Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering
B.S. in Cybersecurity Engineering
Overview
Cybersecurity engineers identify threats and vulnerabilities in software, networks, and other systems. They apply their skills to design, develop, and implement high-tech solutions to defend against hacking, malware and ransomware, insider threats and all types of cyber crime. In addition to designing and developing safeguards, cybersecurity engineers continually monitor their systems and update them when necessary to prevent zero-day threats (from new and novel malware) and other emerging cybercriminal activity. For companies, cybersecurity engineers protect both information and the overall bottom line. Because of this, cybersecurity engineers are vital to the success of the organizations they serve.
Educational Objectives
Graduates who have earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity Engineering, within a few years following graduation, will have demonstrated technical proficiency, collaborative activities, and professional development.
Technical Proficiency
Graduates will have achieved success and visibility in their chosen careers as shown by technical accomplishments in industry, government, entrepreneurial activities, or academia.
Collaborative Activities
Graduates will have exercised shared responsibilities through activities such as contributions to multi-person or multi-disciplinary technical projects, participation in professional society/organization functions, or performing collaborative research. In all such cases, graduates will have contributed to documentation of the collaborative activities.
Professional Development
Graduates will have demonstrated continual updating to extend their expertise and adapt to a changing environment through graduate studies; short courses, conferences, and seminars; or professional self-study. In addition, graduates will have demonstrated evidence of increasing technical and/or managerial impact.
Undergraduate Admission to the School of Engineering
Admission to the KU School of Engineering and its degree programs is selective. Students may be admitted to an engineering or computer science degree program as freshmen (first-year) students, but all admissions, for both in-state and out-of-state students, are selective. Applications are judged on several factors, such as high school record, scores on national tests, academic record at college or university level, and trend of grades and more. High school transcripts are required.
Freshman Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
To be considered for admission to the School of Engineering, beginning freshmen (first-year) students must meet or exceed the following minimum standards:
- Must be admissible to the University of Kansas by assured admissions or individual review, AND
- Have a 3.0+ high school GPA, AND
- Demonstrate mathematics preparedness by:
- Obtaining a mathematics ACT score of 22+ (or math SAT score of 540+), OR
- Achieving a ‘B’ or better in ‘college algebra’ or a more advanced mathematics course, OR
- Achieving a ‘C’ or better in a high school calculus course; OR
- Earning credit via IB or AP credit for the above-mentioned courses in accordance with KU placement credit requirements; OR
- Achieving at minimum a qualifying score for MATH 104 on the ALEKS mathematics placement exam.
Pre-Engineering
Students not admitted directly to the School of Engineering and their department but who are admissible to the university may be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as an pre-engineering student. They can later re-apply to the School of Engineering during the semester they are completing the admission requirements for transfer students.
Transfer Student Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
Applications from all transfer students, whether from other institutions or from other academic schools at the University of Kansas, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Transfer students must:
- Be admissible to KU, AND
- Earn a cumulative college transferable grade-point average of 2.5+, AND
- Earn a grade of "C" or better in MATH 125 (Calculus I, or its direct equivalent), AND
- Earn grades of "C" or better in math, science, and engineering courses applicable to the engineering degree.
Students must also complete their last 30 hours of credit at KU.
Current Student Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
Students who are currently enrolled at KU, need to meet the following:
- Earn a 2.5+ KU GPA, AND
- Earn a grade of "C" or better in MATH 125 or its direct equivalent, AND
- Earn a grade of "C" or better in all math, science, and engineering courses.
Current KU Students admitted to other academic units may apply to the School of Engineering by completing a Change of School form. Contact the engineering recruitment team if you have any questions. Per University Registrar deadlines for processing, Change of School applications for the fall semester will be accepted until the last Friday in October of each school year; Change of School applications for the spring semester will be accepted until the last Friday in March of each school year.
Already Applied to KU, But Not Engineering?
Don't worry. It's not too late to change your mind if you’ve already applied to KU and selected a major outside the School of Engineering. If you think one of the 12 engineering or computer science majors is a better fit for your talents, you can still change your requested major — preferably before May 1 — and be considered for admission to the School of Engineering and all the benefits that go with it.
To update your application, visit Undergraduate Admissions and click on “Change application term, major, mailing address, and/or email address.”
Please contact a member of our recruitment team, 785-864-3881, if you have any difficulty.
Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core 34 General Education | ||
| The KU Core 34 is comprised of 34-35 credit hours typically completed during the first two years of study. The Core 34 consists of the following requirements: English (6), Communications (3), Math & Statistics (3), Natural & Physical Sciences with lab (4-5), Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 in two different disciplines), Arts & Humanities (6 in two different disciplines), US Culture (3), and Global Culture (3) | 27 | |
| MATH 125 | Calculus I (Core 34: Math & Statistics (SGE)) 030 | 4 |
| or MATH 145 | Calculus I, Honors | |
| or MATH 115 & MATH 116 | Calculus I and Calculus II | |
MATH 125 Calculus I is the "math pathway" course. If a student is not ready to start in Calculus 1, this degree will take more than 4 years to complete. This course will fulfill your Core 34 Math and Statistics requirement. | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| or MATH 146 | Calculus II, Honors | |
| MATH 127 | Calculus III | 4 |
| or MATH 147 | Calculus III, Honors | |
| MATH 290 | Elementary Linear Algebra | 2 |
| or MATH 291 | Elementary Linear Algebra, Honors | |
| EECS 210 | Discrete Structures | 4 |
| EECS 461 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| Basic Science | ||
| EPHX 210 | General Physics I for Engineers | 3 |
| or PHSX 211 | General Physics I | |
| or PHSX 213 | General Physics I Honors | |
| Natural Science Elective | ||
| Any course fulfilling Core 34 NPS totaling 4 credit hours. May be fulfilled with 3 credit hours of NLEC and 1 credit hour of NLAB. | 4 | |
| Required Computing Courses | ||
| EECS 101 | New Student Seminar | 1 |
| EECS 140 | Introduction to Digital Logic Design | 4 |
| or EECS 141 | Introduction to Digital Logic: Honors | |
| EECS 168 | Programming I | 4 |
| or EECS 169 | Programming I: Honors | |
| EECS 268 | Programming II | 4 |
| EECS 330 | Data Structures and Algorithms | 4 |
| EECS 348 | Software Engineering I | 4 |
| EECS 388 | Embedded Systems | 4 |
| EECS 581 | Software Engineering II | 3 |
| EECS 678 | Introduction to Operating Systems | 4 |
| Required Cybersecurity Engineering Courses | ||
| EECS 465 | Cyber Defense | 3 |
| EECS 563 | Introduction to Communication Networks | 3 |
| EECS 565 | Introduction to Information and Computer Security | 3 |
| EECS 569 | Computer Forensics | 3 |
| EECS 677 | Advanced Software Security Evaluation | 3 |
| EECS 695 | Software Reverse Engineering | 3 |
| Capstone | ||
| EECS 592 | Cybersecurity Design (Fulfills KU Capstone) | 3 |
| Additional Math/Science Elective | ||
| CyE majors are required to complete an additional math or science course (3 credit hours). Select one course from either of the following categories: | 3 | |
| Natural Science: Any course fulfilling Core 34 NPS or NLEC with a minimum of 3 credit hours outside of the CyE Basic Science requirement. This must be in addition to Core 34: Natural and Physical Science requirement. | ||
| Math: Any MATH course numbered 200 and above that is not a degree requirement, except MATH 209, MATH 365, MATH 510, or MATH 526. | ||
| Cybersecurity Electives | ||
| CyE majors must choose 3 classes from the following list to fulfill CyE elective requirements. Under unusual circumstances, other courses can be considered, but only with an accompanying petition. | 9 | |
| Compiler Construction | ||
| Introduction to Network Security | ||
| Introduction to Hardware Security and Trust | ||
| Introduction to IoT Security (Same as EECS 700: IoT Security) | ||
| Mobile Security (Same as EECS 700: Mobile Security) | ||
| Special Topics: _____ (Biometric Authentication) | ||
| Software Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Cryptography and Computer Security | ||
| Special Topics: _____ (Business for Engineers) | ||
| Introduction to Cyber Intelligence | ||
| EECS Electives | ||
| Choose any 6 credit hours of EECS courses 400 or above, except EECS 498 and EECS 692. Only one of EECS 645 or EECS 643 may be used. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 126 | |
Curriculum Notes
Course Prerequisites and Corequisites
Students must pass (with an appropriate grade) all prerequisite courses for a given course before taking the subsequent course. If Course A is a Corequisite for Course B, Course A must be taken in the same semester as Course B or be completed prior to taking Course B.
