Cyber Security
The mission of the Bachelor Program in Cybersecurity (BSc-CSEC) is to provide a competitive top-quality education in cybersecurity, that equips students with the essential and advanced skills and abilities to become professional cybersecurity developers, entrepreneurs and leaders that are able to protect and develop innovative cybersecurity software solutions and reliable secure software systems, so they may contribute to advancing both the economy through enabling safe cyber-empowered businesses and, more generally, the software industry in Palestine.
1) To train students in foundational and advanced relevant cybersecurity skills and abilities, that enable them to compete at both regional and international levels.
2) To apply appropriate cybersecurity and software development fundamentals and practices in developing cybersecurity software solutions and secure software systems that demonstrate applied technical abilities, knowledge and practices.
3) To instill in students the professional ability to analyze, assess and understand cybersecurity codes of conduct, legal and ethical values.
4) To apply cybersecurity skills to assess and identify software system vulnerabilities, risks and threats to produce secure and safe software business-production systems.
5) To develop students’ ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and demonstrate effective leadership skills.
6) To develop technical leadership abilities and project management skills to enable students pursue entrepreneurship in secure software product development.
7) To enrich students with applied technical communication skills to communicate ideas and work effectively, both orally and in writing.
8) To develop independent study abilities in students to maintain continuous professional development in the rapidly changing field of cybersecurity.
9) To collaborate with industry to develop cybersecurity software products, systems and services that address key business cybersecurity need
- Show strong competence in foundational and advanced cybersecurity knowledge and skills, and professional practices necessary to work as a cybersecurity software developer in a variety of application domains.
- Have abilities to develop safe cybersecurity software solutions and products that address professional, ethical, social, legal, and economic concerns.
- Show independent self-learning skills to learn new, recent and developing cybersecurity approaches, techniques, and technologies, for continuous professional development.
- Work effectively as part of a team to develop quality cybersecurity software solutions and systems, complemented with leadership skills and appreciation of responsibility.
- Have abilities to apply cybersecurity skills to assess and identify software system vulnerabilities, risks and threats to produce secure and safe software systems.
- Show conciliation abilities to deal with conflicting cybersecurity software product objectives, finding acceptable compromises within limitations of cost, time, knowledge, and organization cybersecurity challenges, vulnerabilities and risks.
- Have strong understanding and appreciation of the importance of cybersecurity challenges, requirements, and risks combined with abilities in negotiation, leadership, and communication with stakeholders in challenging cybersecurity software development environment.
- Show professional skills based on sound cybersecurity codes of conduct to make ethically, legally and professionally informed decisions and complimented with professional practice.
- Have critical abilities of cybersecurity approaches, methods and technologies, be able to articulate their strengths and weaknesses, and be able to specify and select appropriate ones.
· Follow-up on academic achievement and pursue a Master degree in cybersecurity or related fields.
· Work as a cybersecurity professional or consultant expert, to provide technical advice on cybersecurity solutions and technologies.
· Work as a cybersecurity software developer or engineer, to develop cybersecurity solutions or cybersecurity software products.
· Work as cybersecurity analyst, to analyze and identify cybersecurity software system needs.
· Work as a cybersecurity vulnerability analyst or penetration tester, to analyze and test vulnerabilities in software solutions and products.
· Work as network engineer or architect, to design secure network architectures.
· Work as cybercrime forensic or incident analyst, to analyze cybersecurity incidents or trace forensics of cybercrimes.
· Work as software or system developer, to develop software solutions.
· Work as a project manager of software projects and/or as a software development team lead.
