The certificate provides a strong technical foundation balanced by nontechnical content in cyber policy, law, ethics, and social engineering. The inter-disciplinary nature aligns with the cybersecurity definition given by the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Cybersecurity Education: “computing-based discipline involving technology, people, information and processes to enable assured operations in the context of adversaries. Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary course of study, including aspects of law, policy, human factors, ethics, and risk management in the context of adversaries.”
The content taught in the required courses will cover each of the eight knowledge areas for cybersecurity as defined by JTF: data security, software security, component security, connection security, system security, human security, organizational security, and societal security. This certificate is open to any undergraduate major at Bowie State University who meet the prerequisite, or anyone from outside who is looking to reskill.
The prerequisites or equivalent needed for the Cybersecurity Certificate program, for students coming in from outside the Computer Science major are:
1. COSC 112 Computer Science I (4 credits)
2. COSC 113 Computer Science II (4 credits)
3. COSC 214 Data Structures and Algorithms (4 credits)
4. COSC 284 Computer Architecture and Organization
Students with programming experience may request a waiver of the COSC 112,113, and 214.
