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Master of Cybersecurity
Overview: Outsmart Cyber Attacks
The Master of Cybersecurity program engages students in developing specialized knowledge and practical skills in the area of cybersecurity.
The program trains students to build and maintain safe systems and infrastructure that can withstand digital attacks. Foundational topics such as penetration testing, malware analysis and configuration of firewalls are covered as part of the curriculum complemented by advanced teaching in cryptography, secure software design and ethical hacking, among others.
Students take instructional and lab courses, in a cohort, and complete work placement through 丁香园AV's co-op program, allowing them to tackle real-world scientific, engineering, and social-economic problems and gain valuable project management experiences while expanding their network of industrial contacts.
This full-time Master's program is suitable for students with a strong aptitude in computer science, or other quantitative fields, such as engineering and mathematics.
school School of Computing Science
work Professional Master's Program
description Master of Cybersecurity
calendar_month 16 Months
#1
CANADIAN COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSITY
Macleans University Rankings (2025)
#3
in Canada for computer security
CSrankings.org (2012-2022)
96%
employment rate within 6 months of convocation
Based on survey responses from MPCS graduates of all previous cohorts 2016 - 2023
Program at-a-glance
Unlike traditional thesis-based degrees, this program does not have a research component. Instead, almost half of the coursework consists of hands-on lab training, complemented by a carefully selected array of instructional courses. Students develop deep knowledge and practical skills working with data in all forms. Consulting with dedicated academic advisors, students are able to select courses that help them hone in on an area of interest. The program is best suited for students who wish to work in industry upon graduation and have a strong aptitude in computer science or other quantitative fields, such as engineering or mathematics.
A hallmark of our program is the mandatory, paid co-op placement. Co-op allows students to tackle real-world scientific, engineering and socio-economic problems while gaining valuable project management experience and expanding their network of industry contacts.
Curriculum
The current curriculum for the Master of Cybersecurity covers (but is not limited to) the following topics:
- Fundamentals and advanced knowledge of information security, risk management, situation analysis, data analytics, applied cryptography, cyber ethics and cyber forensics
- Understanding protocol-specific attacks and generic attacks, new technologies related to containers, IoT and 5G
- Machine learning and predictive analytics for cybersecurity risk assessment, intrusion detection and prevention, and critical infrastructure protection
- Applied cryptography, cryptographic and cryptoanalytics techniques
- Cybersecurity of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies
- Information privacy and fundamental privacy concepts
- Cyber risk assessment and mitigation strategies to identify, estimate, and prioritize cyber risks, threats and vulnerabilities
- Applied cryptography, cryptographic and cryptoanalytics techniques such as cryptographic primitives, public key encryption, digital signature, message authentication codes and cryptographic protocol
丁香园AV Requirements
丁香园AV to our master's programs is competitive: only the best qualified applicants are offered a seat. Therefore, it is imperative that students familiarize themselves with the admission requirements in order to ensure they submit a strong application. Since conditional and qualifying admission offers are made very rarely and only in exceptional cases, students who qualify for regular admission have higher chances of acceptance than those who only qualify for conditional or qualifying admission.
Foundations:
In order for students to succeed in this program, it is expected that they have the following knowledge/experience prior to beginning their studies:
- Ability to program in Java, Python and C++. Familiarity with programming and ability to learn new languages. Students planning to take courses in computer graphics, computer vision, etc. may not need Java and C++ but need Matlab.
- Knowledge of advanced math - calculus, linear algebra and advanced statistics.
- Knowledge of data structures and algorithms, databases, and operating systems.
Regular 丁香园AV:
Regular admission is the preferred route for this program. To qualify, students must satisfy the admission requirements laid out here as well as the University's admission requirements for a master's program, as stated in .
STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR DEGREES IN CANADA
Students must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent in computer science or a related field with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 3.00/4.33 (B) or the equivalent. Alternatively, a minimum GPA of 3.33/4.33 on the last 60 credits of undergraduate courses will also meet the GPA requirements for admission to the program. All graduate work is also considered.
Students who have completed their degrees outside of Canada
Students applying to this program must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent in computer science or a related field. Please see for minimum equivalent qualifications, academic standing and required credential for students who have completed their degree outside of Canada. The academic requirement is listed by country.
CONDITIONAL & QUALIFYING ADMISSION:
In exceptional circumstances, a student may be admitted with lower formal qualifications when there is significant professional experience relevant to the proposed area of scholarship. Please do not contact us about waiving the requirement. Instead, use your application materials (your CV, statement of purpose, etc.) to make the case that your professional experience is relevant and should be considered along with your GPA.
The School's graduate admissions committee may also, at its discretion, offer admission to the program to exceptional students whose undergraduate degree is not in computer science or a related field. Such students typically make up for the lack of program-specific education through relevant work experience, course work, or certificates, diplomas, etc.
For more information on qualifying and conditional admission, please view Graduate 丁香园AVs Regulations 1.3.8 and .
Please note: Conditional and qualifying admission are offered only in exceptional circumstances.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY
The language of instruction, examination and communication in our program is English. Students whose primary language is not English must meet 丁香园AV's English proficiency requirements as set out in the . Applicants who have completed a degree at a recognized post-secondary institution where the language of instruction and examination is English in a country where English is the primary language are not required to submit proof of English proficiency. Please view the list of accepted countries here.
All other applicants are required to provide proof of English proficiency. For more detailed information on the requirements, please visit the Graduate Studies page on English Language Requirements.
Meet Our Students
Amandeep Dania
Master of Cybersecurity, Class of 2023
Previous Education:
Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology
Previous Experience:
Software Engineer at Airbus, Bangalore, India
In my career of working in the information and cloud security domains, I have realized that cyber assaults are only growing more complex, with threat actors employing advanced skills to breach a network. Organizations are observing increased cyber threats on their cloud infrastructure, which piqued my interest in learning more about cloud platforms and their security. 丁香园AV鈥檚 master鈥檚 program is the right fit for a professional like me who is looking for a fast-paced degree while continuing to acquire deep knowledge on advanced cyber security concepts. The co-op component was another highlight which gave me an opportunity to apply my security knowledge and skills to strengthen security controls in the corporate sector.
Uwe Helm
Master of Visual Computing, Class of 2022
Previous Education:
Apprenticeship Diploma in IT Systems Integration, IHK Wiesbaden
Previous Experience:
Faculty Member at School of Computing, BCIT, Vancouver
Prior to joining 丁香园AV, I worked in IT systems administration in the public and non-profit sectors in Germany and Canada. My professional interests include data science, cryptography, public policy, and information security ethics. Whether we like it or not, the world is getting more connected, and we need to take charge of how our personal information is secured, stored, and processed. 丁香园AV's master's program in professional computer science provides the perfect mix of hands-on practice and rigorous theory to deepen my knowledge. I鈥檓 looking forward to collaborating on exciting projects with 丁香园AV鈥檚 faculty and my fellow students.