Programs of Study
Cybersecurity Systems Curriculum
Welcome to the Program of Study (POS) page for the Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) at our institution. Our POS is meticulously designed to provide students with a comprehensive and hands-on education in the field of cybersecurity. Through a well-structured curriculum, practical experiences and cutting-edge projects, we prepare our students to become the cybersecurity leaders of tomorrow.
Our CAE-CD POS is built upon three foundational pillars: Career Exploration, Internship Opportunities and the Senior Practicum. Each component is strategically crafted to equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in the dynamic and critical field of cybersecurity.
Explore our POS to understand how our program can shape your path towards a rewarding and impactful career in cybersecurity.
Preparing students to successfully enter the working world is a fundamental part of the CSEC program. As a part of that preparation, the CSEC curriculum incorporates three professional development methods to assist students in becoming leaders in their fields.
Career Exploration
The CSEC curriculum exposes and focuses the student on the various types of jobs that exist in the cybersecurity domain through six specialized courses. These courses include topics ranging from Foundations of Cybersecurity, Law and Ethics in Cybersecurity, Risk Analysis and Policy Development and Organization Security Management. As students progress through the CSEC program, they broaden their understanding of their career options first-hand from guest speakers, who are currently working in the field, along with real-world case studies involving cybersecurity. Students further enhance their understanding of the cybersecurity domain by participating in student clubs and attending numerous seminars and conferences that are available throughout the San Antonio area.
Internship
Building on the skills and information gained from the career exploration activities, students engage in practical work experience through a monitored work experience with an employer in tasks related to the practice of cybersecurity. Options for internships include local businesses or industry or government groups involved in the areas of the student's chosen interest in the U.S. or abroad. Students must obtain an internship before registering for this course and register with UIW Career Services; therefore, coordination and planning is required.
Additional class assignments include:
- Class discussions on student experiences with their ongoing internship
- Developing and presenting professional elevator pitches
- Explore options for the senior capstone project
- Brief technical report on internship experience
Senior Practicum
This course is the culmination of students’ CSEC learning and is generally taken the final semester of the curriculum. The CSEC practicum allows students to put their skills, knowledge and experiences to work in creating a working solution or functional prototype that addresses a cybersecurity-relevant challenge. Students who successfully complete this project demonstrate their readiness to enter and compete in the workforce as a cybersecurity professional.
Examples of previous capstone projects include:
- An automated penetration testing computer system
- A lightweight firewall proxy server using Raspberry Pi
- Home automation with security monitoring capabilities
- Biometric identification and authentication trade space analysis and demonstration
- Bluetooth device authentication and integration for domain level access control