Cyber Security Degrees » Schools by State » Alabama

Alabama holds many opportunities for higher education in cyber security that has been accredited by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

NSA CAE Designated Institutions for Cyber Security in Alabama

Nine different universities have been recognized as National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE), including some of the more popular public institutions such as Auburn University, the University of Alabama, and the University of South Alabama. There are a wide variety of accreditations available, with Auburn University being the only school designated with Cyber Operations.

Here is a list of Alabama cyber security degrees that are from NSA CAE Designated Institutions:

Auburn University M.S. in Software Engineering/ M.S. in Computer Science with Cyber Operations Certificate Research focuses on: Secure Software Engineering, Cloud Security and Forensics, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Manufacturing Security
Calhoun Community College 2 Year Cyber Security Program
Jacksonville State University
Snead State Community College 2 Year Cyber Security Program
The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Click to jump to the full list of Alabama cyber security schools.

Online Cyber Security Programs in Alabama

Gaining an online education is the most convenient option, especially for those that are going for graduate-level programs and need to continue working at their job.

There are only a handful of programs in the state of Alabama that offer online education at this level, but at the School of Science, Jacksonville State University has a Master of Science in Computer Systems and Software Design with a concentration within Information Security and Assurance. The curriculum requires 33 credit hours to complete, or 30 with a studio option that gives students the ability to produce software products.

Courses required are Advanced Computer Networking, Database Management Systems, and Distributed Computing Systems. Utilizing the Special Topics in Computer Science course can further educate students in cyber security with other computer science courses, and it can be taken twice.

Master's in Cyber Security Degrees in Alabama

Distributed by the Department of Computer Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, there is a specific Master's degree in Cyber Security. The curriculum provides students with high quality education in investigating intrusions into an organization's network, managing security protocols and the software and hardware that is used within the network, and protecting the information technology sector.

Students will need to complete the core coursework and they will have a concentration in either Computer Forensics and Cyber-crime Investigation or IT Audit and Fraud Examination. An internship is required to complete the program.

For students not choosing a specialization, they can take the three of the following general cyber security courses: Modern Cryptography, Blockchain and Cyrptocurrency, Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment, and Cloud Security.

In order to get into the program, prospective students should hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher. GRE or GMAT scores are not required to submit, but should demonstrate their competence in computer science. Those that do not meet the prerequisites can take introductory courses in Python programming and business programming.