Cybersecurity Undergraduate and BS/MS Resources

All students matriculated before Fall 2023 (2231) in the BS Cybersecurity program must take 6 advanced elective courses (18 credits), and all students matriculated Fall 2023 (2231) or later must take 5 advanced electives (15 credits) from the approved electives list below:

• CSCI 455 Principles of Cybersecurity
• CSCI 464 Xtreme Theory
• CSCI 531 Introduction to Security Measurement
• CSCI 532 Introduction to Intelligent Security Systems
• **CSCI 622 Data Security and Privacy
• **CSCI 642 Secure Coding
• **CSCI 762 Advanced Cryptography
• CSEC 461 Computer System Security
• CSEC 462 Network Security and Forensics
• CSEC 464 Computer Systems Forensics
• CSEC 465 Network & System Security Audit
• CSEC 466 Introduction to Malware
• CSEC 467 Mobile Device Security and Forensics
• CSEC 468 Risk Management for Information Security
• CSEC 471 Penetration Testing Frameworks & Methodologies
• CSEC 473 Cyber Defense Techniques
• CSEC 470 Covert Communications (WI)
• CSEC 476 Malware Reverse Engineering
• CSEC 520 Cyber Analytics and Machine Learning
• CSEC 577 Disaster Recovery Planning and Business Continuity
• CSEC 559 Hacking for Defense
• CSEC 559 Offensive Security Engineering
• CSEC 559 Trusted Computing System Security
• CSEC 559 Usable Security and Privacy
• CSEC 569 Wireless Security
• **CSEC 731 Web Server and Application Security Audits
• SWEN 261 Introduction to Software Engineering
• SWEN 331 Engineering Secure Software

Math 

• MATH-181 Calculus I & MATH-182 Calculus II (8 credits) OR MATH-171 Calculus A, MATH 172 Calculus B, MATH 173 Calculus C 
• MATH-190 Discrete Mathematics for Computing (3 credits)
• MATH-251 Probability and Statistics I (3 credits)
• STAT-257 Statistical Inference (3 credits) OR MATH-241 Linear Algebra (3 credits)

*Math sequence is based on Math Placement Exam (MPE) score; refer to the Math Department's website or contact your advisor with questions.

Science (Choice of one of the following sequences):

• BIOL-101/103 General Biology I or BIOG 101/103 Explorations in Cellular Biology & Evolution (4 credits)
• BIOL-102/104 General Biology II or BIOG 102/104 Explor. In Animal & Plant Anatomy & Physi. (4 credits) (BIOG 101/103 may be paired with BIOL 102/104 OR BIOL 101/103 with BIOG 102/104)

OR 

• CHMG-141/145 General & Analytical Chemistry I (4 credits)
• CHMG-142/146 General & Analytical Chemistry II (4 credits)

OR

• PHYS-211 University Physics I (4 credits)
• PHYS-212 University Physics II (4 credits)

The core courses provide the foundation of your major. Included in the core are one-year of the Computer Science programming sequence; C programming; the fundamentals of computing security, computer systems, networking (the fundamentals and Routing & Switching), Network Services, and System Administration; as well as course work in databases, cryptography, security policies, authentication and security models, and a capstone project course.

This block of courses is the standard Liberal Arts curriculum for almost all Bachelor of Science degrees at RIT. The College of Liberal Arts sets this curriculum and they maintain their own advising center on the second floor of the Liberal Arts Building across from the Wallace Library. If you have any questions about liberal arts transfer credits, course substitutions, or anything else in this block of courses you need to discuss this with the Liberal Arts advisors.

Briefly, this block consists of the following requirements from the The College of Liberal Arts:

• First Year Writing (3 credits)
• PUBL-363 Cyber Policy & Law (3 credits)
• Ethical Perspective (3 credits)
• Global Perspective (3 credits)
• Artistic Perspective (3 credits)
• Social Perspective (3 credits)
• A three-course advanced immersion (9 credits)

The College of Liberal Arts offers students two options for completing upper-level liberal arts requirements. They must complete a liberal arts immersion or they may enhance it by completing a liberal arts minor. It is important to note that the perspective liberal arts requirements (core requirements) remain the same regardless of whether a student elects to complete an immersion or a minor. A liberal arts immersion is a cohesive set of three upper-level courses (9 credits) meeting RIT’s general education requirements. Immersions may be disciplinary or interdisciplinary, and some may require prerequisite course work. Students who prefer greater depth in the humanities and social sciences may elect to complete a liberal arts minor. Minors require the completion of 5 upper-level courses (15 credits) in a designated liberal arts area. Liberal arts minors may be disciplinary or inter-disciplinary; some may require prerequisite courses. For advising on liberal arts immersions and minors go to the Office of Student Services. To declare an immersion, login into SIS and select the 'Academic Records' tile on the home page. Then select 'Declare/Change Immersion' from the lefthand menu, and select the immersion from the dropdown menu. 

Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with what the proper course of action is to take in any given situation. Cybersecurity students will gain knowledge during their course of study that requires ethical decision making to be a key piece of their practice. Each of these courses is focused around surveying different ethical frameworks used for decision making. Therefore, cybersecurity students are required to choose one of the following courses as their ethics elective:

• PHIL-102 Introduction to Moral Issues
• PHIL-202 Foundations of Moral Philosophy
• PHIL-306 Professional Ethics

Within the Cybersecurity curriculum students have 12 credits of free elective, this can be any college credit. Some students may see their AP test credits here if they bring in AP or transfer credit that is not applied to other courses required by the degree. This is also where students can take classes for a Minor if they choose to pursue one.

Students are required to complete two different activity courses during their time at RIT. Credit is not given for these courses, but completion of these courses are required for graduation. Each course does have an activity fee that will vary depending on the course. For more information, please visit the Recreation and Wellness website. 

Students are required to complete two co-op experiences, each lasting a minimum of 10-12 weeks. Co-op, short for cooperative education, provides students with real-world work experience in their field. These positions are paid, offering valuable on-the-job learning that enhances students’ qualifications for full-time employment after graduation. To assist in finding placements, RIT’s Co-op and Career Services Office maintains a job listing database from companies seeking co-op students. Co-op opportunities may be available across the U.S. and internationally.

To be eligible, students must have completed their freshman and sophomore coursework as well as the CSEC-99 Co-op Seminar. Transfer students typically need one year of academic study at RIT and completion of CSEC-99 before they qualify. Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Co-op experiences allow students to apply classroom concepts and bring valuable lessons back to their academic studies. Ideally, students should complete both co-op blocks before their senior year and finish all co-op requirements before their final term. Since most students take co-op positions in the summer when course offerings are limited—especially advanced courses—it’s recommended to plan the first co-op after sophomore year and the second after junior year.

The department encourages students to consider working on independent study projects. Such projects typically involve work that is different from, or an extension of, existing course offerings. Independent study projects require a faculty member who serves as a sponsor and who assigns a grade (and academic credit) for the completed work. The department has established a policy that permits Cybersecurity majors to apply no more than 6 semester units earned through independent study to count toward Advanced CSEC elective in their B.S. degree requirements. Undergraduate students may consider doing independent study projects in areas other than Cybersecurity for Free Elective or Gen Ed credit.

If you're an RIT student planning to take courses at another college, consult your academic advisor in the Cybersecurity office before registering. Your advisor can help determine if an established course equivalency exists, and additional forms may be required for transfer approval. Once the course is complete, request that an official transcript be sent to RIT's Office of the Registrar. For more details, refer to RIT's transfer credit policies.

If you plan to transfer credits from another institution, check if the course is already recognized as equivalent to an RIT course by accessing the transfer credit database and selecting "View Transfer Credit Equivalencies." If a course isn’t listed, you can request an articulation through the Articulation Request link on the Transfer and Test Credit website. Please allow a few weeks for the Registrar’s Office to process your request, so plan accordingly.

Students in the Cybersecurity program at RIT can enhance their studies by pursuing a minor, dual degree, or double major. Minors consist of at least five courses in a different field, adding valuable domain knowledge that is recorded on transcripts. Additionally, the BS/MS program allows qualified students to complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Cybersecurity within five years, with up to three courses overlapping between the two degrees.

Most minors consist of 15 credits, some may have additional prerequisites needed before declaring the minor, contact the minor advisor listed on the web page for questions or concerns. Then, a student will need to use the Minor Authorization Form on the Registrar’s website to officially declare the minor.

RIT offers a wide selection of minors across various disciplines, including the College of Liberal Arts, Business, and Engineering. Students can often use elective course slots to complete these minors. For a full list of available minors, visit RIT’s minor catalog. Students interested in pursuing a minor should consult with their academic advisor to develop an academic plan.

A dual degree is available to RIT students who are matriculated baccalaureate candidates who wish to complete two bachelor degrees concurrently. The second undergraduate degree must be in a different programmatic area and must require at least 30 semester credit hours beyond the first baccalaureate degree. (i.e., one BS degree and one BFA degree). The BS/MS degree is another form of a dual degree.

