Cyber Policy and Risk Analysis (M.P.S.)

The Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S) degree in Cyber Policy and Risk Analysis educates and prepares cybersecurity professionals and high-level decision makers in industry and government to understand the challenges of, and participate effectively in, the evolving domains of cyberspace and cybersecurity.  Students will learn how to deal legally and ethically with sensitive data and information entrusted to them in a variety of application domains and settings, and how to design and evaluate policy. Students will become familiar with the issues surrounding cyber espionage, including  the legal and policy limits on United States activity, the threat posed by strategic cyber espionage against the United States, and the tension between the competing demands of national security and personal privacy. In addition, students will examine how other countries are organizing for offensive and defensive activities in cyberspace. Emphasis is placed on those countries that could challenge the national security of the United States concluding with a look at cyber matters in the global diplomatic arena.

The courses in the cybersecurity policy specialization provide an overview of the Constitutional, legal and public policy issues associated with the field of cybersecurity. Students will examine the gap existing where technology has outstripped legal, ethical, and policy disciplines.

The M.P.S. program was designed to address the issues raised in the President’s report titled Liberty and Security and Security in a Changing World, which details forty-six recommendations for protecting national security and foreign policy interests while continuing to value privacy, civil liberties, and public trust. 

Graduates from this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the foundational concepts of cyberspace and cybersecurity - including privacy, risk management, and ethical issues.
• Perform in-depth risk analysis, both as pertaining to a complex organization or governmental agency.
• Understand the global landscape of cyber policy, cyber politics, and international relations.
• Exhibit an awareness of the Constitutional, legal and public policy issues associated with the field of cybersecurity.