MS in CS

Eight CS courses (32 credits) approved for graduate study are required. Of the eight courses required, five courses must fulfill the core program breadth requirements, with at least one in each of the following areas:

• Theory
• Systems
• Software
• Applications

The remaining courses can be fulfilled by any graduate-level CS course relating to cybersecurity.

Students are expected to achieve a grade of B- or better in all graduate level courses that count towards the 32 degree credit requirement. In addition, among the grades received for the five breadth courses, the number of grades of B– must not be greater than the number of grades of B+ or higher. No grade lower than B– may be used for graduate credit. 

Of the eight required courses for the MS CS degree, students must take five (breadth requirement) courses, three of which satisfy the CS core and two of which satisfy the Specialization requirements of the student’s CS program track.

The MS in CS Core Breadth Requirements must be satisfied by all students pursuing an MS in CS, inclusive of specialization. This core requirement covers the three areas of software, systems, and theory. Students can satisfy each area of the core with any graduate level CS course that is applicable. However, it is recommended that the CS core be satisfied with the courses that have been explicitly designed to form the core CS foundation for Master’s students, specifically:

• Software: GRS CS 611 *recommended*
• Theory: GRS CS 630 *recommended*
• Systems: A choice of:
  • CAS CS 551
  • CAS CS 552
  • CAS CS 561
  • GRS CS 651
  • GRS CS 654
  • GRS CS 655

Students wishing to satisfy a core area with a different course, other than the course recommended, have the option to do so with the approval of their CS advisor.

In addition to the three course CS Core requirement, students must complete at least two additional courses specific to their specialization.

Cybersecurity Track

Students who are in the Cybersecurity specialization track, should take at least two additional specialization core requirements offered in their area of specialization. The cyber security core specialization courses are:

• CAS CS 518 
• CAS CS 538 
• CAS CS 548 (CAS CS 538 is a prerequisite)
• CAS CS 558 
• CAS CS 568

The remaining three courses are fulfilled by any cyber security-related electives in the following departments:

• Graduate-level courses in the Department of Computer Science (CAS CS 500-599 or GRS CS 600-999)
• Graduate-level courses in other departments (with advisor approval):
  • Department of Mathematics & Statistics
  • College of Engineering
  • Questrom School of Business

Thesis

While not required for (non-PhD) students accepted into the Master’s Program. MS students have the option of augmenting their degree with a research-based thesis. A Master’s thesis is carried out with the approval of, and under the supervision of, a computing faculty or affiliated faculty member. Upon successful defense, Master’s theses are published with the BU libraries. Students pursuing a specialization are expected to pick a thesis topic that aligns with their specialization.

Please view our Admissions page on how to apply.

Cyber security students have the opportunity to work closely with Boston University’s Center for Reliable Information Systems & Cyber Security (RISCS), which promotes and coordinates research and education in system reliability and information security. The center has earned the University the distinction of being named a National Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education and Research by the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Even before creating a dedicated Cyber Security master’s program, Boston University’s Department of Computer Science achieved an impressive record for preparing computer scientists in cyber security by giving them the skills and training needed to address the unique challenges of this highly specialized field.

Lily Wong

Before finishing her BU degree in computer science, Lily Wong was already working as a software systems engineer at the MITRE Corporation in Bedford, Massachusetts. Since joining MITRE, Wong has supported the National Security Engineering Center with a number of key projects related to mobile computing, applied cognitive neuroscience, and 3D reconstruction.

In the summer before her senior year, Wong was an intern at MITRE, working with web services for mission planning. As an undergraduate, Wong also worked as a summer intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she served as assistant to the chief technology officer in researching new technologies. While there, she was a member of a team that assessed social media use at the center.

As a computer science student, Wong studied artificial intelligence, social network algorithms, networks, cryptography, and network security. Outside of class, she was a production assistant at BU’s Tsai Performance Center.

David Seidman

Most users of Microsoft products have encountered security updates or “patches” the software company pushes out each month. As a senior security program manager for Microsoft’s Security Response Center (MSRC), David Seidman ensures those security updates reach end-users in a timely manner to fix high-priority security incidents, such as active attacks using software vulnerabilities.

Seidman’s interest in computer science and cyber security began as an undergraduate computer science major at Boston University. Since joining Microsoft, Seidman has worked on solving security problems for a wide range of programs and applications. Prior to his role as a senior program manager for the MSRC, Seidman managed the development of Microsoft Office security updates and service packs. He has also been involved in projects to counter a number of high-visibility cyber security threats, including Stuxnet, the first publicly known military-grade computer virus allegedly produced by the United States and Israel to damage Iran’s nuclear refining capability; Flame, an alleged government spying virus; and multiple alleged targeted attacks by foreign governments against United States defense contractors. When Stuxnet was first analyzed by Microsoft, Seidman was attending a conference in Las Vegas, where he recalls learning about the virus’ capabilities in the conference room of a hotel suite. “I’ve never felt more like James Bond,” he recalls. “That is, if James Bond knew what a buffer overrun with heap spray and ROP chain was.”

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Seidman has a master’s degree in cognitive & neural systems, also from Boston University. When not putting out fires on the Internet and elsewhere for Microsoft, Seidman relaxes by training for triathlons, climbing mountains, practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and brewing his own beer.

Kyle Christopher Brogle

Kyle Brogle was well on his way to becoming a cyber security expert even as an undergraduate in computer science at BU. Working with Associate Professor Leonid Reyzin and Assistant Professor Sharon Goldberg, and collaborating with specialists at NIST and IETF, Brogle had the opportunity do pioneering work on BGPsec, a secure version of the BGP routing protocol that is in the process of becoming the standard for the Internet. (BGP, or Border Gateway Protocol, is the protocol used to make core routing decisions on the Internet. Most Internet service providers must use BGP to establish routing between one another.)

Brogle’s BGPsec research has included building BGPsec routing simulations in perl/python to observe the effect different BGPsec implementation parameters will have on router memory usage and CPU utilization. He also constructed a method to pack multiple routing prefixes into one BGPsec announcement in a way that allows for redaction of prefixes by routers along the path. Results of this work have been presented and discussed at BGPsec working group meetings around the world.

While at BU, Brogle was a leader developing the ACM BUILDS (BU Information Lab and Design Space) Workshop, a university-supported, on-campus collaborative “hackerspace” that gives computer science and engineering undergraduates the tools and resources they need to conduct advanced student-run technology projects. He also led BU’s BUILDS team to the finals in the CSAW cyber security “Capture the Flag” competition.

As an computer science undergraduate, Brogle co-authored a number of academic papers with computer science faculty members. He currently is pursuing an advanced degree in computer science with a focus on network and systems security/cryptography at Stanford University.