A double major is available to RIT students wishing complete two different majors, but receive only one baccalaureate degree. The double major must satisfy the graduation and accreditation requirements from both degrees, and be of the same degree type (i.e., both BS degrees). Both of the options require the approval of the unit heads of both degree programs and require careful consideration and planning. This is accomplished by meeting with your academic advisor to develop your amended course of study prior to pursuing either option.

The BS/MS in the Cybersecurity program is for undergraduate students who wish to earn both a BS and MS in Cybersecurity. A student accepted into this program will take up to three graduate courses (9 credits) in Cybersecurity and apply them to both the BS and MS degree requirements. These courses would take the place of three of the advanced security electives in the undergraduate degree and will be considered electives in the graduate degree. This three-course overlap will give students the opportunity to complete both degrees in five years given careful planning and execution.

To be considered for admission into this program, students will need:

1.  Student must attend either an information session or meet with our BS/MS academic advisor one-on-one.
2.  Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.25.
3.  Student must be at least third year standing.
4. Students must complete 20 semester credits of computing coursework before applying.
5. For students whose BS curriculum requires co-op, a minimum of 1 co-op must be completed before applying.
6. Students must complete a brief statement outlining why they are interested in the BS/MS program and what area of focus they think they are interested in pursuing.
7. Students must provide one letter of recommendation from a GCCIS Professor explaining your potential for the BS/MS program.

It should be noted that a student will not receive their Bachelor’s degree until the requirements for both the BS and the MS degrees have been completed.

 CSEC Flowchart 2231 MATH 171

CSEC Flowchart 2231 MATH 181

 CSEC Flowchart 2221 MATH 171

CSEC Flowchart 2221 MATH 181

CSEC Flowchart 2221 MATH 181A

Students must report co-ops through Career Services and Co-op portal and complete all required evaluations. Once the co-op is reported, the CSEC department will register the student for CSEC-499 in the Student Information System (SIS). 

After completion of the co-op,the following must be submitted to receive a grade: 

• Employer Evaluation
• Student Work Evaluation 
• Department Feedback Survey 

RIT does not charge tuition for enrollment in cooperative education.  Except for the federal Pell Grant, most forms of financial aid are not awarded for semesters of co-op employment. Financial aid includes federal and private alternative loans as well as grants and scholarships. If you have living expense concerns during your co-op term, please contact Financial Aid to discuss strategies to cover these costs. If you are a Pell grant recipient, the grant will be credited to your student account after the drop/add period for the term.

You must report your co-op through Career Services and Co-op portal. After your co-op has been verified, the Cybersecurity department will enroll you in CSEC 499 in SIS. Your co-op earnings will not negatively impact your eligibility for federal student aid in the subsequent year. You are asked on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to report earnings from a co-op. The reported co-op earnings will automatically be excluded from your adjusted gross income when calculating your expected family contribution (EFC). If you have any questions regarding your co-op earnings and financial aid, please contact your Financial Aid Counselor. 

Students who co-op in Rochester may stay in RIT housing. Students who co-op out of town are typically responsible for finding their own housing near the employer’s location. Some companies provide housing assistance in the form of subsidies or housing allowances, or space in locations they own or rent for this purpose. Most employers will at least provide a list of apartments or housing options to assist students. Students who return from co-op are guaranteed on-campus housing, if they were in RIT housing prior to leaving for co-op, however, preferences are not guaranteed. RIT Housing Operations communicates with students via email and provides information on how to apply for housing when you return to campus. 

International students require authorization from RIT International Student Services and must complete a minimum of two consecutive full-time academic terms before beginning a co-op.

Co-op is considered Curricular Practical Training. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) must be in your field of study and an integral part of an established curriculum. To be eligible for curricular practical training you must have F-1 status, and have completed at least two terms of full-time study in the U.S. If you have any questions, please contact the Career Services and Co-op office for clarification.

As soon as an offer of employment is accepted, but at least one week before employment begins:

• Notify the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education. You will need to complete and submit the Report Your Co-op online form and provide the information requested.
• Work with the CSEC to have your co-op registered in SIS (you MUST report your co-op before this can be completed)
• Make an appointment to see an international student advisor to obtain work authorization. Bring your I-20 and offer of employment to the appointment.

Make sure your offer letter clearly states a start and end date as well as the address where you will be working. You may be authorized for whatever amount of curricular practical training your degree requires; however, you will be ineligible for optional practical training at the end of your studies if the number of authorized CPT days exceeds 364 days. 

