Dec 17, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Computer Science: Cyber Security, M.S.


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Dr. Yu Liang, Graduate Program Coordinator

(423)425-4531 or email at Yu-Liang@utc.edu

Program Admission Information found here: Computer Science and Engineering Department

The CPSC-Cyber Security, M.S. program requires a student to complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate work including a thesis, or 36 semester hours of graduate work including a project. Students admitted to the program who lack academic experience in certain areas will be required to complete up to 18 hours of additional course work in mathematics and/or the computer science foundation courses listed below (CPSC 5000, 5010, and 5020, or their undergraduate equivalents) in order to gain needed competencies.

All students admitted to the program must complete 15 semester hours of required courses from the computer science core courses listed below. The student must also complete the 6 semester hours of required Cyber Security core courses listed below. The program also includes 6 hours of thesis and 3 hours of Cyber Security elective courses; the student (in consultation with his/her major adviser and the graduate program coordinator) can select an additional 3 hours of elective coursework in an area of interest within or outside of computer science.

Students may elect to undertake a project in lieu of a thesis. In this case, 3 additional hours of Cyber Security elective coursework and 3 additional hours of elective course in the student’s interest area, for a minimum total of 36 hours of graduate credit, are required. The courses used for these additional 3 elective hours are subject to the approval of the major adviser and the graduate program coordinator. With either the thesis or project option, a minimum of 21 hours of credit must be from UTC computer science courses at the 5000 level or above (not including CPSC 5000, 5010, or 5020, which may not be used to fulfill degree requirements).

Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average and are subject to all general regulations of The Graduate School, such as those regulating admission to candidacy, transfer of credits, time limitations, thesis, and degree conferral.

Unrestricted Elective Courses

Students can select graduate course work related to the student’s objectives from an area within or outside of computer science, in consultation with the major adviser and the Graduate Coordinator.
Total: 3-9 hours

Foundation Courses (offered only at undergraduate level)


  • CPSC 1100 Fundamentals of Computer Science
  • CPSC 1110 Data Structures and Program Design
  • CPSC 2100 Software Design and Development
  • CPSC 2800 Introduction to Operating Systems
  • CPSC 3200 Data Structures
  • CPEN 3700 Digital Logic and Introduction to Computer Hardware
  • Total 21 hours

Foundation Courses (leveling courses for non-computer science majors)


Additional Information and Notes


Students admitted to the program who lack academic experience in mathematics may be assigned Mathematics 1830 or 1950, 2030 or 3030, and a college-level course in statistics to ensure that they have the mathematics background equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

Some or all of the foundation courses in which academic training has been completed previously may be waived. The requirements to waive a foundation course are:

  1. A grade of “C” or better from an ABET accredited school, or
  2. A grade of “B” or better from a non-ABET accredited school.

All required foundation course must be completed before more than two CPSC core and/or elective courses are completed.

Cyber Security Core Courses


Elective Hours


Thesis option:

  • 3 hours of Cyber Security elective courses and
  • 3 hours of Computer Science elective courses

Project option:

  • 6 hours of Cyber Security elective courses and
  • 6 hours of Computer Science elective courses

Project or Thesis


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