Upper Level Eligibility
In addition to prerequisites and corequisites, EECS undergraduates are required to earn Upper Level Course Eligibility (ULE) by attaining grades of C- or better in each of the following 11 courses:
- EPHX 210
- MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 127, MATH 290
- EECS 101, EECS 140, EECS 168, EECS 210, EECS 268, EECS 348
Honors versions of the required course or otherwise accepted alternative (substitution) per the above degree requirements are also subject to this rule. If students earn less than a C- in any of the above listed courses, they must repeat the course at the next available opportunity and must not take a course for which that course is a prerequisite. It is the student's responsibility to contact their advisor before beginning the new semester regarding any required course retakes and the associated enrollment adjustments (drops and adds).
To enroll in any upper‑level EECS course beyond the ULE list, students must have fulfilled the Upper Level Eligibility Requirements detailed above. Exceptions: EECS 312, EECS 330, EECS 361, and EECS 388 may be taken in the same semester as students are completing their upper level eligibility. Students may also petition for a Partial Waiver of Upper Level Eligibility Requirements by completing the appropriate petition with their advisor, to be submitted to the EECS department.
Double Major
If students wish to double-major (earn two degrees), they must fulfill all the requirements for the degrees in question. They must also consult the Engineering Dean’s office and the department and/or school of the second major to find out if there are any additional requirements. If they wish to obtain two degrees offered by the EECS department, the following rule applies: a course that is required for one EECS degree program may not be used to satisfy a Senior Elective or General Elective requirement of another EECS degree program.
Enrollment in Graduate Courses
An undergraduate student may not enroll in an EECS course numbered 700-799 unless the student’s engineering GPA is 3.0 or higher. In addition, it is strongly recommended that the student have a grade of B or higher in each prerequisite course. Undergraduates may not enroll in courses numbered EECS courses 800 and above.
The recommended 4-year plan is listed below by semester to semester enrollment, but may vary according to existing credits.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EECS 101 | 1 | EECS 140 | 4 |
| EECS 168 | 4 | EECS 268 | 4 |
| MATH 125 (Core 34: Math & Statistics (SGE))030*** | 4 | MATH 126 | 4 |
| Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 | Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 |
| Core 34: Natural & Physical Sciences (SGE)040 | 4 | Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 3 |
| 16 | 18 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EECS 210 | 4 | EECS 330 | 4 |
| EECS 348 | 4 | EECS 388 | 4 |
| EPHX 210 (Core 34: Natural & Physical Sciences (SGE))040* | 3 | MATH 290 | 2 |
| MATH 127 | 4 | Core 34: U.S. Culture (SGE)070 | 3 |
| Core 34: Social & Behavioral Sciences (SGE)050 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EECS 461 | 3 | EECS 563 | 3 |
| EECS 465 | 3 | EECS 565 | 3 |
| EECS 678 | 4 | EECS Elective #1 | 3 |
| Core 34: Arts & Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | CyEn Elective #1 | 3 |
| Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | Core 34: Arts & Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EECS 569 | 3 | EECS 592 (Capstone) | 3 |
| EECS 581 | 3 | EECS 695 | 3 |
| EECS 677 | 3 | CyEn Elective #3 | 3 |
| EECS Elective #2 | 3 | Additional Math/Science ElectiveA | 3 |
| CyEn Elective #2 | 3 | Core 34: Social & Behavioral Sciences (SGE)050 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 126 | |||
- A
Additional Math/Science Elective: Any MATH course numbered 200 and above that is not a degree requirement, except MATH 209, MATH 365, and MATH 526. Natural Science: Any course designated Core 34: NLEC or Core 34: NPS beyond the CyE basic science requirements. This must be in addition to the Core 34: Natural & Physical Sciences requirement.
Notes:
* - This course is a Required major course and is also part of Core 34: Systemwide General Education. If this course is not taken to fulfill the Core 34:SGE requirement, it must be taken in place of elective hours.
** - This course is a Recommended Core 34: Systemwide General Education course. This specific course is not required but is recommended by the program’s faculty.
*** - This course is a Required Core 34: Systemwide General Education course. This program is approved by the Kansas Board of Regents to require this specific Core 34:Systemwide General Education course. If a student did not take this course it must be taken in addition to other degree requirements.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate strategies.
An undergraduate student may graduate with departmental honors in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or interdisciplinary computing by graduating with a minimum grade-point average requirement while maintaining full-time status. In addition, students must enroll in EECS 498 Honors Research for their last 2 semesters and must complete an independent research project paper and oral presentation to a panel of 3 judges. See the EECS Undergraduate Handbook for full details.