Cyber crime will cost the world trillions of dollars in the coming years, making it more lucrative than many other illegal activities combined. The online MS in Cybersecurity equips students with the most advanced prevention, detection and recovery methods necessary to defend against cyber attacks, making our graduates indispensable in virtually every industry.
Cybercrime tactics have grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years, leaving banks, law firms, health care organizations and all manner of companies vulnerable to attack. Quinnipiac’s online MS in Cybersecurity is a unique technical program designed for students with either formal computer science training or on-the-job training who are interested in learning the skills necessary to counter these threats and safeguard our corporate, financial and personal data. We provide onramp courses, if needed, to fill in technical background skills.
All courses within this 30-credit program are delivered online and are continually updated to stay current with evolving threats. Our curriculum is closely aligned with the key knowledge units established by the NSA and Department of Homeland Security to create a more cyber-secure nation and includes topics like cloud security, identity and access management, IoT security and data security as well as network and OS security.
The projected growth rate for information security analysts is 32% with the addition of 35,500 jobs from 2018-2028. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020)
The global shortage of cybersecurity professionals at the end of 2021 is 2.7 million. Companies around the world are looking to fill these highly sought out positions. (ISC2)
Professionals holding a Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree earn an average annual salary of $91,000 (Payscale 2020).
Altrin Elmazi MS ’22 had bright hopes for his future when he came to the United States to study computer science. With ambition and dedication, he was able to turn his hopes into reality.
Working as Thomaston Savings Bank Systems' security officer, Elmazi worked his way up from systems security administrator to vice president and information security officer for 16 branches.
After almost pursuing a master’s in business administration, Elmazi is now on track to earn his master’s degree this summer in cybersecurity at Quinnipiac.
“When I saw cybersecurity being advertised as a master’s degree at Quinnipiac, I knew this was the path that I wanted,” he said.
He said his switch from business to cybersecurity was an evolution that didn’t happen overnight.
“All banks are regulated, and the chief information officers were looking for people who would do networking and systems, but they will have some cybersecurity skills at the same time,” Elmazi said. “They look for security knowledge, so we can first protect the data, and then show in the audit how we protect the data. They want to see how we protect the assets of the bank.”
One of the memories Elmazi cherishes the most while he studied at Quinnipiac was the strong relationship he built with the university’s Director of the Cybersecurity Program Frederick Scholl, who he describes as a very open person who will sit down and talk about what is going on in the cyber-world and beyond.
To current and prospective students, Elmazi offers the following advice:
“Take your time to consider what area you would excel in, whether it’s a cybersecurity professional, a cyber engineer, a penetration test, or in vulnerability management architect. Look at all possibilities, find where your strength is and become a subject matter expert.”
The National Security Agency and a committee of academic peers have validated Quinnipiac University's Master of Science in Cybersecurity programs through the 2027 academic year. As a validated program, the MS in Cybersecurity serves the nation well, contributes to the protection of the national information infrastructure and addresses the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills. Per the 2018 National Cyber Strategy, "A highly skilled cybersecurity workforce is a strategic national security advantage."
The Center for Cybersecurity actively researches cybersecurity trends and provides students with valuable insight into current industry challenges and demands. The Center for Cybersecurity hosts frequent interviews with industry experts and thought leaders to prepare our students to excel in the high-stakes world of cybersecurity.
Visit the Center for Cybersecurity
Under the direction of program director Fred Scholl, the Center for Cybersecurity is home to specialized badge courses designed for working professionals who aren't ready to pursue a full master's degree in cybersecurity. The newest badge courses for Cybersecurity in Healthcare focus on managing and protecting sensitive data within hospitals and health systems.
Current students, employee partners and non-degree-seeking students are all welcome to enroll in badge courses. Each credit earned from completing a badge course will stack upwards towards the full MS in Cybersecurity should students decide to enroll at a later date.
ISACA, a global association that provides working professionals with knowledge, credentials and training in audit, governance, risk, privacy and cybersecurity, recently released their State of Cybersecurity report for 2022. The report identifies the top five skills for security professionals — skills that students within the MS in Cybersecurity program master across their coursework.
Cloud Computing - CYB 680, CYB 681, CYB 682
Data Protection - CYB 624, CYB 626, CYB 670
Identity and Access Management - CYB 665, CYB 667, CYB 669
Incident Response - CYB 683, CYB 684, CYB 685
DevSecOps - CYB 662, CYB 663, CYB 664
Our graduate admissions representatives are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.