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Center for Cybersecurity Education

Undergraduate & Graduate Programs

For students seeking a broad technology degree program with cybersecurity built in, the BS in Information Technology & Informatics provides a transformative interdisciplinary program distinct from computer science and management information systems. This degree program focuses on a broad base of computer-related skills and experiences including programming, data management, networking, mobile systems, ethics, and security. 

The BS in Computer Information Systems focuses largely on using computers to manage information in a business environment. It’s aimed at students who want to work in system analysis, business database management, and web or mobile application programming. Students can customize their CIS degree with cybersecurity courses as electives to enhance information systems with cybersecurity expertise.

The BS in Cybersecurity program curriculum emphasizes building your relevant experience through project-based learning, competency-based assessments, and other innovative approaches to teaching and learning. While focusing on developing cybersecurity, computing, and programming expertise, the program coursework grounds you in the important aspects of a traditional liberal arts education such as analytical reasoning, effective communication, critical thinking, collaboration, cultural awareness, and self-directed learning. The Master of Science (MS) in Cybersecurity empowers you with the technical training, competencies, and specialized expertise to pursue a new or advanced career in the rapidly growing cybersecurity field. Finally, for students interested in combining their BS and MS degrees (with a variety of benefits!) we offer a joint BS/MS program.

Automotive Cybersecurity Education

Top Center: Sensing layer and signal icon surrounded by two arrows pointing inward Chat icon and Feedback layer surrounded by two arrows pointing outward. A real-looking vehicle is on left, a sketched vehicle is on right. They are pointing inward. Above the left vehicle is Physical space and Physical input is to the left with an arrow pointing at the vehicle. Beneath this car is a box. Systems - four icons, labeled In Vehicle Network, Sensors, External Network, and Driving Systems. The car on the right says digital space above and network input to the right with an arrow pointing towards it. The box below says Modules. there iis a computer-with-brain icon labelled Perceptive Cognitive Layer between the two boxes and pointing at this Modules box. All four icons are repeated in this box with the addition of a fifth icon representing two gears and arrows completing a circuit between them. to the right is an icon of a person with an arrow pointing towards the Modules box labeled Cybersecurity SME.
Top Center: Sensing layer and signal icon surrounded by two arrows pointing inward Chat icon and Feedback layer surrounded by two arrows pointing outward. A real-looking vehicle is on left, a sketched vehicle is on right. They are pointing inward. Above the left vehicle is Physical space and Physical input is to the left with an arrow pointing at the vehicle. Beneath this car is a box. Systems - four icons, labeled In Vehicle Network, Sensors, External Network, and Driving Systems. The car on the right says digital space above and network input to the right with an arrow pointing towards it. The box below says Modules. there iis a computer-with-brain icon labelled Perceptive Cognitive Layer between the two boxes and pointing at this Modules box. All four icons are repeated in this box with the addition of a fifth icon representing two gears and arrows completing a circuit between them. to the right is an icon of a person with an arrow pointing towards the Modules box labeled Cybersecurity SME.
Top Center: Sensing layer and signal icon surrounded by two arrows pointing inward Chat icon and Feedback layer surrounded by two arrows pointing outward. A real-looking vehicle is on left, a sketched vehicle is on right. They are pointing inward. Above the left vehicle is Physical space and Physical input is to the left with an arrow pointing at the vehicle. Beneath this car is a box. Systems - four icons, labeled In Vehicle Network, Sensors, External Network, and Driving Systems. The car on the right says digital space above and network input to the right with an arrow pointing towards it. The box below says Modules. there iis a computer-with-brain icon labelled Perceptive Cognitive Layer between the two boxes and pointing at this Modules box. All four icons are repeated in this box with the addition of a fifth icon representing two gears and arrows completing a circuit between them. to the right is an icon of a person with an arrow pointing towards the Modules box labeled Cybersecurity SME.

Training and recruiting cybersecurity is one of the most pressing issues in workforce development today. Our research group is developing various tools such as virtual ‘digital twins’ and a visual question-answer system to teach the complexity of interdisciplinary subjects such as cybersecurity in automobiles. This process will enable students to have a VR experience of the complex ways that IoT sensors, the driving systems, and the networks of systems and software in and out of the vehicle interact in a physical vehicle.

In summary, using neurosymbolic logic, AI, and the flipped classroom, we’re working to redesign classes from the ground up, starting with a new offering in automotive cybersecurity. The class will feature hands-on exercises on a real car system’s digital twin and offer 24/7 assistance with a chatbot based on a large language model like chatGPT.

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