Cybersecurity (M.A.S.)
Master technical skills and build the legal fluency to defend against every attack in our flexible and National Center of Academic Excellence-designated master of cybersecurity program.
Bridge Technical Skill with Legal Know-How to Become a Security Leader in Illinois Tech’s M.A.S. in Cybersecurity
Technology in all forms is constantly under attack, and these threats continue to evolve in new and challenging ways. Equipping yourself with the technical depth and legal fluency to understand and defend against these threats prepares you become a cybersecurity leader for both today and tomorrow. Illinois Tech’s M.A.S. in Cybersecurity unifies the technical rigor of information technology management, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering with the strategic and legal dimensions of cybersecurity law and policy to help you develop a well-rounded cybersecurity toolkit in a program designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity by United States Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency. You can also choose from one of seven specialized tracks—cybersecurity management, cybersecurity technology, digital forensics, computer engineering, power and energy, computer science, and law and policy—to enhance your skill set in ways that will set you apart from your peers, propelling you become a leader in a rapidly evolving cyber landscape.
Program Overview
Our master’s in cybersecurity is designed for immediate workforce readiness by providing you with a foundation in data and information security, software and hardware security, systems and network security, and secure application specific infrastructure. You’ll learn to defend against security-related risks while understanding how to increase data and systems protection, plan security measures, and recognize the potential legal and ethical issues. You’ll gain these skills by tackling real-world threat scenarios through hands-on labs, live attack-and-defend exercises, and other projects.
- Hybrid Delivery with Online Primary Courses
- 12–18 Month Degree Completion
- STEM-Designated and CAE-Aligned
- Seven unique specialized tracks (learn more below) to fine-tune your expertise
Career Opportunities
Our M.A.S. in Cybersecurity prepares you for high-impact roles in a multitude of sectors, ranging from federal law enforcement to critical infrastructure protection. You will focus on developing tangible skills that allow you to step directly into leadership and operational roles.
Careers in cybersecurity are among the fastest growing in the United States, and they rank as the #2 Best Tech Job, #3 Best STEM Job, and #4 on the Best 100 Jobs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Our master's in cybersecurity prepares you for roles such as:
- Digital Forensic Analyst
- Incident Response Specialist
- Cybersecurity Analyst
Here is a preview of some of the courses you’ll take to build your expertise in cybersecurity:
ITMS 583 Digital Evidence
In this course, you’ll learn about the fundamental principles and concepts in order to conduct investigations in the digital realm. You will also explore the process and methods of obtaining, preserving, and presenting digital information for use as evidence in civil, criminal, or administrative cases. Other topics covered in this course include legal concepts and terminology, ethics, computer crime, investigative procedures, chain of custody, digital evidence controls, processing crime and incident scenes, data acquisition, email investigations, applicable case law, and serving as an expert witness in a judicial or administrative proceeding.
ITMS 527 AI for Cybersecurity
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to understand, implement, and leverage artificial intelligence techniques within cybersecurity. In an era where cyber threats continue to evolve and grow in complexity, AI has emerged as a powerful tool to defend against and mitigate these threats. This course explores the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, providing a comprehensive understanding of how AI technologies can be used to protect computing systems. By the end of this course, you will be well-equipped to leverage AI to enhance your cybersecurity efforts, making it a valuable asset in the ever-evolving landscape of digital security.
ITMS 564 Cloud Computing Security
You’ll learn how to effectively secure cloud-based services and infrastructure in an enterprise setting in this course. Among the topics that will be covered include the design principles of secure cloud computing, data security, platform and infrastructure security, application security and the Secure Software Development Life Cycle and DevSecOps processes, and security operations. This course will also cover the legal, risk, and compliance aspects of cloud computing, all in the context of a set of industry-standard learning domains.
You must complete the Illinois Tech graduate application, regardless of which graduate program you wish to pursue. Visit our admission website to learn more about what information and documents you need to apply.
Please note that each college and individual programs may have additional requirements to apply.
Tuition and Fees
Learn more about the university’s general tuition and fees, visit the Student Accounting website.
Cedric N. Says...
“Myself and a couple of my colleagues received a grant from Motorola Solutions in order to generate a prototype, and we ended up generating an AI-powered intrusion system. We were able to able to present some of the results of the research that we did [to Motorola Solutions].”
