College of Aeronautics and Engineering
www.kent.edu/cae

About This Program

Become a cybersecurity engineer with Kent State's B.S. program. Gain hands-on experience and develop the skills needed to protect systems and prevent cyber attacks. With our world being more connected than ever, this program prepares you to analyze and prevent potential security threats to an engineering system. Computer systems are just the beginning! Enroll now to jump start your career in a quickly growing field! Read more...

Contact Information

• cae@kent.edu | 330-672-2892
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

Admission to the Cybersecurity Engineering major is selective.

New Students: Admission into this major requires:

• Minimum 3.0 high school GPA
• Minimum 24 ACT composite score (minimum 24 ACT sub-scores in both English and mathematics) or a minimum 1160 SAT composite score (mathematics, critical reasoning and writing) effective for fall 2024 admission, scores are no longer required
• Clear demonstration of an ability to be placed directly into MATH 12002 (or its equivalent); this will occur if the student is currently taking or has taken a calculus, pre-calculus or trigonometry course with a minimum C grade

Note: Admission to this program is contingent on students successfully placing into MATH 12002. Those who do not will have their major changed to Computer Engineering Technology prior to their freshman year.

Students who do not meet the above requirements for Cybersecurity Engineering will be admitted to the Computer Engineering Technology major, provided they meet the minimum program requirements.

Current Students: Students accepted into the Computer Engineering Technology major may request a change in major to Cybersecurity Engineering as soon as placement into MATH 12002 has been demonstrated (prior to the beginning of freshman year). Otherwise, students may request to change their major to Cybersecurity Engineering after their freshman year if they meet the following criteria:

• Minimum 3.200 overall Kent State GPA (effective for fall 2024 admission, minimum 3.000 GPA will be required)
• Minimum B grade in both MATH 12002 and PHY 23101 (effective for fall 2024 admission, minimum C grade will be required)

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Admission into the Cybersecurity Engineering major requires the following:

• Minimum 12 credit hours in college-level coursework
• Minimum 3.200 overall GPA (effective for fall 2024 admission, minimum 3.000 GPA will be required)
• Minimum B grade in both MATH 12002 and PHY 23101 (or their equivalents) effective for fall 2024 admission, minimum C grade will be required

Transfer students who have completed less than 12 credit hours of college-level coursework will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records and must submit a final high school transcript.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

ENGR 48099 and ENGR 48199 must be taken during the same academic year.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

Applicants to this program should understand that this is a math-intensive program. Students admitted to the program are expected to demonstrate prerequisite knowledge on a math placement exam (the ALEKS exam) prior to starting their first semester. Students who fail to obtain the minimum score required to place into MATH 12002 are at risk of delaying graduation.

Graduation Requirements

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
2. Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
3. Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context.
5. Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives.
6. Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity Engineering prepares future professional engineers in the broad field of cybersecurity. The program provides students with a working knowledge of analysis and evaluation of components and systems with respect to security and to maintaining operations in the presence of risks and threats, with an emphasis on engineered systems. Students gain the understanding and skills necessary to address security issues pertaining to stakeholder needs and requirements (from a system engineering perspective) considering the lifecycle of the system from the outset. Design and development of systems, their components and associated networks to increase trustworthiness is a driving concern.

Applicants to this program should understand that this is a math-intensive program. Information regarding the program’s education objectives as well as enrollment and graduation data can be found on the college website.