Undergraduate Students must be in good academic standing, completed their first two years of academics, and CSEC 99 Co-op Seminar. Students must complete their required two co-ops prior to their last year of academic coursework. 

Q: Are students guaranteed a co-op job? No. Students are not placed into a co-op position, but rather they apply and go through the same hiring process they will when they look for a job after graduation (which is great practice). But, remember the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education does guarantee we will help students in any way we can with your search. By being flexible on their expectations and fully utilizing the resources available, students will become skilled in successfully conducting their job search.

Q: Do students receive credit for co-op? Standard academic credit is not given for co-op. However, the Cybersecurity department does assign a grade of "S" when/if a student has met all of their requirements and have successfully completed their co-op assignment. Two enrolled co-ops with a grade of “S” is required to graduate from the B.S. in Cybersecurity.

Q: How do students let RIT know where they will be working? Students report your co-op online to the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education. Click on the "Report Your Co-op/Internship" link. Students also need to be register for co-op in SIS. For Cybersecurity students, their home department will enroll them after they report their co-op and we have verified they meet all the requirements to be enrolled.  

Q: How much do students get paid? It is ultimately up to the employer, but they often base it upon comparable co-op salaries and a candidate's experience. There may be room for negotiation. The employer also determines eligibility for benefits, if any. Check the Co-op Office’s website for the latest co-op salary data.

Q: What type of work qualifies for co-op? An acceptable co-op position is defined as:

• Related to your field of study 
• Full-time, productive work
• Paid 
• Increases in complexity and challenge according to your academic level
• Includes formal evaluation and documentation of your performance

Q: What is the length of a co-op? A single co-op block is the same length as an academic term. Students may, in fact, work longer -- depending on their exam schedule the preceding term and on their employer's needs. A double block is two consecutive terms of work, without a break in between. Many students are scheduled for double blocks, others may choose to double block. (To see if/how a double block could impact their graduation timeline, students need to check with their academic advisors before committing to a double block). The student and the employer negotiate the start date and the expected end date of the work period.

Q: Can a student stay in Rochester? Maybe. Some co-op jobs are located in the Rochester area. Depending upon the students program, there may be many or very few positions in Rochester. Competition for these positions can be very high. It is not advisable to limit one’s job search to any one specific area. The student will enhance their chances of landing a professionally rewarding position if they are geographically flexible. They should seriously consider all co-op opportunities in their career field for which they qualify, regardless of location.

Q: Where will the student live if they leave Rochester? Many out-of-town employers provide some help in finding temporary housing. The assistance varies: some companies will provide a list of possible apartments and room rentals; some will pay for a hotel for a few days while the student is looking; some have co-op housing already arranged. It is a good idea to check with the colleges in the area because residence hall space is frequently available, especially in the summer. It is appropriate to discuss your housing concerns with an employer once an offer has been made.

Q: Can a student work overseas? Yes, but start early! Visit the Co-op Office’s International Experience page for more information.

Q: Will the employer pay their relocation expenses? Maybe. Some employers, especially those located out of state, will pay for all or part of a student’s relocation expenses. It is important to have a clear understanding of the student’s obligation before accepting a co-op position if extensive travel expenses are anticipated.

Q: Do students pay tuition for co-op? Students do not pay tuition or any university fees while on co-op even though you remain eligible to utilize all the facilities and services of the university.

Q: Can I collect unemployment insurance? Once a student’s co-op employment with a company has ended, they are not eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits.

Q: What if student do not get a co-op job? Students should see their career services coordinator as soon as they feel anxious about their co-op job search. We can evaluate their search, make suggestions, and provide additional service that will assist them in meeting their goal.  

Q. Can a student co-op after they graduate? No. Once a student has completed all their degree requirements they are no longer eligible for RIT's co-op program. Co-op is part of their experiential education while they are studying at RIT. Additionally, a student must complete their two required co-ops before their last academic semester at RIT. 

Academic details:

• You can double-count up to three courses (9 semester credits) in the BS and MS degrees (typically in the Advanced elective area).
• You officially become a graduate student at year 5 when you have earned 126 semester credits. From this point on, you will be able to register yourself for graduate courses in SIS on the graduate career; until then, you will need to register graduate courses on the undergraduate career
• The lowest passing grade in the graduate program is “C”. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in your graduate program in order to earn your MS degree.
• There is no grade replacement in the graduate program. All courses taken and all grades earned remain on your transcript and count in your GPA.
• In order to be considered full time as an undergraduate student, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester credits. As a graduate student, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 semester credits to be considered full time, however, graduate students are eligible for up to 2 Full Time Equivalencies (FTE) based on remaining course requirements.
• Avoid duplicate course material, if you take a class listed below at the undergraduate level you cannot take it at the graduate level. Below is a list of duplicate courses between the BS and MS programs.

