Online Master of Science in Computer Information Systems Concentration in Security
The MS in Computer Information Systems concentration in Security provides in-depth knowledge of emerging security threats and solutions to prepare technical leaders to identify, develop, and implement highly secure systems and networks that support organizational goals. Graduates are prepared for careers as information security analysts, system analysts, or information system leaders, among others.
Students who complete the MSCIS degree concentration in Security will be able to demonstrate:
- Advanced knowledge of information security concepts, governance, biometric systems, and database systems security, as well as network security and cryptography.
- Proficiency in risk management, such as asset assessments, architectural solutions, modeling, and design.
- Competence in security policies, processes, technology, and operations.
Awards & Accreditations
Newsweek magazine ranked Boston University’s online programs #4 in the nation in its 2023 survey.
Certified by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS)
Why Choose BU’s Master of Computer Information Systems?
- In 2024, the MSCIS ranked #8 among the Best Online Master's in Computer Information Technology Programs (U.S. News & World Report).
- The MSCIS program is certified by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNNS) through the National Security Agency’s INFOSEC Education and Training Program.
- Boston University is recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education and Research.
- Students benefit from a supportive online network, with courses developed and taught by PhD-level full-time faculty and professionals with hands-on expertise in the industry.
- Small course sections ensure that students get the attention they need, while case studies and real-world projects ensure that they gain in-depth, practical experience with the latest technologies.
Meet Dr. Suresh Kalathur, one of the faculty members you’ll work with in the Computer Information Systems program.
Career Outlook
Computer and Information Systems Managers
10% increase in jobs through 2029
$146,360 median annual pay in 2019
Computer and Information Research Scientists
15% increase in jobs through 2029
$122,840 median annual pay in 2019
Information Security Analysts
31% increase in jobs through 2029
$99,730 median annual pay in 2019
Computer Systems Analysts
7% increase in jobs through 2029
$90,920 median annual pay in 2019
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
4% increase in jobs through 2029
$83,510 median annual pay in 2019
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2020
Best Technology Jobs, 2024 U.S. News & World Report
- #1 Software Developer
- #2 IT Manager
- #3 Information Security Analyst
- #4 Data Scientist
- #5 Web Developer
- #6 Computer Systems Analyst
- #7 Computer Network Architect
- #8 Database Administrator
- #9 Computer Support Specialist
- #10 Computer Systems Administrator
- #11 Computer Programmer
Cybersecurity postings grew 91% from 2010 to 2014. This growth rate was faster than IT jobs generally.
The fastest increases in demand for cybersecurity workers were in industries managing increasing volumes of consumer data such as Finance (+137% over the last five years), Health Care (+121%), and Retail Trade (+89%).
Burning Glass Technologies Job Market Intelligence: Cybersecurity Jobs, 2015
Tuition & Financial Assistance
Money Matters
Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) offers competitive tuition rates that meet the needs of part-time students seeking an affordable education. These rates are substantially lower than those of the traditional, full-time residential programs yet provide access to the same high-quality BU education. To learn more about current tuition rates, visit the MET website.
Financial Assistance
Comprehensive financial assistance services are available at MET, including scholarships, graduate loans, and payment plans. There is no cost to apply for financial assistance, and you may qualify for a student loan regardless of your income. Learn more.
Curriculum
The online Master of Science in Computer Information Systems consists of ten courses (40 credits).
Courses
Students pursuing the concentration in Security must complete the following courses:
Core Courses
(Five courses/20 credits)
METCS625 Business Data Communication and Networks
Undergraduate Prerequisites: On Campus Prerequisites: MET CS 200 Fundamentals of Information Techno logy. Or instructor^s consent. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: Restrictions: MS CIS only. This course may not be taken in conjunction with CS 425 (undergraduate) or CS 535. Only CS 535 or CS 625 can be c ounted towards degree requirements. - This course presents the foundations of data communications and takes a bottom-up approach to computer networks. The course concludes with an overview of basic network security and management concepts. Prereq: MET CS 200, or instructor's consent. This course may not be taken in conjunction with MET CS 425 (undergraduate) or MET CS 535. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. [4 credits]
METCS669 Database Design and Implementation for Business
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Restrictions: Only for MS CIS. This course may not be taken in conjunc tion with MET CS 469 (undergraduate) or MET CS 579. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. - Students learn the latest relational and object-relational tools and techniques for persistent data and object modeling and management. Students gain extensive hands- on experience using Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server as they learn the Structured Query Language (SQL) and design and implement databases. Students design and implement a database system as a term project. Restrictions: This course may not be taken in conjunction with MET CS 469 (undergraduate) or MET CS 579. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. [4 credits]
METCS682 Information Systems Analysis and Design
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Basic programming knowledge or instructor's consent. - Object-oriented methods of information systems analysis and design for organizations with data- processing needs. System feasibility; requirements analysis; database utilization; Unified Modeling Language; software system architecture, design, and implementation, management; project control; and systems-level testing. Prerequisite: Basic programming knowledge or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
METCS782 IT Strategy and Management
