 credits) for the MS MIS degree
  • 6 courses (18 credits) for the MS Cybersecurity degree
  • 5 courses (15 credits) of dual counted courses/credits

The following courses will count for both degrees:

  • MIS 515 (3 units)
  • MIS 516 (3 units)
  • MIS 517 (3 units)
  • MIS 543 (3 units)
  • MIS 545 (3 units)

Sample Plan of Study

Part-time, two-year and eight-month sample schedule (48 total units). Schedule can be adjusted depending on course availability and when the student begins the program:

KEY
Credits unique to MS MIS degree: 15 units total
Credits unique to the MS Cybersecurity degree: 18 units total
Common credits for both degrees: 15 units total

Semester 1

7-week 1 MIS 515 Information Security in Public and Private Sectors 3
7-week 2 MIS 545 Data Mining for Business Intelligence 3

Semester 2

7-week 1 MIS 516 Information Security Risk Management 3
7-week 2 MIS 541 Information Systems Analysis and Design 3

Semester 3

7-week 1 MIS 531 Enterprise Data Management 3
7-week 2 MIS 517 Systems Security Management 3

Semester 4

7-week 1 MIS 543 Business Data Communications and Networking 3
7-week 2 SIE 571 Systems Cyber Security Engineering 3

Semester 5

7-week 1 MIS 696H Master’s Project Report 3
7-week 2 MIS 562 Cyber Threat Intelligence 3

Semester 6

7-week 1 MIS 513 Business Foundations of IT 3
7-week 2 MIS 566 Penetration Testing: Ethical Hacking and Social Engineering 3

Semester 7

7-week 1 SIE 573 Engineering of Trustworthy Secure Systems 3
7-week 2 MIS Elective MIS 578, 511, 514 or 587 3

Semester 8

7-week 1 Cybersecurity Elective Elective from either MIS, SIE or ECE 3
7-week 2 MIS 689 Cyber Warfare Capstone 3

Total units for MS MIS/MS Cybersecurity dual degree: 48 units

Contact us for additional information.