2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog
Cybersecurity in Emerging Engineering Systems, Undergraduate Certificate
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The certificate includes courses in three focus areas: cybersecurity, systems, and artificial intelligence. In the first focus area, students are expected to study the essence of cybersecurity, different types of attacks on systems, and the available tools to secure systems. Students will explore emerging technologies in various engineering domains in the second focus area. No one solution fits all in cybersecurity since every system is unique in vulnerabilities, requirements, tools, and criticality. The second focus area will elaborate on system needs in one or more engineering contexts. In the third focus area, students will learn about artificial intelligence, which provides emerging tools enabling novel cybersecurity techniques.
Undergraduate students in SSoE from all departments can attain this certificate. The certification requires a total of five courses (15 credits) from the list of courses provided in the three different focus areas: cybersecurity (A1), systems (A2), and artificial intelligence (A3). Students seeking this certificate must choose at least two courses from A1 and one from each A2 and A3. As a capstone, a three-credit-hour project with a cybersecurity focus is required, which can be satisfied by a project-based course, internship/Co-Op, senior design project, or a faculty-guided research project/independent study course. At least nine credits beyond core courses required for a major should be taken to attain this certificate. |
Cybersecurity courses (choose at least two courses)
In the first focus area, students are expected to study the essence of cybersecurity and the available tools to secure systems. Students seeking this certificate are required to choose at least two courses from the list below, with at least one from
- ECE 1155: Information Security
- INFSCI 1049/INFSCI 2149: Introduction to Information Security
- INFSCI 1600: Security and Privacy
- LAW 5623: Cyber Policy, Crime, & National Security
Systems courses (choose one)
Students will explore emerging technologies in various engineering domains in the second focus area. No one solution fits all in cybersecurity since every system is unique (e.g., in vulnerabilities, requirements, tools, and criticality). The second focus area will elaborate on system needs in one or more engineering contexts. Students seeking this certificate should complete one course from the list below.
Artificial Intelligence courses (Choose one)
In this focus area, students will learn about artificial intelligence, which provides emerging tools for novel cybersecurity techniques. Students choose one course from the following list.
Note: The special topics course included in the list (ECE 2195: Special Topics - Machine Learning) should be in artificial intelligence/machine learning.
Capstone Experience
At least one three-credit hour project with a focus on cybersecurity is required. The project is expected to combine the three focus areas. For example, a project concentrates on the cybersecurity of one engineering system and applies tools of artificial intelligence to address a cybersecurity problem. Other projects with a cybersecurity focus can also be accepted. The project can be achieved by
- A project-based course such as ENGR 2811, ME 2812
- Senior design project with a major cybersecurity component.
- Semester-long project, independent study/faculty-guided research project with a major cybersecurity component.
- Internship or Co-op where the intern’s work focuses on cybersecurity.
Students should prepare a description of the project, approved by the direct project supervisor, and send it to the certificate coordinator to request to have the project counted toward the certificate. The description should explain the cybersecurity aspects of the project. |
