University at Buffalo (UB)
Engineering Science (Cybersecurity) MS
Learn the foundational concepts of cybersecurity and get hands-on experience protecting cyber infrastructures in a wide range of applications, such as health care, manufacturing, and transportation systems.
Truly interdisciplinary
The Engineering Science MS with a course focus in Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary program jointly offered by the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Management. It is intended for graduates and IT professionals who want to upskill their cybersecurity knowledge and background, or for those seeking positions as cybersecurity analysts, cybersecurity engineers, cybersecurity administrators, or cybersecurity consultants in industry or local and federal government.
Hands-on experience
The program is designed to cover the foundational concepts of cybersecurity, teach cybersecurity principles, and provide hands-on experience applying security solutions and tools to protect cyber infrastructures in areas such as health care, manufacturing, and transportation systems.
Driven by workforce needs
This program is composed of core, focus area, and elective courses that characterize and underscore the educational and research goals of the Center of Academic Excellence in Information Systems Assurance Research and Education (CEISARE), which is concerned with cybersecurity workforce development in government, industry, and academia. The program also prepares students for various industry certifications.
Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Boeing, Cisco, Citigroup, Dell, Deloitte, General Dynamics, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG, Northrup Grumman, and Wells Fargo are just a subset of companies that are aggressively seeking employees trained in cybersecurity. In fact, demand in this job market is expected to grow 28% over the next ten years.
Industry data provided by LightCast.
This program is distinct from UB's Computer Science and Engineering MS or Management Information Systems MS programs, which attract students primarily with computer science and business administration degrees, respectively.
We seek to admit students with backgrounds or related coursework in electrical, mechanical, information technology or any associated engineering field, information systems, or mathematics. This program is also open to students with an undergraduate minor in computer science or computer security.
Applicants must provide the following application materials:
Students can apply online. New applicants must create an account. If you have applied in the past, you will be asked to log in to your existing account to start a new application.
The application includes sections that will ask you to provide us with personal/biographical information, contact information, citizenship details, your past or current college/university, and degree details. You will be able to enter the names and contact information of your recommenders and upload supporting materials to your application. You may upload supporting documents while completing the application form or after you have submitted your application in your Application Status Portal.
You do not need official transcripts or test scores to apply. Unofficial copies are sufficient for application review, but students are encouraged to provide official copies if they have them.
A non-refundable fee of $100 is required to apply for Spring 2025 or later terms. The application fee for Fall 2024 is $85. After you submit your application form, you can pay the application fee online in your Application Status Portal with a credit card or e-check.
Copies of transcript(s) for all post-secondary schoolwork must be uploaded with your application for initial review. Upon an offer of admission, accepted applicants will be required to submit official transcripts and proof of degree(s).
Upload a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) to your application. Your resume or CV should include details about your education, employment, and internship history. Pertinent research experience should be included as well.
Please upload a brief personal statement describing your educational objectives, your academic experience, and why you're interested in the program. We are particularly interested in your math and programming background. There is no required length or word limit for the statement.
GRE scores are optional for this program. If you would like to take the GRE, you can arrange to take it through the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Official scores should come directly from ETS.
Note: the University at Buffalo Institutional Code is 2925.
One letter of recommendation is required to apply to this program. Letters are automatically requested when you enter recommenders' names and email addresses in your application. While we will accept letters from professional sources, we strongly prefer letters from professors acquainted with your academic interests, achievements, and abilities.
International applicants are required to provide proof of English proficiency. The chart below outlines acceptable test types and the university's minimum score required for admission. All applicants whose native language is not English will be required to provide proof of English proficiency.
Copies may be submitted for initial review. Official scores must be sent directly to UB from the testing agency.
| Test Type | University Minimum Score | To Order... |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL (IBT) (including MyBest scores) TOEFL Home Edition | 79 | Use Institution Code 2925 |
| TOEFL Essentials | 8.5 | Use Institution Code 2925 |
| TOEFL ITP Plus | 550 | Use Institution Code 2925 |
| IELTS and IELTS Indicator | 6.5 | Select "University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY)" |
| 55 | Select "University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY)" | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE) | 185 | Select "University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY)" |
| Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) | 185 | Select "University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY)" |
| Duolingo English Test (DET) | 120 | ADA Department of Testing will report your official scores to central application services |
Exam results must be dated within two years from your proposed date of admission and remain valid upon entering the term for which you applied.
