Master degree

MASTER’S PROGRAM IN INFORMATION SECURITY

The master’s program in Information Security focuses on training top-quality professionals in the area of information security.

The program has six concentrations. The students should select one during the first semester. “Computer systems Information security” and "Cybersecurity technologies" is only two fully taught in English, including the master’s thesis. Here we have an international group of students from different countries.

The program covers a set of problems related to ensuring the information security of various objects: computer systems, cyber-physical systems, etc. Master’s degree advances student’s knowledge in computer science and expands it with a knowledge of a wide range of cybersecurity technologies.

The Master of Information Security at ITMO University prepares professionals to assume cyber- and information security leadership roles in IT industry companies, government agencies, and scientific organizations.

A curriculum rich in computer security management and risk management, cybersecurity threat assessment and vulnerabilities identification (web, networks, operating systems), cloud computing and IoT security, cryptography, and research leads students to become high-qualified professionals with a wide range of career opportunities. During the research, internship masters obtain leadership and research skills that help them to be open-minded specialists and real inventors.

The program aims to develop the learning outcomes related to the real-world tasks and to provide skills for analysis, design, and development of secure and safe computer systems and cybersecurity systems.

The master’s degree includes a set of core courses that provide the necessary skills in cybersecurity: information security laws and regulations, risk management, operating systems, web software development (and web-security), database security, cryptography, cloud computing technologies and security, computer networks and security, machine learning in cybersecurity and mobile systems security (IoT security).

The graduates are ready to start a wide range of IT careers, such as information security auditors and defense analysts, managerial positions in the IT companies, or government sector. During the study soft-skills, key professional and research skills are developed, helping graduates to start their own projects or continue study to earn a doctoral degree.

Career options

The graduates may hold such positions as information security experts, information security auditors and analysts, heads and deputy directors for information security. The industry’s demand for experts in this field is very high and it is expected to grow in the future.

In the digital age, information security has become extremely crucial not only for people but also for companies and large corporations. That is why computer security specialists are in such continuous demand both in private and public economic sectors.

Graduates of the MSc program may hold such positions:

• information security experts;
• information security auditors and penetration testers;
• computer systems defense analysts;
• cybersecurity managerial positions in the IT companies or government sector;
• entrepreneurs and start their own projects and create new cybersecurity companies;
• continue in doctoral studies to earn Ph.D.

Further studies

The successful graduating from the master's program provides the opportunity to continue studies to earn a doctoral degree in Computer Science (05.13.19 Methods and systems of information protection, information security).