Brochure Page - MS in Cybersecurity
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Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity
Gain high-demand skills to defend the world’s data
St. Bonaventure’s online Master of Science in Cybersecurity is designed for people from all professional backgrounds. You will learn from accomplished faculty who bring extensive industry experience from around the globe and participate in robust interactive course discussions.
Course content will be based on your experience and needs. We offer foundation courses in system analysis, enterprise networks, and ethical hacking for those new to the industry. We also cater to seasoned IT professionals with advanced options to complement existing skills. Learn the latest in this high-demand field.
Courses Include:
- CYB 501: System Analysis and Instrumentation
- CYB 511: Foundations of Ethical Hacking
- CYB 512: Enterprise Networks
Develop comprehensive knowledge for the essential elements of modern-day marketing communication.
- COM 640 – Integrating Digital Media, Mobile & Emerging Technologies
- COM 620 – Integrating Creative Strategy & Design
- COM 650 – Integrating PR in a Global Market
- COM 720 – Integrating Visuals: Communication Design
- Completed application
- Resumé
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- Transcripts from all institutions attended
- No GRE/GMAT required
This course will teach introductory but foundational requirements needed to understand and work in Windows and Linux shell environments. The technical skills covered in this course are prerequisite knowledge for forensics, investigation, and threat hunting work. The course will cover simpler PowerShell and Bash scripting, installing and configuring system monitoring, basic file system structures, basic intro to user and process environments, event logging, process types, and remote administration tools and techniques. This course will provide the requisite foundational knowledge for later technical courses in the Cybersecurity program.
Master the skills to strategically create and distribute impactful branded content.
- COM 640 – Integrating Digital Media, Mobile & Emerging Technologies
- COM 662 – Integrating Content Marketing: Planning & Strategy
- COM 664 – Integrating Content Creation: Visuals, Copy & Optimization
- COM 720 – Integrating Visuals: Communication Design
The Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity provides cross-platform and individualized pathways that focus on experiential learning. Courses are geared towards expanding your knowledge through real-world coursework, cloud-based labs, and direct interactions with our faculty of active cybersecurity experts.
No matter what your background is, you will complete 30 credits to earn your degree. Talk to an enrollment advisor about the options available to you.
Experience Level | Number of Foundation Courses | Number of Electives |
---|---|---|
Low Experience | 3 | 0 |
Medium Experience | 1 | 2 |
High Experience | 0 | 3 |
- 6 start terms per year
- No GRE or GMAT required
- 30 credit hours
- 7-week courses
- Graduate in as few as 18 months
- 100% online coursework–flexibility to fit your schedule
- Expert faculty who hold cybersecurity roles around the world
- Learn to lead effectively in critical areas of cybersecurity including: Ethical hacking, enterprise security, enterprise networks, cloud security, risk management, offensive and defensive security, data mining, machine learning, and cryptotechnology.
Earn credibility and create influence throughout all media types using innovative methods and digital tools.
- COM 650 – Integrating PR in a Global Market
- COM 652 – Integrating Media Relations
- COM 654 – Integrating Crisis Management
- COM 656 – Integrating Event Management & Experiential Marketing
To provide students with a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity and an in-depth understanding of penetration testing and ethical hacking. This course will include intelligence gathering, assessment of software vulnerabilities and weaknesses, cross platform penetration testing, learning ethical hacking requirements, and data protection.
Earning the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to lead global cybersecurity initiatives:
- Master Best Practices — Demonstrate and maintain cutting-edge cybersecurity skills based on industry standards to identify potential threats, risks, and vulnerabilities in an organization.
- Conduct Thorough Analysis — Gather, process, and analyze large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data to solve enterprise security problems based on critical and analytical thinking.
- Communicate Effectively — Engage in industry-related opportunities, and demonstrate effective communication skills to address IT vulnerabilities.
- Practice Ethically — Understand the ethical ramifications of data breaches for society, and practice ethically and professionally while solving and handling IT vulnerabilities.
- Summer 2025 Term: May 19, 2025
- Apply by: April 25, 2025
This course will build an understanding of how networks function within a business environment and the threats that face networks if they are not properly protected. Networks are a cornerstone of a modern business of any size, and thus these networks must be made to be secure in order to ensure that these companies can function properly.
