Students in the MS or PhD program in computer science may elect to satisfy the Graduate Track in cybersecurity. For any student who satisfies the requirements, the registrar will add a notation on the student’s transcript certifying that the student has completed the track. The certification statement will read:
Satisfied the requirements of the Graduate Track in Cybersecurity at UMBC, which is recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R).
Any student already in the CS graduate program who, prior to September 1, 2025, declares their intention to undertake the graduate cybersecurity track, will be allowed to adopt the current requirements or the new requirements.
2025 Requirements
Each student must complete four graduate courses in cybersecurity, including CMSC-626 Computer Security, CMSC-687 Network Security, and two 600-level cybersecurity electives (see accompanying list of courses). Each student in the track must be enrolled in the MS or PhD program in Computer Science at UMBC. Students completing a MS thesis or PhD dissertation must involve significant cybersecurity content in their research.
2016 Requirements
Each student must satisfy each of the following three requirements.
- Technical Prerequisites in Computing. The prerequisites are CMSC-421 Principles of Operating Systems, or equivalent courses at other institutions, as determined by the Director. Students are strongly encouraged to take CMSC 481 Networks, which can be completed concurrently with other courses. These courses, or equivalents, would have been completed by students as a part of a traditional CMSC or CMPE undergraduate degree.
- Core Cybersecurity Courses. Each student is required to take CMSC-626 computer security and two other courses at UMBC from the list of approved courses in security maintained by the department. Courses taken at other institutions may not be substituted except with the permission of the director.
- Practical Hands-On Experience. Each student must document practical hands-on experience in cybersecurity, as judged by the Director. To satisfy this requirement, a student might take a course with a significant cybersecurity related project component, complete and document an internship (CMSC 696), or complete and document a practical research project as an independent study (CMSC 698, CMSC 699) or a thesis (CMSC 799, CMSC 899) with a CSEE faculty member.
Qualifying Courses
Required Courses:
CMSC-626 Principles of Computer Security, 3 credits
CMSC-687 Network Security, 3 credits
Elective Courses (choose any two):
CMSC-649 Malware Analysis, 3 credits
CMSC-652 Cryptography and Data Security, 3 credits
CMSC-663 Data Privacy, 3 credits
CMSC-691 Special Topics in Computer Science, 3 credits, provided the graduate track director deems the topic central to cybersecurity. Qualifying selected examples include:
CMSC-691 Special Topics in Computer Science: Active Cyber Defense, 3 credits
CMSC-691 Special Topics in Computer Science: Cloud Computing, 3 credits
CMSC-691 Special Topics in Computer Science: Cybersecurity Research (INSuRE), 3 credits
With approval of the graduate track director, courses with significant cybersecurity content taught outside the CMSC program may also qualify as electives. Examples include:
CMPE-691 Special Topics in Computer Engineering: Hardware Security, 3 credits
CYBR-691 Special Topics in Computer Science: Malware and Machine Learning, 3 credits
Approved technical courses from the UMBC Graduate Cybersecurity (CYBR) Program, 3 credits
Contact Person
Dr. Alan T. Sherman
Professor of Computer Science, and Associate Director, Cybersecurity Institute
CSEE Dept, ITE Building, Suite 325, UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21205
Email: sherman@umbc.edu