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Restrictions: Only for MS CIS students. - This course describes and compares contemporary and emerging information technology and its management. Students learn how to identify information technologies of strategic value to their organizations and how to manage their implementation. The course highlights the application of I.T. to business needs. CS 782 is at the advanced Masters (700) level, and it assumes that students understand IT systems at the level of CS 682 Systems Analysis and Design. Students who haven't completed CS 682 should contact their instructor to determine if they are adequately prepared. Prereq: MET CS 682, or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
And one of the following*:
METCS520 Information Structures with Java
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Prerequisites: MET CS 201, Introduction to Programming (On Campus and Blended); MET CS 200, Fundamentals of Information Technology (Online O nly) - This course covers the concepts of object-oriented approach to software design and development using the Java programming language. It includes a detailed discussion of programming concepts starting with the fundamentals of data types, control structures methods, classes, applets, arrays and strings, and proceeding to advanced topics such as inheritance and polymorphism, interfaces, creating user interfaces, exceptions, and streams. Upon completion of this course the students will be able to apply software engineering criteria to design and implement Java applications that are secure, robust, and scalable. Prereq: MET CS 200 or MET CS 300 or Instructor's Consent. Not recommended for students without a programming background. For undergraduate students: This course may not be taken in conjunction with METCS232. Only one of these courses can be counted towards degree requirements. [4 credits]
METCS521 Information Structures with Python
This course covers the concepts of the object-oriented approach to software design and development using Python. It includes a detailed discussion of programming concepts starting with the fundamentals of data types, control structures methods, classes, arrays and strings, and proceeding to advanced topics such as inheritance and polymorphism, creating user interfaces, exceptions and streams. Upon completion of this course students will be able to apply software engineering principles to design and implement Python applications that can be used in with analytics and big data. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Creativity/Innovation, Critical Thinking.
Prerequisite: Programming experience in any language. Or Instructor's consent. [4 credits]
*If a student chooses to take both MET CS 520 and MET CS 521, the first course completed will fulfill the core requirement and the second course completed will count as an elective.
Students who have completed courses on core curriculum subjects as part of their undergraduate degree program or have relevant work-related experience may request permission from the Department of Computer Science to replace the corresponding core courses with graduate-level computer information systems electives. Please refer to the MET CS Academic Policies Manual for further details.
Concentration Requirements
(Five courses/20 credits)
METCS546 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Academic background that includes the material covered in a standard c ourse on college algebra. - The goal of this course is to provide students with the mathematical fundamentals required for successful quantitative analysis of problems. The first part of the course introduces the mathematical prerequisites for understanding probability and statistics. Topics include combinatorial mathematics, functions, and the fundamentals of differentiation and integration. The second part of the course concentrates on the study of elementary probability theory, discrete and continuous distributions. Prereq: Academic background that includes the material covered in a standard course on college algebra or instructor's consent. For undergraduate students: This course may not be taken in conjunction with MET MA 213, only one of these courses will count toward degree program requirements. Students who have taken MET MA 113 as well as MET MA 123 will also not be allowed to count MET CS 546 towards degree requirements. [4 credits]
METCS684 Enterprise Cybersecurity Management
This course covers important topics that students need to understand in order to effectively manage a successful cybersecurity and privacy program, including governance, risk management, asset classification and incidence response. Students are first introduced to cybersecurity & privacy policy frameworks, governance, standards, and strategy. Risk tolerance is critical when building a cybersecurity and privacy program that supports business goals and strategies. Risk management fundamentals and assessment processes will be reviewed in depth including the methodology for identifying, quantifying, mitigating and controlling risks. Asset classification and the importance of protecting Intellectual Property (IP) will prepare students to understand and identify protection mechanisms needed to defend against malicious actors, including industry competitors and nation states. Incident Response programs will cover preparation and responses necessary to triage incidents and respond quickly to limit damage from malicious actors. [4 credits]
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS625) or instructor's consent - This course introduces fundamental concepts, principles of cybersecurity and their use in the development of security mechanisms and policies. Topics include basic risk assessment and management; basic legal and ethics issues, various cyber attacks, defense methods and tools; security principles, models and components; different crypto protocols, techniques and tools, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms, hashing, public key infrastructure, and how they can be used; security threats and defense to hardware, operating systems, networks and applications in modern computing environments. Hands-on labs using current tools are provided and required. Prerequisite: METCS535 or METCS625 or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
And two courses selected from the following:
METCS674 Database Security
Graduate Prerequisites: CS 579 or CS 669 or consent of the instructor - The course provides a strong foundation in database security and auditing. This course utilizes Oracle scenarios and step-by-step examples. The following topics are covered: security, profiles, password policies, privileges and roles, Virtual Private Databases, and auditing. The course also covers advanced topics such as SQL injection, database management security issues such as securing the DBMS, enforcing access controls, and related issues. Prereq: MET CS 579 or MET CS 669; or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