It is strongly recommended to make test arrangements early in the year so sufficient time can be allowed for the results to be reported before application deadlines.
Exemptions to English Language Proficiency requirements can be found on The Graduate School website.
For questions about your application or admissions requirements, contact gradeng@buffalo.edu.
Program Co-Directors
Shambhu Upadhyaya
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
shambhu@buffalo.edu
(716) 645-3183
Kevin Cleary
School of Management
kpcleary@buffalo.edu
(716) 645-5251
Our flexible curriculum enables students to focus on the core competencies that align with their own personal training goals in order to prepare them for careers in the field of information security and computer security.
The program is 10 courses for a total of 30 credits and culminates with an integrated project experience either through an independent study, internship or as part of an experience-based course. It is designed to be completed in three semesters but can be completed in one calendar year, subject to the availability of courses in the appropriate semesters and completing the final culminating experience requirement in the summer.
While the core courses provide a consistent body of core knowledge, the focus area courses provide breadth, and the electives (with a major term project) provide depth and hands-on experience.
Core Courses (15 credits)
Take five courses to earn 15 credits:
- CSE 503 – Computer Science for Non-Majors (3 credits)
- EAS 5XX – Cryptography and Computer Security* (3 credits)
- MGS 650 – Information Assurance (3 credits)
- CDA 551/MGS 639 – Cybersecurity and Privacy (3 credits)
- CSE 5XX – Network Security* (3 credits)
Focus Area Courses (9 credits)
Choose three courses to earn 9 credits:
- CSE 510 – Software Security (3 credits)
- EAS 5XX – Systems Security (3 credits)
- CSE 5XX – AI/ML and Security* (3 credits)
- MGS 610 – Digital Forensics (3 credits)
Elective Courses and Culminating Experience (6 credits)
Choose two 3-credit electives, one of which must include a major project as indicated in the notes below to earn 6 credits.
- CSE 510 – Hardware Trust and Security§ (3 credits)
- CSE 526 – Blockchain Application Development§ (3 credits)
- CSE 529 – Algorithms for Modern Computing Systems (3 credits)
- CSE 535 – Information Retrieval§ (3 credits)
- CSE 540 – Machine Learning and Society§ (3 credits)
- CDA 502/MGS 613 – Database Management Systems (3 credits)
- EAS 5XX/MGS 6XX – Cybersecurity Analytics* (3 credits)
- EAS 5XX/MGS 6XX – Cloud Security* (3 credits)
- EAS 5XX – Cybersecurity Project§ ** (3 credits)
* Indicates a new course and/or course under development.
** The culminating experience requirement can be completed as a part of a pre-approved experience-based elective course or through a pre-approved internship or industry certification audit and review, or as supervised work with a faculty member.
§ Qualifies as an experience-based elective with a significant project.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are admitted to this program may qualify for a CyberCorps® Scholarship.
National Science Foundation started the Federal Cyber Service program 22 years ago to increase the number of qualified students in computer security and information assurance (CS/IA). The motivation was to build capacity in the U.S. higher education enterprise to address the shortage of skilled professionals in these fields at various federal agencies.
Scholarship Deadline
The deadline to apply for this scholarship for Fall 2024 has passed. Check back soon for Fall 2025 information.
Who is eligible?
- Undergrad applicants must be juniors (senior in their BS/MS program), graduate students must be in their first year of MS program
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Must be able to obtain security clearance and be eligible for federal employment
- If not a UB student, must be eligible for admission to the MS/MBA program at UB in the Engineering, Business, Law, Math, Communication disciplines
Student Commitments
Scholarship recipients are required to do a paid internship and work for a federal, state or local agency year-for-year upon graduation.
What does this scholarship cover?
The scholarship covers two years of education in the BA/BS/MS/MBA/PhD programs with Cybersecurity option. Combined BS/MS students will be initially supported as undergrads. The following items are covered.
- Tuition
- Fees
- Professional development and conference travel
- Yearly stipend of $37,000 for graduate students