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

  1. 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.
  2. Have abilities to develop safe cybersecurity software solutions and products that address professional, ethical, social, legal, and economic concerns.
  3. Show independent self-learning skills to learn new, recent and developing cybersecurity approaches, techniques, and technologies, for continuous professional development.
  4. Work effectively as part of a team to develop quality cybersecurity software solutions and systems, complemented with leadership skills and appreciation of responsibility.
  5. Have abilities to apply cybersecurity skills to assess and identify software system vulnerabilities, risks and threats to produce secure and safe software systems.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Show professional skills based on sound cybersecurity codes of conduct to make ethically, legally and professionally informed decisions and complimented with professional practice.
  9. 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

MATH1411

COMP1310

Introduction to Computers and Computing Ethics

 

COMP1331

Computer and Programming

COMP132, COMP230 or COMP1310

COMP233

Discrete Mathematics

MATH1411

ENEE2307

Probability and Statistics

MATH1321

       B.Program Requirements: (80 credit hours)

  1. Core Courses: 60 credit hours includes the following courses:

Course ID

Course Title

Pre-requisite

CSEC1310

Introduction to Cyber Security and Professional Ethics

 

CSEC1320

Authentication and Access Control

CSEC1310

COMP2311

Object-Oriented Programming

COMP1331

COMP311

Linux Operating Systems Lab

COMP132 [or COMP133 or COMP1331 or COMP230]

ENCS2340

Digital Systems

COMP1331 [COMP133, COMP142, COMP230, or COMP132]

ENCS3320

Computer Networks

COMP230 or COMP133 or COMP1331

ENCS4130

Computer Networks Lab

 ENCS3320

CSEC2320

Mathematics for Security

COMP233

CSEC2350

Cryptography

CSEC2320

COMP242

Data Structures

COMP2311 or COMP2310

CSEC3300

Practical Training

Completing a minimum of 90 credit hours and consent of the department

CSEC3310

Network Security

CSEC1310 and CSEC2350

COMP431

Operating Systems

COMP311 and (COMP242 or COMP2421)

COMP3330

Database Management Systems

COMP242 or COMP2421 [or simultaneous]

COMP3340

Web Application and Technology

COMP333 or COMP3330

COMP336

Analysis of Algorithms

COMP242 or COMP2421

COMP433

Software Engineering

COMP333 or COMP3330

CSEC3340

Security Risk Management

CSEC1320

CSEC3350

Operating System Security

COMP431

CSEC4310

Secure Software Engineering

COMP433

CSEC4320

Ethical Hacking

CSEC2350

CSEC4200

Introduction to Graduation Project

CSEC4310 [or simultaneous]

CSEC4300

Graduation Project

CSEC4200

  1. Program Elective Courses: 15 credit hours from the following courses:

Course ID

Course Title

Pre-requisite

CSEC3360

Database Security

COMP333 or COMP3330

CSEC4330

Web Security

COMP334 or COMP3340

CSEC4340

Intrusion Detection Systems

CSEC3310

CSEC4350

Digital Forensics

CSEC3350

CSEC4360

Mobile Security

COMP431

CSEC4370

Cybercrime and Laws

CSEC3340

CSEC4380

Privacy and Anonymization

CSEC2350

CSEC4390

Secure Distributed Systems

CSEC3310 and CSEC3360

CSEC4391

Hardware Security 

ENCS2340

CSEC4399

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