The collaboration of professors and technology results in a delivery system that upholds rigorous academic standards while remaining adaptable and attentive to the unique needs of each student.
Our Computer Science Master's program, with a concentration in Cybersecurity, embraces a time and space-independent approach.
No on-campus presence at JMU is necessary, as all courses are conducted asynchronously online. In addition to course materials, students can access interactive discussion forums, realistic online labs, and engaging virtual classrooms.
Our program requires 33 credit hours of graduate coursework. Students can expect to complete the program in five semesters, including one summer course, if the cohort-based schedule of two courses per semester is followed.
Students may be required to take one or more of the following preparatory courses, depending on their background:
- Object Oriented Programming
- Computer Organization
- Data Structures
- Discrete Mathematics
Courses may be taken, with prior approval, at a local college or university.
While not required, a thesis is encouraged. Students opting not to complete a thesis must take a comprehensive exam at the end of their fourth semester. In addition, all students must demonstrate course competency by completing a final exam for each course at the end of each semester.
Thesis Option
Students complete the thesis option during their final two program terms. Students register for CS 700 (Thesis) during one term when they propose and conduct research. During a second term students finalize and defend their thesis. Students completing the thesis option do not take a comprehensive examination and they do not need to take Special Topics courses (CS 685).
Non-Thesis Option
Students who choose to complete the non-thesis option complete a Comprehensive Exam during their final fall semester that will demonstrate their knowledge of operating systems, network security, cryptography, and forensics. This exam may be repeated during the final spring semester if necessary. Students choosing this option also complete CS 685, Special Topics in Information Security, during both their final fall and spring semesters.
