2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Dec 03, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Cybersecurity, Cyber Operations Concentration, B.S.


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STEM Designation: This program is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-designated by the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, please see https://www.newhaven.edu/admissions/stem-designated-programs.php The bachelor's degree program in Cybersecurity with a concentration in Cyber Operations satisfies the NSA Cyber Operations pathway requirements.

The goals of the bachelor's degree program in Cybersecurity with a Cyber Operations concentration is to inform, challenge, and train our diverse student body for a constantly changing world of technology. At graduation, every student should be able to demonstrate the following qualities and attributes:

Work effectively in a variety of contexts, systems, and environments.

Develop or help develop a project related to information security that meets professional standards.

Continue to independently learn and master new tools of the profession and deal with the rapid changes and advances in the field.

Program Outcomes

  1. Explain a solid body of knowledge of computer hardware, including digital circuits, basic computer architecture, and instruction sets, networking devices and protocols, and network security.
  2. Program at an intermediate level, and database program at an introductory level.
  3. Explain a solid body of knowledge of how computer systems are managed, including the major subsystems of an operating system: scheduling, resource allocation, file storage, and security.
  4. Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
  5. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  6. Design usable and effective IT-based solutions and integrate them into a client's environment.
  7. Conduct a forensic investigation on a computer using common forensic tools.
  8. Develop systems software using assembly and low-level languages.
  9. Describe the motivations, methods, and goals of cyber threat actors. Plan and execute offensive cyber operations in contested environments.
  10. Perform static and dynamic analysis of systems and software to investigate incidents and identify vulnerabilities. Reverse engineer software and network protocols.

The program consists of a common core that exposes students to a wide range of computing and technology topics, including the study of databases, hardware, networks, programming, security, and cyber forensics. The concentration requires the student to take advanced courses and a capstone project related to cyber operations.

There are three concentrations the student can choose from: Cyber Operations, Network Security, and a general concentration that allows the student to customize their program.

Areas of application include network development, computer system and network administration, cyber operations, and investigation of computer crime.  Typical initial job titles might be cybersecurity analyst, security specialist, penetration tester, IS Security Engineer, network security analyst, network designer, network security technician, and forensic analyst. With several years of experience, job titles might be application security engineer, network administrator, or IS security manager.

Internship Requirement

An internship enriches the academic experience of the student, providing exposure to a working computing environment and the interpersonal relationships of a workplace. Each internship is a partnership between the student and an employer or organization, with oversight by the academic advisor. Students must complete 60 credits toward the bachelor's degree before an internship is attempted.  To complete the internship, a student must perform at least 200 hours of work related to the major, submit an essay about the experience, and submit evaluations completed by both student and work supervisor.

The internship requirement may be satisfied through employment, community service, or some other activity that is approved by the student's advisor.

UPE Honor Society

The university has a chapter of the national honor society for computer science, Upsilon Pi Epsilon.  Outstanding juniors and seniors are invited by the chapter to join this organization and participate in its service projects.

Program Requirements


A total of 126 credits, including the University Core Curriculum, is required for the B.S. degree in Cybersecurity with a concentration in Cyber Operations.

University Core Curriculum


The completion of a minimum of 40 credits of the University Core Curriculum with the following restrictions:

Core Tier 1

  • C1T1: ENGL 1112  or ENGL 1113  
  • C2T1: COMM 1130  
  • C3T1: MATH 1117  
  • C4T1: PHYS 1150  
  • C5T1: any approved course from competency 5
  • C6T1: any approved course from competency 6
  • C7T1: CSCI 3316  
  • C8T1: any approved course from competency 8
  • C9T1: any approved course from competency 9

Core Tier 2

National Security Agency Accredited Designation


The National Security Agency has designated the University of New Haven as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Operations. You can earn your degree with the National Security Agency accredited designation of NSA Cyber Operations Fundamentals by completing this degree program. In doing so, you will complete the NSA Cyber Operations ten mandatory knowledge units plus four optional knowledge units.

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