Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity

The Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity is a 12-credit undergraduate-level certificate designed to provide fundamental knowledge of information security concepts, cryptography, information and network security and computer systems security, as well as real-world practice with hand-on experiences in cyber defense. The purpose of this undergraduate certificate is to offer a credential that covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of cybersecurity to students who are currently pursuing baccalaureate work in the EECS department.

The entrance requirements for students entering the undergraduate certificate program in cybersecurity include: 

• Must be an undergraduate student in KU EECS department, AND
• Upper-level eligibility in KU EECS, AND
• KU cumulative GPA of 2.8 or better.

The certificate is not open to students enrolled in the Cybersecurity Engineering major.

Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Cybersecurity Core/Theory
EECS 563	Introduction to Communication Networks	3
EECS 565	Introduction to Information and Computer Security	3
Cybersecurity Core/Practice
EECS 465	Cyber Defense	3
Cybersecurity Elective Course
Select one course from the following:		3
EECS 569	Computer Forensics
EECS 665	Compiler Construction
EECS 666	Introduction to Network Security
EECS 677	Advanced Software Security Evaluation
EECS 683	Introduction to Hardware Security and Trust
EECS 685	Introduction to IoT Security
EECS 687	Mobile Security
EECS 695	Software Reverse Engineering
Total Hours		12

The Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity requires the completion of three core courses¹ and one elective course² at a total of 12 credit hours³.

Completion Requirements

The completion requirements to earn the certificate include:

• Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better in all certificate courses AND
• The minimum grade for any course to be applied toward the certificate is a grade of C.

Curriculum Notes

Note 1: Prerequisite and corequisite of three core courses include: EECS 140, EECS 168, EECS 268, EECS 348, EECS 388, EECS 461, and EECS 678.

Note 2: Under unusual circumstances other EECS 690 or EECS 700 security-related courses may be petitioned to satisfy elective requirement, subject to approval.

Note 3: For students who have been enrolled in the BSEE/CoE/CS/IC programs, all the credits obtained in the certification program will count toward the degree. For students who have enrolled in the BSEE/CoE/CS/IC programs, all the credits obtained before applying to the certificate will count toward the certificate.

Note 4: The certificate is not open to students enrolled in the Cybersecurity Engineering major.

At the completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Analyze a complex computing problem and apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
• Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program's discipline.
• Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
• Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
• Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.