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Earn a graduate certificate in cybersecurity from MSU Denver and gain digital investigation and defense expertise as well as cybersecurity leadership skills.
As demand for cybersecurity professionals rises, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by 2021. MSU Denver offers:
2 three-course graduate certificates:
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 M.S. in Cybersecurity degree (CYBM) at MSU-Denver.
All courses are online.
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
1 four-course graduate certificate:
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 Mathematical and Computer Sciences.
The Graduate Certificate of Cybercrime Investigation is a stackable program. Graduate credits earned in this certificate program may count toward the M.S. in Cybersecurity degree at MSU-Denver.
All courses are online.
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
Benefits of Graduate Certificates
The graduate certificates are ideal for law enforcement personnel, cybersecurity professionals, or anyone interested in the cybersecurity field.
Convenient class offerings, in-classroom, online, hybrid, allowing students to balance their coursework with their life demands.
- One course per semester starting each fall.
- Nine credit hours of coursework each for the Graduate Certificate in Cyber Defense and Cybersecurity Leadership.
- Twelve credit hours of coursework for the Graduate Certificate in Cybercrime Investigation.
- Credits from the graduate certificates are stackable; students may apply certificate credits toward the M.S. in Cybersecurity degree program at MSU Denver.
- Interdisciplinary curriculum, offering up-to-date and more well-rounded information on cybercrime investigation, cyber defense, and cybersecurity leadership.
- Small class sizes, providing more interaction and connection with peers and faculty.
- Be part of MSU Denver’s inclusive community of learners and share awareness and appreciation of multicultural perspectives.
Admission to the Graduate Certificate Programs
Graduate Certificate Program Application Information for Fall 2022 Class
- The Fall 2022 Application Cycle is now OPEN.
- Please note, the graduate certificate programs at MSU Denver are fall-start only.
Important Dates and Deadlines for Application
- Please note: application processing may take up to 6 – 8 weeks to complete.
- Those ranked in the top of the application pool may be granted early admission to the graduate certificate programs, giving them a head start on:
- Preparing to start the program
- Registering for classes
- Applying for Scholarships
- For full consideration, please apply by July 15th. We encourage everyone to apply and submit the required materials early. Applications will be considered on a rolling admissions basis after the July 15th deadline.
- Complete applications will be accepted for as long as spaces are available.
To be admitted to any graduate certificate programs, candidates must:
- Submit graduate application.
- Non-refundable application fee of $50.00.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university regionally. A minimum undergraduate GPA 3.0 (cumulative) on a scale of 4.0 is required.
- Submit official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended (transcripts from MSU-Denver are not required). Institutions may send official electronic transcripts to [email protected].
- Submit a resume.
You may request further information by emailing us.
International Student Application
We accept international applications for our online only graduate certificates:
- Graduate Certificate of Cyber Defense
- Graduate Certificate of Cybercrime Investigation
International admissions must include the following:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Obtain a minimum score of 76 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT). An official score must be sent directly from TOEFL Services; MSU Denver’s institution code is 4505. Scores older than two years are not acceptable.
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System): Obtain an overall band score of at least 6.0. An official score must be sent directly from the testing company. Scores older than two years old are not acceptable.
- Transcript evaluation- Foreign colleges/universities should send transcripts in English or translated into English directly to MSU Denver. If this is not possible, students should provide official transcripts in their original language for examination; these will be photocopied and returned. A professional course-by-course translation and evaluation completed by a professional transcript evaluation service is also required. For more information regarding the transcript evaluation requirement, visit the International Student page then select the college transcripts dropdown.
- The deadline for international admissions is March 16, 2022. However, complete applications will be considered as long as spaces are available.
Policies & Procedures
Transfer Students:
The graduate certificate programs do not accept any transfer of credits.
Credit for Prior Learning or Life Experience:
The graduate certificate programs do not offer any prior learning credits from life and/or work experience.
Testing Out Policy:
The graduate certificate programs do not provide an option to test out of any coursework.
Readmission Policy:
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 following materials:
- Readmission after Leave of Absence Form (located on the Graduate Program Catalog page)
- The MSU-Denver general graduate application and fees.
- 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.
Financial Aid:
Please visit MSU-Denver Graduate Financial Aid for more information.
Certificate Completion:
- Only students who are formally accepted into the graduate certificate programs may register for any graduate certificate courses.
GPA Requirements:
- Students in any graduate certificate programs 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.
Duplicative Coursework:
All MSU-Denver courses in the graduate certificate programs may count toward the M.S. in Cybersecurity degree program at MSU-Denver.
Time Limit on Completion of Certificates:
Students must complete the graduate certificate programs within six calendar years from the term they initially enroll. Students should check the Graduate Certificate Programs page and specific program section of the catalog to determine specific certificate requirements.