Application and Admission

The Cybersecurity Management Master of Science program is a 30-credit hour program that prepares students to enter or transition into cybersecurity leadership roles.  The curriculum consists of eight core courses and two elective courses.  The first two courses in the curriculum provide students with the necessary information security and technical foundational knowledge before progressing to more advanced Cybersecurity topics.

The Cybersecurity Management program prepares students for a wide spectrum of information security careers. Examples of potential student job titles are Information Security Officer, IT Risk and Compliance Analyst, Security Analyst, IT Risk and Compliance Analyst, Cybersecurity Manager, Chief Information Security Officer, and Information Security Manager.

Requirements for Admission

Applicants must meet Murray State University requirements (see Graduate Admissions). Additional Cybersecurity Management Master of Science (MCYS) program admission requirements are as follows.

An applicant may be granted admission to the MCYS program if he/she has one of the following:

• Master's degree in a relevant field or doctoral-level degree from an accredited institution

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a 3.25 GPA

• 3.0 GPA and two years of full-time work experience

• 2.75 GPA and four years of full-time work experience

• 2.5 GPA AND A minimum GMAT score of 430 along with a minimum quantitative subscore of 32 or a minimum GRE total score of 288 along with a minimum quantitative subscore of 147.

*For domestic applicants with below a 2.5 GPA who have the necessary exam score described above, and whose case includes exceptional circumstances, a candidate review by the admissions committee may occur on a case by case basis. In such exceptional cases, the admissions committee will review whether a candidate has significant high-level work experience or qualifications, and at least 5 years since the Bachelor’s degree was earned.

*Students must have a 3.0 GPA in core courses upon completion of the program.

Language Requirements

An applicant whose native language is not English must meet all admission requirements specified in the international student admission section of Murray State University Bulletin, and meet minimum exam scores of either of the following exams:

• Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT): Score at least 79 with minimum score of 16 in in each band.

• IELTS: 6.5 minimum on Academic Test with no band less than 6.0.

Note: The GRE formula uses the combined score from the quantitative and verbal sections only. Ask the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send scores directly to Murray State University using the institution code: 1494.

Other Degree Requirements

In order to receive the degree, a candidate must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.00 on all graduate courses taken at Murray State University. Repeating a graduate course does not cancel a previous grade in the course. A candidate may not repeat a course in which a previous grade of A or B was earned for credit. 

A minimum grade of C is required to receive credit for a graduate course. No more than one C will be accepted in fulfillment of the eight Cybersecurity Management core courses.  A candidate is awarded one “quality deficit point” for each grade of C received, two points for each D, and three points for each E.  Upon receipt of four quality deficit points, a candidate is dropped from the program without opportunity for readmission except by special permission.