The field of cyber security engineering is concerned with the development of cyber-resilient systems that include the protection of physical as well as computer and network systems. It requires a holistic and proactive approach in engineering the design of systems, with cybersecurity incorporated from the beginning of system development all the way throughout the system’s life cycle.
The purpose of the MS in Cyber Security Engineering is to provide students with the currently rare combination of highly technical knowledge and skills, cyber security expertise, and a comprehensive systems engineering perspective. The program provides theory and practice on the design, planning, and management of systems and procedures for protecting critical physical and cyber infrastructure from external threats, including terrorism. Students will be equipped with deep technical foundations of cyber security in the form of software, hardware, networking, and cryptography, as well as systems engineering tools and methods to design and secure complex cyber physical systems. Topics in the program include homeland security policies, critical infrastructure policies, information assurance cybersecurity quantification, matrix vulnerability assessment, threat assessment, physical security, personnel security, operational security, contingency planning, case analyses of specific industries and systems, redundancy planning, emergency and disaster planning, security systems, and intelligence operations.
Graduates are prepared to design and implement secure complex and cyber-physical systems consisting of software, hardware, and networking components; respond to, investigate, and remediate incidents involving these systems; and develop offensive and defensive tools and techniques to attack and secure these systems.
At the doctoral level, the department offers a concentration in the PhD in Information Technology program.
Admissions
The MS in Cyber Security Engineering will build on the body of knowledge acquired in undergraduate programs of study in engineering, computer science, or closely related disciplines. As such, applicants will be expected to have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or closely related disciplines and to have completed the engineering math sequence as well as courses in probability and statistics, and computer science. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is required. Application Requirements and Deadlines are available from https://cec.gmu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/application-requirements-and-deadlines.
Domestic students lacking a working background in engineering mathematics and computer systems may be admitted provisionally and required to take one or more foundation courses.
- For the engineering mathematics, the department may require SYST 500 Quantitative Foundations for Systems Engineering or an equivalent course with an intensive review of undergraduate engineering mathematics, including matrix algebra, calculus, differential equations, probability and statistics.
- Students who have not completed a two-semester calculus sequence and matrix algebra will be required to complete these courses prior to taking SYST 500
- For the computer systems background, the department may require CS 531 Computer Systems and Fundamentals of Systems Programming or an equivalent course with systems level of programming with an emphasis on data structures and interfacing with operating systems.
Policies
Please see AP.6. Graduate Policies.
Students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.00 or higher, inclusive of core coursework, elective courses and a mandatory capstone or thesis.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 30
Required Core Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CYSE 550 | Cyber Security Engineering Fundamentals | 3 |
| Students who completed the BS CYSE program at George Mason should take CYSE 630, CYSE 640, CYSE 670, or CYSE 689 instead of CYSE 550 | ||
| CYSE 570 | Fundamentals of Operating Systems | 3 |
| CYSE 580 | Hardware and Cyber Physical Systems | 3 |
| CYSE 587 | Cyber Security Systems Engineering | 3 |
| CYSE 610 | Networks and Cyber Security | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
No Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Electives | ||
| Select four courses from the following (only one non-CYSE course is permitted): | 12 | |
| Cloud Computing Security | ||
| Industrial Control Systems Security | ||
| Topics in Cyber Security Engineering | ||
| Secure Design of Connected and Automated Vehicles | ||
| Advanced Manufacturing Automation Security | ||
| Secure Energy Efficient Supply Chains | ||
| Formal Methods for Cyber Physical Systems Security | ||
| Reverse Engineering Industrial Automation | ||
| Practical Side-Channel Exploitation and Defense | ||
| Unmanned Aerial Systems Security | ||
| Introduction to Federated Learning: Fundamentals and Applications | ||
| Artificial Intelligence Methods for Cybersecurity | ||
| Independent Study and Research | ||
| Advanced Topics in Cyber Security Engineering | ||
| Applied Cryptography | ||
| Machine Learning for Embedded Systems | ||
| Post-Quantum Cryptography | ||
| Side-Channel Security | ||
| Quantum Computing System Design | ||
| Malware Reverse Engineering | ||
| Penetration Testing in Digital Forensics | ||
| Kernel Forensics and Analysis | ||
| Technologies and Security for Cryptocurrencies and Financial Transactions | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Concentration in Secure Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains (SAMS)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| CYSE 680 | Advanced Manufacturing Automation Security | 3 |
