Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate Programs

The Graduate Certificate of Cyber Defense will educate students in the areas most important to securing any organization. It will include an overview of computer security infrastructure, delineating both the existing threats, and those emerging from social media, the Internet of Things, and threats to basic infrastructure. Network security will be covered including firewalls, Virtual Private Networks, and securing wireless networks. Multiple layers of the network will be covered, include deep-packet inspection. Intrusion prevention, detection, analysis, and recovery will also be addressed from both a host and network point of view.

The Graduate Certificate of Cyber Defense is a stackable program. Graduate credits earned in this certificate program may count toward the Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree (CYBM) at MSU Denver.

Required Courses for the Graduate Certificate of Cyber Defense:

• CYBM 5020: Cybersecurity Infrastructure (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5021: Network and Internet Security (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5022: Intrusion Detection and Prevention (3 credit hours)

Total Required Credits: 9

The Graduate Certificate of Cybersecurity Leadership aims to provide technology leaders with a deep understanding of cyber security’s impact on digital life, and to empower cyber security leaders with tools for safer and more productive working environments. Students will acquire a global perspective on cyber security and information security topics. The integrated learning experience will allow students to advance in your professional area, and cooperate with others with diverse backgrounds from technology, business, and law enforcement.

The Graduate Certificate of Cybersecurity Leadership is a stackable program. Graduate credits earned in this certificate program may count toward the Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree at MSU Denver.

Required Courses for the Graduate Certificate of Cybersecurity Leadership:

• CYBM 5205: Information Systems Strategy and Planning  (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5242: Security Risk Analysis and Risk Management (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5248: Information Assurance (3 credit hours)

Total Required Credits: 9

The Graduate Certificate of Cybercrime Investigation will prepare students to excel and advance in a field with increasingly complex challenges. This graduate level certificate is an introduction to the fundamental concepts behind the collection and analysis of the digital evidence left behind in a digital crime scene.  The courses will include cybersecurity infrastructure, investigations, cybercriminology and computer and mobile device forensics. MSU Denver’s Graduate Certificate of Cybercrime Investigation is an interdisciplinary certificate that combines the Departments of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics, and Computer Sciences.

The Graduate Certificate of Cybercrime Investigation is a stackable program. Graduate credits earned in this certificate program may count toward the Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree at MSU Denver.

Required Courses for the Graduate Certificate of Cybercrime Investigation:

• CYBM 5001: Cybercrime Investigation  (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5002: Theories of Cybercrime  (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5020: Cybersecurity Infrastructure  (3 credit hours)
• CYBM 5023: Computer and Mobile Device Forensics (3 credit hours)

Total Required Credits: 12

STEMpath Certificate of Cybersecurity

MSU Denver’s Graduate STEMpath Certificate of Cybersecurity is an interdisciplinary program that combines the knowledge of cyber laws/policies, advanced computer science and information systems solutions for individuals not seeking a Master of Science in Cybersecurity but want to teach cybersecurity classes to K-12 level students.

Visit the 2024-2025 Academic Catalog to view the program requirements.

The 2025 application is currently closed. Applications for the 2026 cohort are open ONLY to K-12 teachers who are applying through MindSpark.

• Download the STEMpath Brochure
• Questions, please email: [email protected]

Note: The Graduate STEMpath Certificate of Cybersecurity does not allow any course to count toward either the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity or the Master of Science in Cybersecurity.

The graduate certificate programs do not offer any prior learning credits from life and/or work experience.

The Cybersecurity graduate certificate programs do not provide an option to test out of any coursework.

Students not enrolled for three (3) consecutive semesters, including summer, must reapply to the University. Students requesting readmission must be in good academic standing and must submit their application for readmission to the certificate programs in which they were enrolled.

The graduate certificates students who are eligible for readmission should submit the Readmission After Leave of Absence form and the graduate application.

• Students who are readmitted into the graduate certificate programs will be held to the policies and curriculum of the later term in which they officially restart the graduate certificate programs.
• An approved readmit application is valid for one academic year (including summer) from the readmit semester.
• Students who are not in good academic standing are not eligible for the readmit application process and must fully apply to the graduate certificate programs.

Students must complete the graduate certificate program within six calendar years from the term they initially enroll. Students should check the Graduate Certificate Programs page and specific program section of the Graduate Catalog to determine specific certificate requirements.

All MSU Denver CYBM courses in the graduate certificate programs with the exception of STEMpath courses)* may count toward the Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree program at MSU Denver.

*The Graduate STEMpath Certificate of Cybersecurity does not allow any course from this program to count toward either the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity or the Master of Science in Cybersecurity. For more information, please contact the Cybersecurity Program Manager.

• Students in any graduate certificate program must complete the certificate with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• No grade lower than a “C” will count toward the certificate. Students receiving a “D” or below will be required to repeat the course.

• Only students who are formally accepted into the graduate certificate programs may register for any graduate certificate courses.

For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships Graduate Students page.

The Cybersecurity graduate certificate programs do not accept any transfer of credits.

Our Fall 2026 application will open in January

Priority deadline is April 1, 2026.

After the April 1st deadline, applicants who do not have a technical degree or background we will review the applications case-by-case from April 1 until May 1, 2026.

For applicants who do have a technical degree and/or background we will review the applications case-by-case from May 1 until July 15, 2026 as space is available.

• Be advised, the application processing time may take up to 6 – 8 weeks from the date of submitting a complete application.
• At current time, CYBM program does not accept any international students.
• The CYBM program at MSU Denver is Fall-start only.

The Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate Programs at MSU Denver are Fall-start only.

To be eligible for admission to the graduate certificate program, candidates must:

• Submit a graduate application and application fee
• Submit a curriculum vitae or résumé
• Submit 1-2 page personal statement
• Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Submit official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended*. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 is required

*Transcripts from MSU Denver are not required. Applicants may also send official electronic transcripts to [email protected]

All submitted documentation will be reviewed by the CYBM Admissions Committee for a final decision.