Cybersecurity is a multidisciplinary domain that involves technical issues, security policies, regulation, and law. Our integrated curriculum incorporates coursework from SCI and Pitt's School of Law and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). Our students develop comprehensive cybersecurity policies and strengthen cybersecurity ecosystems to minimize risk.
As part of the certificate’s multidisciplinary approach, the certificate requires courses to be taken from all three Pitt schools. Students must complete a minimum of three courses from SCI, one course from GSPIA, and one course from the School of Law to earn the certificate.
At A Glance
Credits: 15 Duration: 1 to 3 semesters to complete Format: On campus
Next Start Date: January 11
| Application Deadlines | |
|---|---|
| Term | All Students |
| Fall | July 15 |
| Spring | November 1 |
| Summer | March 15 |
Admissions Requirements
- Cybersecurity, Policy, and Law
The following are requirements and prerequisites for admission to the Cybersecurity, Policy, and Law program.
All applicants must submit:
- Official transcript
- Two letters of recommendation that attest to the applicant’s aptitude and motivation to pursue studies at a level beyond the bachelor’s or master’s degree
- Personal statement
- Resume
Students must have at least a BA or BS in Computer Science, Information Science, Engineering, or similar type of degree. Applicants must have successfully completed at least one three-credit college course with a grade of B or better in each of the following:
- Structured programming language: A course on structured programming using Java, C# or C++ is required. CMPINF 0401 - INTERMEDIATE PROGRAMMING is recommended to meet this requirement.
- Statistics: A course covering data collection, descriptive and inferential statistics is optimal. It should cover measures of central tendency and variability, regression, correlation, non-parametric analysis, probability and sampling, Bayesian analysis, significance tests, and hypothesis testing. Either STAT 0200 - BASIC APPLIED STATISTICS or STAT 1000 - APPLIED STATISTICAL METHODS is recommended to meet this requirement.
- Mathematics: A college-level mathematics course, in discrete mathematics or calculus, is required. Any of the following Pitt courses are recommended to meet the requirement: MATH 0120 - BUSINESS CALCULUS, MATH 0220 - ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS 1, or MATH 0400 - FINITE MATHEMATICS
Coursework
This 15 credit graduate certificate requires three courses to be taken from SCI, and one course each from GSPIA and the School of Law. View full Cybersecurity, Policy, and Law graduate certificate requirements in the Pitt Course Catalog.