| CYSE 681 | Secure Energy Efficient Supply Chains | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Industrial Control Systems Security | ||
| Cyber Risk Analysis and Advanced Tools | ||
| Topics in Cyber Security Engineering | ||
| Formal Methods for Cyber Physical Systems Security | ||
| Reverse Engineering Industrial Automation | ||
| Practical Side-Channel Exploitation and Defense | ||
| Introduction to Federated Learning: Fundamentals and Applications | ||
| Artificial Intelligence Methods for Cybersecurity | ||
| Graphical Models for Cybersecurity | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Concentration in Autonomous Vehicles Cyber Security (AVCS)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| CYSE 640 | Wireless Network Security | 3 |
| CYSE 670 | Secure Design of Connected and Automated Vehicles | 3 |
| or CYSE 685 | Unmanned Aerial Systems Security | |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Cyber Risk Analysis and Advanced Tools | ||
| Topics in Cyber Security Engineering | ||
| Secure Design of Connected and Automated Vehicles | ||
| Formal Methods for Cyber Physical Systems Security | ||
| Reverse Engineering Industrial Automation | ||
| Practical Side-Channel Exploitation and Defense | ||
| Unmanned Aerial Systems Security | ||
| Introduction to Federated Learning: Fundamentals and Applications | ||
| Artificial Intelligence Methods for Cybersecurity | ||
| Graphical Models for Cybersecurity | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Concentration in Cyber Secure Artificial Intelligence Systems (CSAI)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| CYSE 686 | Introduction to Federated Learning: Fundamentals and Applications | 3 |
| CYSE 689 | Artificial Intelligence Methods for Cybersecurity | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Cyber Risk Analysis and Advanced Tools | ||
| Topics in Cyber Security Engineering | ||
| Formal Methods for Cyber Physical Systems Security | ||
| Reverse Engineering Industrial Automation | ||
| Graphical Models for Cybersecurity | ||
| Advanced Learning From Data | ||
| Machine Learning Security and Privacy | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Capstone Project or Thesis (3-6 credits):
Students must complete three credit hours of CYSE 690 Cyber Security Engineering Capstone Project. In this course, students collaborate in teams to analyze and design a comprehensive cybersecurity system that integrates software, hardware, and human components. This course applies cybersecurity engineering principles to the system's design, implementation, and operation. Key elements of this course encompass requirements analysis, evaluation of design alternatives, threat and risk assessment, and economic and regulatory considerations. The course demands both oral and written reports throughout its duration.
Optionally, students with the consent of a faculty adviser, the formation of a thesis committee, and departmental approval may be approved to complete the CYSE 799 Cyber Security Engineering Master's Thesis in place of the Capstone Project. The thesis option is recommended for students aiming to enhance and document their research skills or considering future enrollment in a PhD program. To pursue this option, students must obtain approval from a full-time faculty member who will serve as their thesis advisor. The thesis topic and scope require the thesis advisor's approval. The completed thesis and its oral defense are subject to approval by the student's advisory committee.
Please see AP.6.9.3 for additional information.
Cyber Security Engineering, BS/Cyber Security Engineering, Accelerated MS
Overview
Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BS in Cyber Security Engineering and an MS in Cyber Security Engineering in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 144 credits.
See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree for policies related to this program.
This accelerated option is offered by the Department of Cyber Security Engineering.
Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies.
Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits with an overall GPA of 3.5.
Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and course-specific prerequisites.
Accelerated Master’s Admission Requirements
Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MS program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form:
- 3.0 overall GPA,
- successfully meeting Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation),
- and completing the application for graduation.
Accelerated Pathway Requirements
To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
Advanced Standing Courses
Students may take up to 12 credits of graduate-level courses that will count as advanced standing (i.e., overlap between the BS/MS program) from the list below:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CYSE 521 | Industrial Control Systems Security | 3 |
| CYSE 570 | Fundamentals of Operating Systems | 3 |
| CYSE 580 | Hardware and Cyber Physical Systems | 3 |
| CYSE 587 | Cyber Security Systems Engineering | 3 |
These courses may be used as technical electives in the Cyber Security Engineering, BS program.
For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies.
Degree Conferral
Students must apply to graduate the semester before they expect to complete all BS requirements. In addition, at the beginning of the student’s final undergraduate semester, students must complete a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form. At the completion of all MS requirements, a master’s degree is conferred.