Cybersecurity - A.A. Degree (Transfer)
An Information Technology Area of Study
Application Code 304
For curriculum information, contact the Business and Computer Systems Division—Room DH 239—443-518-1520.
The cybersecurity curriculum prepares students for working with network security or support in private, public, and government arenas at the mid-administrative level, and for transferring to four-year programs. Content related to the CISSP domains has been incorporated into the cybersecurity courses. These courses are mapped to the National Training Standard for Information Systems Security designation sponsored by NSA and the Department of Homeland Security. This curriculum is designed to transfer to similar programs at Johns Hopkins University and Capitol College, or the University of Maryland University College to complete a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. Students are advised to check the requirements of the major at the institutions to which they intend to transfer. HCC is an approved Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and students are eligible for HCC College Certificate that states that the student has completed a curriculum mapped to the CAE Information Assurance and Cyber Defense training standards approved by NSA and Department of Homeland Security.
General Education Core
Students enrolled in transfer patterns must take a minimum of 30 credits in General Education. Each student’s total of general education and required courses must equal at least 60 semester hours of credit.
English Composition
Arts & Humanities
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Biological & Physical Sciences
Mathematics
| MATH-143 | Precalculus I | 3 |
| - | or higher core course | |
Core Electives
Required Courses Related to Major
| CMSY-158 | Fundamentals and Practice for Network+ Certification | 3 |
| CMSY-162 | Introduction to Network Security Systems | 3 |
| CMSY-163 | Introduction to Firewalls and Internet Security | 3 |
| CMSY-164 | Introduction to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems | 3 |
| CMSY-172 | Introduction to Programming with JavaScript | 3 |
| CMSY-255 | Introduction to Unix and Linux | 3 |
| CMSY-262 | Encryption and Secure Communications | 3 |
| CMSY-263 | Ethical Hacking and Cyber Defense | 3 |
| CSCO-291 | Introduction to Networks | 3 |
| CSCO-292 | Routing and Switching Essentials | 3 |
A graduate should be able to
- 1. Determine the role of network security technologies within a network and establish appropriate security policy.
- 2. Identify appropriate network security tools and technologies to establish and configure a secure computer network.
- 3. Utilize software tools, devices, and procedures to determine if current systems meet the security policy requirements and problem-solve network vulnerabilities and cyber-attacks to harden network infrastructure.
- 4. Develop ethical hacking skills and apply these in countermeasures and cyber defense as necessary.
- 5. Identify, understand, evaluate, and apply ethical reasoning in business practices.
Total Credit Hours: 60
It is possible to take CMSY-158 and CMSY-162 or CMSY-158 and CSCO-291 or CMSY-162 and CMSY-163 simultaneously. Some courses in the program prepare students for industry certifications such as CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).