METCS690 Network Security
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (METCS535 OR METCS625) or instructor's consent. - This course will cover advanced network security issues and solutions. The main focus on the first part of the course will be on Security basics, i.e. security services, access controls, vulnerabilities, threats and risk, network architectures and attacks. In the second part of the course, particular focus and emphasis will be given to network security capabilities and mechanisms (Access Control on wire-line and wireless networks), IPsec, Firewalls, Deep Packet Inspection and Transport security. The final portion of the course will address Network Application security (Email, Ad-hoc, XML/SAML and Services Oriented Architecture security. As part of our course review we will explore a number of Network Use Cases. Prereq: MET CS 535 or MET CS 625; Familiarity with OSI and TCP/IP protocol stack; Background-familiarity with binary numbers, prime numbers, binary- hexadecimal-decimal conversions, etc; Familiarity with computer programming concepts; or instructor's consent. [4 credits]
METCS693 Digital Forensics and Investigations
Provides a comprehensive understanding of digital forensics and investigation tools and techniques. Learn what computer forensics and investigation is as a profession and gain an understanding of the overall investigative process. Operating system architectures and disk structures are discussed. Studies how to set up an investigator's office and laboratory, as well as what computer forensic hardware and software tools are available. Other topics covered include importance of digital evidence controls and how to process crime and incident scenes, details of data acquisition, computer forensic analysis, e-mail investigations, image file recovery, investigative report writing, and expert witness requirements. Provides a range of laboratory and hands-on assignments either in solo or in teams. With rapid growth of computer systems and digital data this area has grown in importance. Prereq: Working knowledge of windows computers, including installing and removing software. Access to a PC meeting the minimum system requirements defined in the course syllabus. [4 credits]
METCS694 Mobile Forensics and Security
Overview of mobile forensics investigation techniques and tools. Topics include mobile forensics procedures and principles, related legal issues, mobile platform internals, bypassing passcode, rooting or jailbreaking process, logical and physical acquisition, data recovery and analysis, and reporting. Provides in-depth coverage of both iOS and Android platforms. Laboratory and hands-on exercises using current tools are provided and required. [4 credits]
Admission & Prerequisite Information
Admissions
Visit the Metropolitan College Graduate application page to learn more and apply.
Prerequisites
Applicants are not required to have a degree in computer science for entry to a program within the Department of Computer Science. Upon review of your application, the department will determine if the completion of prerequisite coursework will be required, based on your academic and professional background. The following prerequisite courses may be
METCS200 Introduction to Computer Information Systems
This course is a technically-oriented introductory survey of information technology. Students learn about basic computer information, different types of business systems and basic systems analysis, design and development. Students also study basic mathematics, software development and create simple Java programs. [4 credits]
A maximum of two graduate-level courses (8 credits) taken at Metropolitan College before acceptance into the program may be applied towards the degree.
Eric Braude
Associate Professor and Director of Digital Learning, Computer Science
PhD, Columbia University; MS, University of Miami; MS, University of Illinois; BS, University of Natal (South Africa)
Lou Chitkushev
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs; Associate Professor, Computer Science; Director, Health Informatics and Health Sciences
PhD, Boston University; MS, Medical College of Virginia; MS, BS, University of Belgrade
John Day
Lecturer, Computer Science
MSEE, BSEE, University of Illinois
View all Faculty
Stu Jacobs
Lecturer, Computer Science
MS, Southern Connecticut State University; BS, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Suresh Kalathur
Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Director, Analytics
PhD, Brandeis University; MS, Indian Institute of Technology; BS, Regional Engineering College (Warangal, India)
Vijay Kanabar, PMP
Associate Professor, Computer Science and Administrative Sciences; Director, Project Management
PhD, University of Manitoba (Canada); MS, Florida Institute of Technology; MBA, Webber College; BS, University of Madras (India)
Jae Young Lee
Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Coordinator, Databases
PhD, MS, University of Texas at Arlington; BS, Seoul National University (Korea)
Robert Schudy
Associate Professor, Computer Science
PhD, MS, University of Rochester; BA, University of California San Diego
Victor Shtern
Associate Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
PhD, Leningrad Aluminum Institute (Russia); MS, Leningrad Institute of Technology; MBA, Boston University
Anatoly Temkin
Assistant Professor Emeritus, Computer Science
PhD, Kazan University (Russia); MS, Moscow University
Guanglan Zhang
Associate Professor and Chair, Computer Science; Coordinator, Health Informatics
PhD, MEng, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; BS, Luoyang Institute of Technology
Yuting Zhang
Assistant Professor, Computer Science; Coordinator, Information Security
PhD, Boston University; MS, BS University of Science and Technology Beijing
Tanya Zlateva
Dean, Metropolitan College; Professor of the Practice, Computer Science and Education; Director, Information Security
PhD, Dresden University of Technology (Germany); MS, Dresden University of Technology; BS, Dresden University of Technology
Getting Started
To learn more or to contact an enrollment advisor before you get started, request information using the button below and tell us a little about yourself. Someone will be in touch to answer any questions you may have about the program and detail the next steps in earning your degree. You can also start your application or register for a course at Metropolitan College.