Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Technologies

The cutting edge of IT Security extends well beyond the traditional defensive measures employed by most business and public sector entities today, and at the edge lies the collection and assessment of threat data. However, collection requires an understanding of the probable data elements that constitute a realistic threat, while assessment requires a sophisticated understanding of the systems and technologies used to collect this information.

Knowledge on Internet Security best practices, attack and defense strategies is rapidly becoming a required skill for today’s Information Technology worker. This certificate introduces students to the fundamentals of computer and network security, and how to analyze a client/server IT infrastructure for security weaknesses. Students also gain practical experience in analyzing common practices for security vulnerabilities that could result in the loss of sensitive company and customer information. Attack analysis and countermeasures will be studied at the transport, network, data link, and physical layers. Students will learn how to implement security and trust controls for malicious behavior prevention, detection, and recovery. 

This set of three courses in the Cybersecurity Technologies certification will provide students with the specialized knowledge required to attack this problem domain. 

Target Audience:

The target audience is professionals in organizations or fields that would require use of cybersecurity technologies and would pursue the certification for job knowledge and career enhancement. Those students will be admitted as non-degree seeking, MIT-Commonwealth students.

We also expect graduate students, full- or part-time and currently enrolled in a VT graduate degree program related to cybersecurity technologies, to be interested in adding this certification as a supplement to their degree.

How To Apply:

External applications should complete the VT-MIT online application as a certificate-seeking student at https://vtmit.vt.edu/admissions/apply-now.html

MIT Graduate Certificates

Admissions Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Technologies

Virginia Tech requires admission to the Graduate School and completion of a Graduate Certificate Application for both degree- and non-degree seeking certificate applicants. 

Degree-seeking applicants: The Graduate School requires completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or greater for admission to Certificate Status. MIT applicants with an undergraduate GPA less than 3.0 may qualify for Commonwealth Campus admission and will need to comply with MIT requirements of Commonwealth Campus status prior to admission to Certificate Status. Students pursuing a degree and a certificate simultaneously are classified within their degree program.

For students interested in pursuing both the MIT degree and the certificate(s), no more than fifty percent of certificate courses will be included toward completion of the MIT degree. 

Non-degree seeking applicants: Applicants that wish to obtain a graduate certificate only, without being enrolled in a VT degree program, may apply by completing an abbreviated application to MIT's Certificate program. The Graduate Certificate Application Form is required after admission.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Earn a GPA of 3.0 or greater or  credits earned during the last half of their undergraduate degree.

• Submit official transcripts.

• Meet the academic background requirements of the admitting academic unit.

• International Applicants must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). 

• Earn a minimum TOEFL score of 577 paper-based (PBT) or 90 internet-based test (iBT). For the iBT, earn a minimum of 20 on each subject test (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing).

• Earn a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.

• Some departments have higher TOEFL or IELTS score requirements than those set by the Graduate School.

Course Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Technologies

Number of Credit Hours: 

A total of nine credit hours are required. Transfer credits are not permitted. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the designated courses.

Required Courses: 

ECE 5484 Fundamentals of Computer Systems: Fundamental principles and concepts of computer systems. Computer hardware; Boolean logic; number systems and representation; design and operation of digital logic; analysis of instruction set architectures and computer organization; and specification of data communication and networking standards. Pre: Proficiency in a high-level programming language (e.g. C#, C, C++, or Java), practical training, and/or work experience related to developing computer software systems.

ECE 5585 IT Security and Trust I: Fundamental Internet and computer security principles and applications; legal and privacy issues, risk analysis, attack techniques, intrusion detection concepts, basic computer forensics, and system application hardening techniques. Pre: ECE 5484.  

AND

ECE 5586 IT Security & Trust II: Advanced security and trust concepts and implementation in wired and wireless computer networks and computer systems, malware defenses, impact of channel fragility, node mobility, cooperative functionality, and resource constraints on security and trust at the different layers of the internet protocol stack. Pre: ECE 5585. 

OR