Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Cybersecurity

Master's: Boston, MA
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Are you a professional or recent graduate with experience in coding/programming and basic mathematics who wants to leverage technology to build a more secure world? Help advance the field of cybersecurity, assessing and managing ongoing information security risks to defend key pillars of society.

At Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, you’ll learn with top faculty and through direct work with key stakeholders in tech, government, health, finance, defense, and more. Lean into your strengths in one of the best cybersecurity programs available, preparing you for a key information security role in a technical or management position.

Boston, MA
Location
Full-Time
Part-Time
Commitment
2-2.5 Years
Duration of Program
Fall, Spring
Entry Terms
Yes *
Meets F1 Visa Requirements
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Overview

Leverage technology to help build a more secure world

Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Operations by the Department of Defense and National Security Agency, Northeastern offers one of the best cybersecurity programs available to help you develop comprehensive understanding:

  • Gain technical computer science skills in information security.
  • Develop a contextual and interdisciplinary foundation in law, forensics, criminology, social sciences, policy, and management to break down silos in cybersecurity.
  • Hold an optional, full-time, paid co-op or internship.
  • Learn from experts who are driving innovation across industries.
  • Develop skills for lifelong advancement and collaboration with some of the most diverse thinkers in cybersecurity.

Develop your professional network in Boston

The program is offered online and in Boston, a tech-forward city with high activity across important sectors for cybersecurity, such as military, finance, health, law, and policy. Northeastern’s flagship Boston campus puts cutting-edge research at your fingertips. 

  • Vibrant research and development environment—the #4 Best Startup Ecosystem in the World (Startup Genome, 2022)
  • Opportunity for interdisciplinary projects with other colleges at Northeastern
  • Options to collaborate with businesses, governmental agencies, laboratories, and internationally recognized institutes and centers

Boston campus

More Details

Unique Features

  • Opportunities for paid, full-time co-ops or internships with one of Khoury College’s industry partner organizations, such as Akamai, Amazon/AWS, Bloomberg, Crowdstrike, Raytheon, Salesforce, and more
  • Capstone project with companies, such as Rapid 7, MITRE, Partners Healthcare, Fidelity, and Raytheon
  • The research facilities and resources of an R1 institution in cybersecurity, a key area of study for Khoury College, including the Privacy and Cybersecurity Institute, a PhD program, and a research program
  • An unusually dynamic cohort of students from a wide variety of backgrounds that provides a 360° perspective and strong network across industries
  • In-depth knowledge and experience in both technical and contextual aspects of cybersecurity

Career Outlook

Give yourself proven opportunities for career advancement. Cybersecurity is one of the most in-demand areas of expertise for U.S. employers, with a 0% unemployment rate since 2016—and demand is incredibly high globally (TechGenix). Khoury College cybersecurity graduates go on to work at some of the most influential companies and organizations around the world. In recent years, alumni have a record of 100% employment in their chosen field.

  • 3.5 million job openings in the cybersecurity field are projected by 2025 (Cybercrime Magazine)
  • 33% job growth is projected in the United States for information security analysts from 2021 to 2031—over four times faster than the average employment growth rate of all occupations nationwide (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • The global workforce gap for cybersecurity professionals has grown twice as much as the workforce, with a 26.2% year-over-year surge; 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals are needed (ISC2)
  • Key employers of graduates of the program include Amazon/AWS, Akamai, Google, Raytheon, MITRE, Wayfair, Fidelity, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and Synopsys
  • Program graduates hold positions such as application security, security analyst, chief information security officer, cybersecurity compliance officer, cyber risk analyst, cloud security engineer, systems administrator, and more

Curriculum

Curriculum built around a uniquely comprehensive skill set 

This is one of the best cybersecurity programs to help you build an interdisciplinary foundation. 

  • Two courses in technical areas 
  • Two courses in contextual areas
  • Either technical or contextual electives
  • Optional qualifications like the concentration in criminology or a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership

Master’s core courses

  • Foundations 
    • Cyberspace Technology and Applications
    • Foundations of Information Assurance
  • Capstone
    • Capstone Project

Electives

  • Technical Track (select two)
    • Applied Cryptography
    • Computer System Security
    • Network Security Practices
    • Software Vulnerabilities and Security
    • Software Security Practices
    • Network Security
    • Wireless and Mobile Systems Security
  • Contextual Track (select two)
    • Security Risk Management and Assessment
    • Information System Forensics
    • Cyberlaw: Privacy, Ethics, and Digital Rights
    • Decision Making for Critical Infrastructure
    • Special Topics in IT Security Governance, Risk, and Compliance
    • Special Topics in Privacy Law
  • Additional Electives (select one)
    • Complexity Theory
    • Cyberspace Programming
    • Cloud Security
    • IoT Security
    • Applied Cryptography
    • Cyberlaw
    • Machine Learning in Cybersecurity and Privacy
    • Wireless and Mobile Systems Security
    • Cyberconflict
    • And more …

Full curriculum

Options for Study

  • Customize your studies with full-time, part-time, and online options
  • Options for students with a strong foundation in computer science as well as for students with more contextual knowledge (e.g., military, health, finance, etc.) who need to strengthen their foundational tech knowledge 
  • Scholarship for Service for students from other fields

Not sure if you qualify for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity? Reach out to us.

