System Security Specialist Working at System Control Center. Room is Full of Screens Displaying Various Information.

Master of Science in
Cyber Intelligence and Security

Housed in the nation’s first College of Business, Security and Intelligence, this 30-credit program prepares students for leadership positions in a growing field.

In the wake of increasing computer breaches and trillions of dollars in damage across the United States, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected the need for cyber security professionals to increase 28 percent by 2026. Companies in finance and technology are being joined by retail, manufacturing, utilities and other critical infrastructure sectors in their search for skilled cyber intelligence and security master’s graduates.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University brings the Master of Science in Cyber Intelligence and Security degree to the nation’s first College of Business, Security and Intelligence. This 30-credit program is designed to provide a solid academic foundation appropriate to the fields of Cyber Threat Hunting, Cyber Intelligence Analysis, Machine Learning applied to Intrusions, and the Internet of Things, as well as more classical Network Security and Information Assurance arenas.

The U.S. government and the Department of Defense continue to invest heavily in growing the nation’s cybersecurity workforce. Because of this, our curriculum has been tailored to the recommendations of the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to make graduates of this program into capable leaders to navigate tomorrow’s threats to cyber intelligence and security. As a member of Cyberwatch West, our program will ensure that the quality of the curriculum and teaching materials remain current and are following best practices for rigor and assessment.

Upon completing the degree program, students will have acquired advanced skills placing them at the forefront of cyber intelligence and security. These skills include:

Assessment of enterprise security risks for hardware, software, and policy level systems
Ability to deploy solutions to mitigate, manage, and monitor threats to identified hardware and software systems
Proficiency in at least four major technical areas from the curriculum
Application of knowledge and critical thinking across multiple domains as outlined in the eight industry standard knowledge areas: Risk management and Governance, Access Control, Security Architecture and Design, Network Security, Business Continuity Planning, Legal and Compliance, Software Development Security, Security Operation

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the College of Business, Security and Intelligence, and the Department of Cyber Intelligence and Security all pursue the utmost standard of security, integrity, and trust so that we can provide our students with the highest quality education and training available anywhere in the world.

DETAILS

About Cyber Intelligence and Security at the Prescott, AZ Campus

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Intelligence and Security students have been employed in leading companies or government agencies within months of graduation. We are convinced that graduates of the master’s program will experience the same level of success.

The Master of Science in Cyber Intelligence and Security degree is housed in the Department of Cyber Intelligence and Security in the College of Business, Security & Intelligence.

The faculty and curriculum are balanced between academic and professional training. Many of our faculty members are scholars with doctoral degrees and active research agendas, while others bring decades of experience as intelligence and security professionals in the government and/or private sector.

Embry-Riddle is a founding member of the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA), a threat intelligence and information sharing and analysis organization that has become a model across the nation.

The Cyber Intelligence and Security advisory board includes industry, government, and academic members. The members will assure that academic and training programs are created and improved in response to real needs in the ever-changing corporate and public environment.

The Department of Cyber Intelligence and Security has formed important industry relations with Arizona organizations and companies that will guide and support our program. These partners include Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance, Arizona Counter Terrorism Intel Center, CyberAwareAZ, and the Prescott Technology Accelerator.

Our position as a member of the Arizona Cyber Pipeline Taskforce has opened the doors to hundreds of opportunities for graduates with regional and national companies. This will allow the students to work closely with potential sponsoring institutions while gaining valuable experience and training.

Take a closer look at both Masters Degrees offered in the College of Business, Security and Intelligence by viewing Embry-Riddle's Launch Magazine for its Graduate Programs.

Learn more about this degree's course requirements

Learn more about the Prescott, AZ Campus

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Apply knowledge to analyze situations as well as innovate solutions for problems within professional and personal environments.
Communicate concepts in written, digital and oral forms to present technical and non-technical information.
Demonstrate the ability to apply to design, implement, and evaluate cyber intelligence and security solutions that meet given system requirements.
Observe professional responsibilities to make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
Use a variety of sources and evaluate multiple points of view to analyze and integrate information by using appropriate technologies.

Degree Requirements

The MS in CIS curriculum is divided into three components: Core Courses (9 credits), Thesis or special project (6 credits), and electives (5 courses or 15 credits). Insofar as the electives are concerned, the student will choose from 11 courses, covering both advanced cyber security and cyber intelligence topics, each with science, technology and laboratory components. Students will be strongly encouraged to work with partner organizations in the private and public sector on relevant topics during their training. Theses and special projects drawn from current academic and industrial subjects will enrich the program. Assuming a typical graduate course load of 9 credits per semester, students will typically complete the 30 credits of required course work, special project or MS thesis in 18 to 24 months.

Program Requirements

Cyber Intelligence and Security Core (9 Credits)

CI 505	Cyber Intelligence and Information Systems Security	3
CI 510	Advanced Analytical and Research Methodologies	3
CI 515	System Security and Architecture	3

Thesis or Special Project (6 Credits)

CI 690	Cyber Security Graduate Project	6
or CI 698	Comprehensive Exam
or CI 700	Masters Thesis

Cyber Intelligence and Security Electives (15 Credits)

Choose a total of 5 courses from the list of courses below:

CI 525	Advanced Network Technology and Security	3
CI 535	Intrusion Detection and Prevention	3
CI 545	Cyber Policy, Legal, Ethics and Compliance	3
CI 550	Security Program Management	3
CI 555	Software Reverse Engineering and Malware Analysis	3
CI 625	Advanced Network Forensics	3
CI 630	Threat Intelligence	3
CI 665	Mobile Device Security	3
CI 670	Systems Programming and Security	3
CI 680	Virtualization Technologies and Security	3

Directed Study may be approved by the Department Chair.

Total Credits

For course descriptions, education requirements, curriculum, and suggested plan of study, please see the Master of Science in Cyber Intelligence and Security in the Prescott Catalog.