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The number of cybersecurity threats against businesses and government organizations continues to multiply. No one is completely safe — small and medium-sized companies are just as, if not more, vulnerable than international corporations. Protecting trade secrets, essential financial information and customer data often feels like a constant uphill battle, with new obstacles emerging regularly. Over the past decade, these factors have increased demand for knowledgeable, adaptable cybersecurity professionals, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis seeks to close the gap with our fully online, hands-on bachelor’s degree programs.
Our innovative online bachelor of science in cybersecurity with an emphasis in computer science supplies the industry with eager professionals ready to present a solution and persevere against the rapid number of daily cyber threats. Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security, UMSL tackles the present challenge by preparing you for two possible cybersecurity career paths. The computer science emphasis prepares students with a deeper technical and mathematical focus, while the information systems and technology emphasis considers the field from a business and management angle.
For all enrolled, the bachelor’s in cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary program bringing together the expertise and collective knowledge of the College of Business Administration’s Department of Information Systems and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Computer Science. You’ll begin exploring theories through a holistic, multifaceted curriculum to start thinking like a cybersecurity professional. You’ll then gain a specialty through your emphasis area.
As a stepping stone to your career, UMSL’s Cybersecurity and Information Technology Innovation Lab helps you practice what you’ve learned and defend the latest cyber threats in a virtual, hands-on environment.
Quick facts
Official name
Bachelor of science in cybersecurity with an emphasis in computer scienceCampus
Program type
Bachelor's degreeAcademic home
College of Arts & Sciences | Department of Computer ScienceDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionCredit hours
120Estimated cost
$57,600.00Transfer credit hours
60Transfer estimated cost
$28,800.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Unlock your potential with an online bachelor’s in cybersecurity with a computer science emphasis and grow. This degree program propels you into an exciting and fast-paced field. You’ll utilize a toolbox of computer networking, systems, programming and dedicated cybersecurity skills to protect businesses and organizations of all sizes against compromising threats and prevent cyber attacks.
The computer science emphasis equips you with the knowledge for entry- to mid-level technical cybersecurity roles. A theoretical foundation complemented by applied skills helps you:
- Understand confidentiality, integrity and principles behind modern-day security mechanisms.
- Identify common and multifaceted security pitfalls stemming from physical, data link, network transport and data networking’s application layers.
- Anticipate common web application security vulnerabilities and how they relate to secure software development.
- Facilitate organizational risk management through systematic information security and familiarity with NIST Special Publication guidelines and ISO 27000 series standards.
Potential careers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts greater-than-average demand for cybersecurity skills between now and 2029. While the number of computer and information technology occupations is expected to increase 11%, the fight against cybercrime will fuel 31% more positions for information security analysts.
Potential job titles include:
- Cybersecurity specialist
- Cyber defense analyst
- Cloud security specialist
- Information security analyst
- IT/security auditor
- Security architect
- Information systems security manager
Program structure
You’ll progress toward 120 credit hours spread across general education requirements (33 credit hours) and your major (75 to 77 credit hours).
Everyone entering the online bachelor’s in cybersecurity program begins with required courses (33 credit hours), designed to set you up for success in your selected emphasis area. You’ll take courses in business and technical writing; computing, programming and data structures; computer organization and architecture; Linux environments; object-oriented programming; information security; cyber threats and defense tactics; software development; risk management; computer forensics and cryptography.
From this foundation, you’ll refine your knowledge and prepare for a more technical cybersecurity role through higher-level computer science courses (42 to 44 credit hours). For honing your skills, you’re further encouraged to seek out internships, projects, labs and cybersecurity competitions.
No on-campus visits are required. Courses are held on a semester schedule throughout the year. Based upon prior commitments and availability, you may attend the bachelor’s in computer science program on a full- or part-time basis, including select summer session courses.
Course work includes
Once beginning the computer science course sequence, you’ll start to acquire the problem-solving, analysis and technical skills required to be successful in the cybersecurity field. These subjects cover:
- Basic probability, statistics and calculus.
- Discrete structures for mathematical reasoning and understanding algorithms.
- Web programming, including development using LAMP stack architecture and creating effective, cohesive client-side code.
- How to design and analyze fundamental computer science algorithms.
- Software security principles for data protection and secure file access.
- Computer networking design, management, security and more fundamental concepts.
- The development and deployment of applications in the cloud space.
- Operating systems’ structure and algorithms.
- Risk management for information systems.
- Security for the Internet of Things (IoT) involving cloud, wireless and mobile technologies, architecture, threats and vulnerabilities.
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
SemesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri-St. Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
Faculty spotlight
Research interests:
- Multi-cloud computing
- Distributed deep learning
- Cyber security
- Software defined infrastructures
- UAV Communication Networks
Dr. Pan is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). He earned a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. Before that, he graduated from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in China. His research interests are: Internet of Things (IoT), edge/cloud computing, machine learning, cybersecurity, blockchain, smart energy/buildings and mobile and distributed systems. He's particularly interested in data-driven approaches to solving the emerging problems at the intersections of his interest areas, addressing the real-world challenges that our society faces and in enabling future vision of smart homes, campuses, factories, communities and cities.
Dr. Mtibaa is currently the director of the cybersecurity program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Prior to this position, he held several research positions, such as visiting assistant professor at the computer science department in New Mexico State University (NMSU), a research scientist at Texas A&M University and a postdoctoral research associate at Carnegie Mellon University. During his PhD studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, he worked closely with the Technicolor Paris Research Lab. His research interests include next-generation networking and internet, cybersecurity, privacy, information-centric networking (ICN), mobile/edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless sensor networks.