In the cybersecurity industry, earning a graduate degree conveys proficiency and can position you for senior-level roles. The Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity will help you grow as a cybersecurity leader and stand out to employers. Job paths for professionals with a master’s degree in cybersecurity include Chief Information Security Officer, Lead Software Security Engineer, Network Administrator, Security Analyst and Information Security Manager, among others.
Employment
Sensitive data belonging to companies and individuals can be incredibly valuable, and in today's world, incredibly vulnerable. As cybersecurity threats multiply, a growing demand for data security professionals is creating promising career opportunities in a variety of industries. Cybersecurity Ventures is predicting:
- $10.5 trillion in cybercrime costs in 2025.
- $265 billion in global ransomware damage by 2031
- In 2031, a consumer or business will be hit every 2 seconds
- 93% of cybercriminals can penetrate company networks
- 3.5 million unfilled jobs expected to remain through 2025
Salary
Cyber security roles pay on average anywhere from $96,669 for a Security Engineer, up to $170,975 for a Chief Information Security Officer.
As a student, you’ll benefit from an exceptional learning experience from a university rooted in Franciscan ethics and values and recognized for academic excellence:
- Security Degree Hub
- #11 Best Cybersecurity Master’s Program
- Online Value Colleges
- #22 Most Affordable Online Cybersecurity Masters
- U.S. News & World Report
- Top 20 Regional University (North) 2023
- Top 9 Best Value School 2023
- The Princeton Review
- 387 Best Colleges 2022
- COM 555 – Mastering the Research: Fieldwork
- COM 800 – Mastering the Field: Thesis
- COM 830 – Mastering the Project: Final Defense
Courses Include:
- CYB 515: Enterprise Security
- CYB 516: Advanced Cybersecurity Threats
- CYB 517: Digital Forensics
- CYB 518: Enterprise Risk Management
- CYB 519: Secure Software Design
- CYB 520: Cloud Security
- CYB 535: Cybersecurity Capstone
“St. Bonaventure’s Cybersecurity master’s program content is perfect for providing the necessary knowledge base for a security leader. This program has a nice pace and is appropriate for someone who is working full time. The instructors are very knowledgeable and highly accessible. I was a little apprehensive in attending the program as I am not a spring chicken (retired military). They were outstanding in reassuring me, checking up on me and guiding me along the way.”
— Shawn Ellis, Systems Security Engineering Information Systems Security Analyst, Thales Canada | Defence and Security
“I’m about halfway through the master’s program, and I just got a job with M&T as a cybersecurity operations defense analyst. What I do most is analyze logs, and in my current course on data mining, we’re doing a lot of research throughout the class, including log analysis. I’m learning things at work as well as outside of work to help my career, which is exactly what I wanted out of the master’s program.”
— Dominic Saglimben Current student, M.S. Cybersecurity
This course will expand on previous cybersecurity courses and introduce business and enterprise topics. This will be done through analysis of real-world business examples of cyberattacks and the needs businesses have in the areas of cybersecurity. This course will emphasize real-world developmental practices and aim to improve students' ability to work in a professional cybersecurity environment.
The Bona’s community is like no other, and you’ll feel that from day one in the program. You’ll be well-supported throughout the program from:
- Caring, talented faculty who are committed to your success and hold online office hours
- Dedicated student success advisors who will be a regular source of support
As you graduate, you’ll join a close-knit Bona’s alumni community and have access to all of the university’s Career Services, including resume review, mock interview practice, job board, career coaching and more.
This course will expand on previous cybersecurity courses and delve deeper into its topics. Combining topics from computer science and cybersecurity, students will delve into system and network analysis, Diverse DDoS, DDoS and advanced persistent attacks, intrusion detection system development and control system. Students will be able to use quantitative and qualitative reasoning to solve problems with an array of different system vulnerabilities. Students will need knowledge of operating systems and advanced algebra before taking this course.
I did consider an MBA for a long time (since my 20s); however, I wanted to pursue a master’s degree that I felt was more purposeful for me and my strengths. An MBA didn't feel true to my desired career path.