—Cedric Nartey (ITM, M.A.S. CYF 3rd Year)
Featured Faculty
Maurice E. Dawson
Richard Warner
Nik Sultana
Alexander Rabanal
Yanxue Jia
Adam Weber
Yousef Elmehdwi
With a desire to help solve problems, Marilyn Barrios decided to leave a career in information technology sales to go back to school to study cybersecurity—and now she’s helping Motorola Solutions design more secure systems.
Marilyn Barrios (ITM, M.A.S. ITM ’18)
CyberHawks founder and 2023 Sigma Xi Award winner for his research.
David Arnold (EE/M.S. CPE ’19, Ph.D. CPE ’24)
Cedric Nartey will intern with the Missile Defense Agency after receiving the prestigious SMART scholarship, and he credits his professors’ encouragement and his real-world experience for helping him achieve the honor.
Cedric Nartey (ITM, M.A.S. CYF 3rd Year)
The success of Robert John Soler’s cybersecurity project makes him appreciate Illinois Tech.
Robert John Soler (CCSE, M.A.S. CYF 5th Year)Pick Your Path
As part of the M.A.S. in Cybersecurity, you are able to choose one of seven specialized tracks that allows you to focus more on an area of cybersecurity that is of most interest to you. Learn more about each track below:
Computer Engineering Track
The computer engineering track provides you with a rigorous foundation in hardware and software protection, data security, cloud computing, and computer network security. This interdisciplinary program combines technical expertise with strategic insight, preparing students to design resilient systems and navigate complex legal and ethical challenges.
Power and Energy Track
The power and energy track provides you with a comprehensive foundation in power system economics, secure smart grids, and the integration of artificial intelligence within energy infrastructures. The curriculum bridges cyber and physical systems, covering key topics such as power distribution, Internet of Things, wireless network protocols, and data security.
Computer Science
The computer science track will help you gain a deep understanding of data and information security, hardware and software security, and systems and network security. You’ll develop the skills and knowledge to mitigate cyber risks while increasing data and systems protection, planning security measures, and recognizing potential legal and ethical issues.
Cybersecurity Management
The cybersecurity management track is designed to help you launch graduates into the roles that organizations are most urgently hiring for. The program’s foundational curriculum ensures every student develops fluency across technical, legal, and managerial dimensions simultaneously, while the cybersecurity management track’s elective core enables you to gain expertise in artificial intelligence-driven threat detection; cloud security architecture; governance, risk, and compliance frameworks; and incident response and business continuity planning, capabilities that map directly to roles such as chief information security officer, security analyst, governance, risk, and compliance analyst, cloud security engineer, and an information technology risk manager.
Cybersecurity Technology
The cybersecurity technology track is designed to help you work at the technical forefront of defending modern digital infrastructure. The program’s foundational courses establish a rigorous baseline across data privacy, computer security, and legal frameworks, ensuring that you understand not just how attacks happen but the regulatory and ethical landscape surrounding them. Students develop expertise in active cyber defense, operating systems security, cloud computing security, and database security, while also building programming fluency tailored specifically to cybersecurity analytics and automation through courses in shell scripting and open source systems. The integration of artificial intelligence for cybersecurity will prepare you to leverage machine learning in threat detection and response, a capability that is rapidly becoming a baseline expectation for senior technical roles.
Digital Forensics
The digital forensics track is designed to prepare you to uncover, preserve, and present digital evidence in both corporate and law enforcement contexts. The program’s foundational courses build a strong technical and legal baseline that spans advanced computer security, network security, cybersecurity technologies, and computer and network privacy law, ensuring that forensic work is conducted with both technical precision and evidentiary integrity from the start. The track’s three required core courses mirror the actual workflow of a digital forensics investigation, from device acquisition through courtroom-ready evidence handling. You’ll also have access to legal and ethical coursework, along with elective courses provided by Chicago-Kent College of Law, that will help set you apart, as forensic professionals are routinely called upon to testify, advise counsel, and navigate complex chain-of-custody requirements that demand legal literacy as technical skill.
Law and Policy
The law and policy track offers lawyers and non-lawyers a systematic investigation of the interaction between law and cybersecurity. Sound cybersecurity management requires an understanding of that interaction. This track creates that understanding through a combination of law and technical courses, which identify problems and issues and emphasize practical solutions as well as provide a general conceptual framework that enables you to solve new problems as they arise.
Get In Touch
To learn more about this program, please reach out to Associate Professor Maurice Dawson at mdawson2@illinoistech.edu.