Testimonials

"I had an incredible experience in the program. I met some of the most brilliant-minded colleagues and challenged myself in a way I didn’t know was possible. I’m forever grateful to the program for getting me a step closer to expertise in the field of cybersecurity."

—Ally Hoffman, Information Assurance (now Cybersecurity), MS’17

Looking for something different?

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Admissions

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Program Costs

$52K *
Tuition

Financial Support Can include full-time co-op/internship, TA/tutor position, Federal Student Aid, scholarships, and Scholarship for Service for students from other fields.

Check Costs per Credit This program is a total of 36–44 credits.

Requirements

  • Online application and fee 
  • Transcripts from all institutions attended 
  • Statement of purpose that should include career goals and expected outcomes and benefits from the program
  • Recent professional resumé listing detailed position responsibilities
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • GPA minimums: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, 8.0 on a 10.0 scale, or 80 on a 100 scale
  • Official TOEFL (100 minimum) or IELTS (7.5 minimum) examination scores (international students only)
  • GRE Optional

 

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Global Engagement Learn how our teaching and research benefit from a worldwide network of students, faculty, and industry partners.

Admissions Dates

Applicants must submit the online application and all required admission materials no later than the stated deadlines to be considered for admission. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.

Spring
Fall
International Students: September 15
Domestic students: December 1
International Students: May 6
Domestic students: August 1
Curriculum

Industry-aligned courses for in-demand careers.


For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

 

Experiential Learning

One of the best cybersecurity programs available, the Master of Science in Cybersecurity helps you develop advanced theoretical and contextual knowledge that you can immediately apply to real-world situations. Experiential learning is a core piece of your program and takes place in the form of project work, research opportunities, optional paid co-op and internship opportunities, and a capstone project.

Work as a cyber risk analyst in the highest levels of government. Explore the junctions of cybersecurity and finance, energy, health, defense, and more. Think about how to thwart attacks on aviation datalink, which could give adversaries the ability to provide direct (and misleading) instructions to a flight crew. Explore the societal implications of how we acquire and use personal information for targeted marketing and the impact on bias and discrimination. Make an impact through your work.

Research at Northeastern

Get a roadmap to reach your goals

Your experiential opportunities are closely integrated with both your course curriculum and the advising system. Northeastern career services staff will support you in finding and succeeding in your experiences. A team of academic advisors will also help guide you.

Faculty

Our Faculty

Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

Learn from faculty with industry experience

You’ll learn from world-class faculty who are leaders in cybersecurity research, policy, and practice. 

Guevara Noubir

  • Professor and executive director of cybersecurity programs
  • Principal investigator of Northeastern’s NSA- and DHS-designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

Research

  • Theoretical and practical aspects of privacy, security, and robustness in networked systems

Current Grant

  • “ROSETA-5G (RObust and SEcure TActical 5G Slice)” from the Office of Naval Research to secure 5G cellular systems (2020) 

Professor Noubir

Jose Sierra

  • Associate teaching professor
  • Associate director of the cybersecurity and information assurance graduate program

Research

  • Attribute-based access control
  • IoT communications protection
  • Technology innovations in cyber threats and cyber defenses

Sample Projects

  • Aerospace defense sector
    • Design and implementation of a security compliance accreditation plan for Defense Simulation Laboratory
  • National- and European-funded research
    • Advances for the city of the future: sustainable, smart and efficient. WP1 Security Architecture

Professor Sierra

Students

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll gain access to students at 13 campus locations, 300,000+ alumni, and 3,000 employer partners worldwide. Our global university system provides students unique opportunities to think locally and act globally while serving as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

Below is a look at where our Cybersecurity alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

 

  • Where They Work

    • Raytheon
    • Wayfair
    • Fidelity
    • Amazon
    • Google
    • Akamai
    • PWC
    • Microsoft
    • National Security Agency
    • Department of Defense
    • Dell

  • What They Do

    • Forensic Manager
    • Security Analyst
    • Malware Engineer
    • Systems Analyst
    • CISO
    • Systems Engineer
    • Cybersecurity Analyst

  • What They're Skilled At

    • Java
    • SQL
    • Software Development
    • JavaScript
    • HTML

 

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.

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