Cybersecurity Concentration
The University of Tampa MBA cybersecurity concentration prepares students for careers in the cybersecurity industry while providing a strong and comprehensive business education. For the concentration, students take 12 credit hours of courses beyond the MBA requirements.
Several courses are designed to cover the top professional certifications in the industry. As a benefit of the cybersecurity concentration, graduates will find themselves well prepared to take many of these certification exams.
The objectives of the cybersecurity concentration are to equip students with strong information security knowledge beyond the core MBA courses. With such knowledge, graduates will be able to successfully defend and protect information assets for any business regardless of industry.
Other cybersecurity graduate programs are available. Students may consider a full Master of Science in Cybersecurity or a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity.
Concentration Requirements
Cybersecurity Prerequisite Course
- CYB 501 Fundamentals of Information Security (4 credit hours)
Note: To waive the CYB 501 course students must earn a "B" grade or better in qualification courses in programming fundamentals, networking, and information security principles.
Professional Certifications and Work Experience Substitutes
Candidates may use certifications and work experience to substitute for the required cybersecurity prerequisite course. Each substitute will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Certifications: Professional certifications can be used to substitute the cybersecurity prerequisite course. Each certification must be verifiable. The Cybersecurity Program Director will maintain a list of acceptable certifications. A combination of certifications must cover the areas of programming, networking, and cybersecurity. Below are examples of some acceptable substitutions for the required cybersecurity prerequisite course.
- Programming language or application development certification (e.g. C/C++, Python, Java, Visual Basic, MCSD).
- A networking certification (e.g. Network+, CCNA, CCNP).
- A security certification (e.g. Security+, SSCP, CISA, CISM, CISSP, GIAC Security Essentials).
Work Experience: Professional work experience may be used as a substitute for the required cybersecurity prerequisite course. The work experience must be full-time, paid, within the last ten years, directly relate to the substituted course and be verifiable. At least two years of full-time work experience is necessary to substitute for the specific course. To be verifiable, the experience must be described on a document from an employee's place of work as part of the candidate's admission package.
Requirements List
For the required MBA decision analysis elective, choose one of the following:
| ITM 615 | Data Mining for Business | 4 |
| QMB 612 | Decision Modeling and Analysis | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Three of the following:
| CYB 601 | Computer and Internet Security | 4 |
| CYB 610 | Cloud Systems Security | 4 |
| CYB 620 | Risk Assessment & Contingency Planning | 4 |
| CYB 630 | Incident Response Management | 4 |
| CYB 635 | Cybersecurity Analytics | 4 |
| CYB 640 | Secure Software Design | 4 |
| CYB 650 | Security Governance & Leadership | 4 |
| CYB 660 | Penetration Testing | 4 |
| CYB 670 | Cybersecurity Research Seminar | 4 |
| CYB 695 | Special Topics in Cybersecurity | 4 |
| CYB 699 | Independent Study in Cybersecurity | 1-8 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Prerequisites may be required.
Total Credit Hours: 16-20