The objective of the Master in Cybersecurity is to reduce the cybersecurity skills shortage and prepare IT professionals, such as project/product managers, software developers, software engineers, to take up a managerial or a technical career in cybersecurity. To achieve this objective, we developed a portfolio of new modules, whose content is shaped according to the current demand for cybersecurity skills in industry. The curriculum is aligned with the ACM/IEEE/AIS SIGSEC/IFIP Cybersecurity Curricular Guidelines so that it will prepare students to take a variety of cyber security roles, including some modules for professionals seeking to take a managerial role in security. The creation of cybersecurity skills that enterprises need will have a positive impact on the growth of the Irish IT sector and it is aligned with the HCI Pillar 3 goals.
This programme will be part of the ADVANCE centre (https://advancecentre.ie/) that aims to upskill professional learners through flexible study options. It is designed to facilitate professional learners through flexible blended study. Lectures will be delivered online and will be complemented by face-to-face, intensive full-day tutorials that will typically be delivered monthly. The combination of mainly distance but with some on-campus days allows flexible learning but with face-to-face interactions. Although students will be encouraged to attend these days on campus, online alternatives will also be available for those that cannot attend. Students will also be required to attend UCD for one or two days at the end of each trimester to take exams in the modules taken that trimester.
During the last two trimesters of the programme, students have the option of undertaking a significant academic or industry project co-supervised respectively by an academic or a practitioners. Alternatively, students can take three 5 credit modules (Ethical Hacking, Malware Analysis, and Trends in Security) and work on a case study project, which usually does not require the development of a software artifact. In developing the programme we have collaborated with industry and law enforcement practitioners – in particular the Leadership in Security and the Incident Response modules – to ensure that these modules meet the needs of industry. We have also collaborated with members of staff based at the UCD School of Law and the Smurfit Business School for the design of the Privacy and Regulatory Compliance and the Risk Assessment modules.
The Master in Cybersecurity is aligned with the strategic plan of the School of Computer Science to expand its presence in the cybersecurity domain and potentially create and lead a national cybersecurity centre. The blended delivery of the programme and the competitive fees will help the school of Computer Science increase the number of recruited international students. Our close collaboration with industry and law enforcement practitioners for the design and delivery of some of the modules of the programme will strengthen the links of the School of Computer Science with industry. Finally, the interaction with members of staff from the School of Law and the Smurfit Business School for the design of some of the modules of the programme will have the potential to increase collaborations between the College of Science, the College of Business and the School of Law.