I chose the Integrated Marketing program because I've always been drawn to a blend of creativity and analysis. I took some time off from working when my kids were young and it was during that time when digital marketing strategies were evolving so rapidly—they still are. I wanted to get up to speed on this ever-changing digital landscape and how to integrate various marketing channels in a way that made sense for a business. This program definitely helped me get there.
The cost per credit hour is $805 for the Master’s in Cybersecurity program. Guided by our Franciscan values, we strive to make a graduate education available to as many students as possible.
We will work with you to identify the different financial aid options available to you as an online student. To learn more about your financial aid options, schedule an appointment with an enrollment advisor today.
St. Bonaventure University has partnered with specific organizations to offer 15% reduced tuition for employees and their spouses for as long as they’re employed with the partner organization. To learn if you’re company is a part of our Corporate Partnership Program, please speak with an enrollment advisor.
Established in Western New York in 1858, St. Bonaventure University offers nearly 50 undergraduate programs and 20 graduate programs, nine of which can be completed entirely online from virtually anywhere in the world. St. Bonaventure has expanded to more than 2,300 students, and our tight-knit community of alumni exceeds 32,000 worldwide.
Bonnies come from all different backgrounds and faiths. In fact, The Princeton Review ranks St. Bonaventure #5 nationally for diversity and inclusion. At Bona’s, we’re united by universal human values, driven to surpass intellectual boundaries and connected across all faiths and cultures—long after virtual office hours, basketball season and years from graduation.
This course will give an in-depth look into the world of cybercrime and digital evidence. Throughout this course, students will use industry tools to perform forensic analysis of crimes to learn about how to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-predators. This course aims to both inform students of the types of crimes that exist as well as ways to catch those responsible even through virtual anonymity.
This course will aim to teach students skills required to perform cyber risk management for organizations as well as how to prevent systems from being breached to begin with. There are risks that accompany all forms of system, this course will both give students the tools to identify possible risks that can be impactful in the future and how to manage breaches once they occur.
This course aims to establish an understanding of proper software design for a secure product. This course will do so by comparing both secure and unsecure software design structures to ensure that similarly made software programs are not vulnerable to known forms of cyberattacks or cybercrimes.
This course provides a practical explanation of both the principles and practice of cloud security by describing the cloud security architecture and exploring the guiding security design principles from the threat and CIA model viewpoint. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the design and development of secure cloud services we will examine industry standards and applied technologies for delivering and managing secure cloud-based services specially Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This course also covers protection and isolation of physical and logical infrastructures, identity management, access control, monitoring and auditing processes. Students also learn mitigation techniques for attacks at many points in a GCP-based infrastructure, including Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks, phishing attacks, and threats involving content classification and use.
Schedule an appointment with one of our dedicated enrollment advisors so you can learn more about earning your online Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree with St. Bonaventure University. We’re here to answer any question you may have, guide you through the application process, discuss your career goals, and explain how Bona’s helps working professionals succeed from enrollment to graduation. If you don't see an appointment time that works for you, please email us 2-3 options that best fit your schedule, and an advisor will be in touch!
Following a number of high-profile security breaches, your organisation has recognised the importance of developing a cybersecurity strategy. Stakeholders and management have asked you to present at the next board meeting. They've only allocated thirty minutes so they want you to record a presentation which clearly outlines the threats and risk to your organisation and your plan to address them. They also want you to explain how you plan to respond in the event of a data breach.
Courses Include:
- CYB 525: Applied Data Mining in Cybersecurity
- CYB 526: Machine Learning in Cybersecurity
- CYB 527: Applied Cryptography
This course will help students understand the importance of data mining in the cybersecurity field and how to apply various data mining techniques. Students will learn about the fundamentals to data mining in general, growing their skills until they are able to later integrate data mining into cybersecurity applications and topics.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to apply a variety of learning algorithms and machine learning applications for enabling intelligent cybersecurity strategies. Having been equipped with machine learning fundamentals, the students can apply learning algorithms and train machines for face recognition, new generation of anti-viruses, vulnerability management, network security, authentication, anomaly detection, biometrics in cyber threats, etc.
This course will help students understand the fundamentals of cryptography as well as the applications that it holds in modern technology. Cryptographic methods and tools, such as encryption and digital signatures, will be studied to understand how to protect information within a program. This course will also explore the differences between symmetric and asymmetric cryptography and the benefits to both.