Undergraduate Course Graduate Course

• CSEC 461 -------- CSEC 742
• CSEC 202 -------- CSEC 743
• CSEC 464 -------- CSEC 730
• CSEC 470 -------- CSEC 750
• CSCI 462 -------- CSEC 604

Completing the program:

• ALL undergraduate degree requirements must be complete (including wellness and co-op) before you can register for the MS Project, MS Capstone, or Thesis.
• You must work with the Sr. Staff Specialist to register for either MS Thesis, MS Project, or MS Capstone Course by submitting assigned proposal. Make sure you watch for deadlines.
• If you submit a Thesis proposal you have one year to complete the defense before the proposal expires.
• There is a 7-year rule in place for all graduate programs. You must complete your graduate work within 7 years of the semester in which you took your first graduate course that counts toward the MS degree.

Financial:

• You are eligible for a BS/MS tuition discount on the graduate tuition rates. Work with your financial aid counselor for more information.
• As a graduate student, you can apply for Graduate and Teaching Assistantships (GA/TA) both in the CSEC department and across campus. These positions usually pay a tuition benefit as well as a salary. You might want to check with your Financial Aid Advisor to see if the BS/MS discount or the GA/TA position is more beneficial.   

Administrative:

• Your program code changes from UCIS, INFOSEC-BS to UCIS, INFOSEC-BS, CSEC-U to GCIS, COMPSEC-MS, CSEC-G.
• Your courses are split into sections on your transcript by undergraduate and graduate and each has its own GPA statistics.
• Since you can apply for graduation for your BS and MS degrees separately on SIS, we would like you to apply for your BS degree AND your MS degree at the SAME time. You should apply for BOTH degrees after you have completed 15 graduate semester credits toward your MS degree requirements.

Current RIT students that are interested in a Change of Program (COP) into Cybersecurity must do the following to be considered for the program:

1. Prospective Change of Program students are required to meet with an academic advisor or attend an information session in the Cybersecurity Department.

• You can stop by CYB - 1770 or email the appropriate advisor to schedule that meeting. 
• Students with Last Name A-K with meet with Rachael Caveney, L-Z with Liz Martin.

2. Complete the Change of Program form with your current academic advisor. They will email the form to csecadvising@rit.edu to include with your application materials.

3. Submit a personal statement via email addressing the following:

• Why are you applying?
• What are your academic strengths & weaknesses?
• What areas in computing are you passionate about?
• What are your future goals/career interests?
• Why do you feel your current major is not the right “fit” for your future goals?
• Why do you believe this major is the right “fit” for your future goals?

4. If you have not taken Calculus, contact examasst@rit.edu to take the Math Placement Exam.

5. Contact Financial Aid to understand any aid implications a change of major could have.

6. Submit application materials to csecadvising@rit.edu by the last day of classes of the term prior to entry.

You will not be able to enroll in our courses until after our seat restrictions are lifted (please refer to the seat restriction date in SIS). Provided you meet the pre-requisites, you can add yourself to the waitlist, which will automatically enroll you after the restrictions are removed (assuming there are open seats).

Students can meet with our academic advisors to discuss the program and how their previous courses will transfer to the new program if desired. This discussion can give you a better idea of what the program is about and if it will extend your stay at RIT. This meeting must take place prior to acceptance. Please note academic advisors get extremely busy during enrollment periods and may not be able to meet with you, so if you would like to schedule this type of meeting, please reach out early in the term, or you will have to wait until after enrollment period.

A MINIMUM Term and Cumulative GPA is a 3.0 is expected. Our program includes several math and programming course requirements; skills in these areas are very important. Admissions decisions are made case-by-case. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Change of major applications may be denied based on the above criteria, academic standing or students’ demonstrated ability to succeed in the major, and overall seats and availability in the program.

A CSEC academic advisor will notify you by email regarding the admission decision. If accepted, the advisor will assist you with enrollment any additional scheduling assistance still needed for the upcoming semester.

Recommended Coursework:

Once you meet with an advisor, they may make other recommendations based on courses you have already completed. This is why it is important to schedule a meeting with one of our advisors. If you have additional questions, please email csecadvising@rit.edu.