Skip to main content

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program prepares students for rewarding careers in one of the fastest growing areas of information technology. Students will learn both the theory and practice of cybersecurity, including how to protect and defend systems, identify and handle security incidents, and manage risks. Practical hands-on activities on local systems and in the cloud will be included in most courses.

Northern Kentucky University has a reputation for excellence in cybersecurity education and is a DHS/NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

 


picture of Robert Rundle

Student Spotlight

Robert Ruska
MS in Cybersecurity Student, NKU
"My deep interest in Cybersecurity stems from my time in the U.S. Army. The military gave me the intent and determination to serve the nation in such a critical field, where there is a serious workforce shortage. I have been gaining the exposure and experience to various IT topics by doing research as an undergraduate student with a NKU professor. This has contributed tremendously to me furthering my education by pursuing a master’s degree in Cybersecurity. 

With the growing number of cyber threats facing individuals, organizations, and governments, Cybersecurity protects these entities against the criminal or the unauthorized use of data along with the measures taken to achieve this. Trusting technology is an asset and therefore I want people to understand that they can be protected from these real-world cyber threats. I am excited to be a part of the M.S. in Cybersecurity program and to continue my journey in developing the in-demand technical competencies that are needed in network security and risk management."

cq-text-component-placeholder

 

CAREER PATHS

The MS in Cybersecurity graduates career options include Cloud Security Analyst/Administrator, Cybersecurity Analyst, Information Security Analyst,  Vulnerability Analyst/Penetration Tester and Incident Analyst. 


cq-text-component-placeholder
cq-text-component-placeholder

Program Leadership

Photo of Yi Hu

Wei Hao, Ph.D.

Professor
Director, MS in Cybersecurity Program

GH 518
859-572-5659
haow1@nku.edu

Bio

Academic

I am an Associate Professor of Computer Science and the Program Director of the Master of Science in Computer Science. I came to NKU in August 2008 from Cisco Systems in San Jose, California, where I worked as a software engineer. I also worked for Motorola and Alcatel, where I co-invented a patent.

I earned my PhD in Computer Science from University of Texas at Dallas in 2007. I have 38 peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals and conference proceedings. My research interests include Web Technologies, Cloud Computing, and Mobile Computing. I won the Faculty Excellent Performance in Scholarly or Creative Activity Award from NKU in 2012. I teach a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science and computer information technology. I have co-authored a book titled Internet Infrastructure with Dr. Richard Fox.