The study plan consists of 125 credit hours distributed as follow:
Requirement |
Credit Hours |
|
University Requirements |
19-20 |
|
Faculty Requirements |
19 |
|
Program Core Courses |
65 |
|
Program Elective Courses |
15 |
|
Free Electives |
6-7 |
|
Total |
125 |
A.Faculty Requirements (18 credit hours)
Course ID |
Course Title |
Prerequisite |
MATH1411 |
Calculus and Analytical Geometry 1 |
|
MATH1321 |
Calculus and Analytical Geometry 2 |
|
COMP1310 |
Introduction to Computers and Computing Ethics |
|
COMP1331 |
Computer and Programming |
|
COMP233 |
Discrete Mathematics |
|
ENEE2307 |
Probability and Statistics |
B.Program Requirements: (80 credit hours)
- Core Courses: 60 credit hours includes the following courses:
Course ID |
Course Title |
Pre-requisite |
||
Introduction to Cyber Security and Professional Ethics |
|
|||
Authentication and Access Control |
||||
Object-Oriented Programming |
||||
Linux Operating Systems Lab |
||||
Digital Systems |
||||
Computer Networks |
||||
Computer Networks Lab |
||||
Mathematics for Security |
||||
Cryptography |
||||
Data Structures |
||||
Practical Training |
Completing a minimum of 90 credit hours and consent of the department |
|||
Network Security |
||||
Operating Systems |
||||
Database Management Systems |
||||
Web Application and Technology |
||||
Analysis of Algorithms |
||||
Software Engineering |
||||
Security Risk Management |
||||
Operating System Security |
||||
Secure Software Engineering |
||||
Ethical Hacking |
||||
Introduction to Graduation Project |
CSEC4310 [or simultaneous] |
|||
Graduation Project |
- Program Elective Courses: 15 credit hours from the following courses:
Course ID |
Course Title |
Pre-requisite |
Database Security |
||
Web Security |
||
Intrusion Detection Systems |
||
Digital Forensics |
||
Mobile Security |
||
Cybercrime and Laws |
||
Privacy and Anonymization |
||
Secure Distributed Systems |
||
Hardware Security |
||
Special Topics |
90 credit hours and Department consent |
C. Free Electives: 6-7 credit hours from university courses (other faculties or departments)
Applicants should have Tawjihi – scientific branch. Preference of admission will be given to students that have solid (or higher marks) in math.
Other admission criteria and procedures adhere to the general admission requirements of Birzeit university admission to a Bachelor degree.
This plan is a recommended study plan for a full-time student:
First Year (32 CH)
First Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
COMP1310 |
|
3 |
|
MATH1411 |
|
3 |
|
CSEC1310 |
|
4 |
|
ENGC2201 |
|
2 |
|
ARAB135 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
15 |
|
Second Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
COMP1331 |
|
3 |
COMP1310 |
COMP233 |
|
3 |
MATH1411 |
MATH1321 |
|
3 |
MATH1411 |
CSEC1320 |
|
3 |
CSEC1310 |
ENGC2202 |
|
2 |
ENGC2201 |
ARAB136 |
|
3 |
ARAB135 |
Total |
|
17 |
|
Second Year (31 CH)
First Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
COMP2311 |
|
3 |
COMP1331 |
COMP311 |
|
1 |
COMP1331 |
ENCS3320 |
|
3 |
COMP1331 |
ENCS2340 |
|
3 |
COMP1331 |
CSEC2320 |
|
3 |
COMP233 |
ENGC2203 |
|
2 |
ENGC2202 |
Total |
|
15 |
|
Second Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
COMP242 |
|
4 |
COMP2311 |
ENCS4130 |
|
1 |
ENCS3320 |
CSEC2350 |
|
3 |
CSEC2320 |
ENGC2204 |
|
2 |
ENGC2203 |
ENEE2307 |
|
3 |
MATH1321 |
Free Elective |
|
3 |
|
Total |
|
16 |
|
Third Year
First Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
COMP3330 |
|
3 |
COMP242 |
COMP336 |
|
3 |
COMP242 |
COMP431 |
|
3 |
COMP311, COMP242 |
CSEC3310 |
|
3 |
CSEC1310, CSEC2350 |
CSEC3340 |
|
3 |
CSEC2340 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
15 |
|
Second Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
COMP3340 |
|
3 |
COMP3330 |
COMP433 |
|
3 |
COMP3330 |
CSEC3350 |
|
3 |
COMP431 |
SP. Elective |
|
3 |
|
Free Elective |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
15 |
|
Summer Term |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
CSEC3300 |
|
3 |
|
Total |
|
3 |
|
Fourth Year (29 CH)
First Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
CSEC4200 |
|
2 |
CSEC4310 |
CSEC4310 |
|
3 |
COMP433 |
SP. Elective |
|
3 |
|
SP. Elective |
|
3 |
|
CULS331 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
15 |
|
Second Semester |
|||
Course ID |
Course Title |
CH |
Prerequisite |
CSEC4300 |
|
3 |
CSEC4200 |
CSEC4320 |
|
3 |
CSEC2350 |
SP. Elective |
|
3 |
|
SP. Elective |
|
3 |
|
CULS332 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
16 |
|