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  3. MS Degree Requirements
  4. MS Core Requirements

Security Concentration Course Requirements

Overview of M.S. Concentration in Security

Revised July 19, 2021

The Security Concentration fits within the MS in Computer Science. The MS in CS is 30 overall credits. Students in the security concentration will take 12 credits in security and systems related course, as laid out below.  For questions regarding all over components of the MS in CS please follow this link.

Security Concentration Requirements: 
Security Core6 credits
Security Electives6 credits
Total Credits  12 credits

Requirements of the Security Concentration:

Systems Core Requirement:

  • Either COMPSCI 660 or COMPSCI 560 (597N) must be taken as a Systems Core for this Security concentration.
    Students may petition to the Master's Program Director to substitute this requirement with a class roughly equivalent to either and that the equivalent of receiving a "B grade or higher" was awarded. (Students should not expect the credits to necessarily transfer to the MS degree.)
  • Courses from the MS COMPSCI Systems Core menu or the Security Systems Core menu count as a second Systems core for this concentration only.

Security Systems Core menu:

This table is an example. The tables are maintained by the Master's Program Director according to current/regular course offerings.

  • COMPSCI 660 Advanced Information Assurance
  • COMPSCI 560 Introduction to Computer and Network Security (formerly COMPSCI 597N)
  • COMPSCI 690B Detecting Interference in Networks
  • COMPSCI 590K Advanced Digital Forensics
  • COMPSCI 661 Secure Distributed Systems
  • COMPSCI 561 System Defense and Test (formerly COMPSCI 590A)
  • COMPSCI 590J Cyber Effects: Reverse Engineering, Exploit Analysis, and Capability Development
  • COMPSCI 690C Foundations of Applied Cryptography
  • COMPSCI 590AF Reverse Engineering and Understanding Exploit Development

A grade of "B" or better is required for core classes.

500-level courses do not count toward MS/PhD core requirements. Students who potentially could apply to the UMass PhD program should follow the MS/PhD core/course requirements. 

6 credits

Security Electives Requirements
Two courses (6 credits) 

  1. Students must take two security electives from Security Systems Electives menu.

Security Systems Electives menu:

  • COMPSCI 690B Detecting Interference in Networks
  • COMPSCI 590K Advanced Digital Forensics
  • COMPSCI 661 Secure Distributed Systems
  • COMPSCI 561 System Defense and Test (Formerly COMPSCI 590A)
  • COMPSCI 560 Introduction to Computer and Network Security (formerly COMPSCI 597N)
  • COMPSCI 690C Foundations of Applied Cryptography
  • COMPSCI 563 Internet Law & Policy (formerly INFOSEC 690L)
  • COMPSCI 690F Security for Large Scale Systems
  • ECE 647: ST --Security Engineering

    Outside courses on this list are pre-approved and can count toward the CompSci MS course requirements.
     
  • ECE 544/644 may not be used towards the MS degree (since it overlaps with COMPSCI 560 previously COMPCSI 597N). Math 571 and ECE 597XX may not be used towards the MS degree (since they overlap with COMPSCI 690C Foundations of Applied Cryptography).

A grade of "B" or better is required for these classes.

 6 credits

Sample Schedule

Fall ICOMPSCI 590B Detecting Interference in Networks
COMPSCI 514 Algorithms for Data Science
First Systems core
Theory core
Spring ICOMPSCI 660 Advanced Information Assurance
COMPSCI 690A Advanced Methods in HCI
COMPSCI 590V Data Visualization and Exploration
Second System core
First elective
Second elective
Fall IICOMPSCI 563 Internet Law & Policy(formerly INFOSEC690L)
COMPSCI 589 Machine Learning
COMPSCI 611 Advanced Algorithms
First Security elective
AL core
Third elective
Spring IICOMPSCI 661 Secure Distributed Systems
COMPSCI 690D Deep Learning for Natural Language Processing
Second Security elective
Fourth elective

 

Local Navigation Links

MS Core Requirements
Data Science Concentration Requirements
Security Concentration Course Requirements
Field Experience Concentration Requirements

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