Computer Science / Bachelor of Science to Master of Science in Information Security / Fast Track

Total Credit Hours: 128

Major Credit Hours: 54

The Mathematics and Computer Science Department offers a Bachelor’s to Master’s Fast Track option for Lewis University undergraduate Computer Science majors interested in the Technical Track of the Master of Science in Information Security program. The Fast Track option allows qualified undergraduates to complete the graduate MSIS (Master of Science in Information Security) in less time than would be possible if the two programs were taken separately. Up to nine graduate hours may be used both to complete the Bachelor of Science degree (128 hours) and to satisfy specific course requirements in the Master’s program. The total number of required graduate credits is 32. Students apply for admission to the Fast Track option by submitting both the department application form and the Block Tuition Exemption form to the Chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department when they reach senior status (complete 90 credits); have completed the following courses: 70-200, 70-210, 70-245, 13-200, 13-201, and 13-310; and have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in courses in the B.S. in Computer Science major. Qualified undergraduate students approved for the Fast Track option may apply financial aid to one, two, or three graduate courses and are exempt from the 18-hour block in the semesters when they take these select graduate courses. Students who take nine credit hours of selected graduate courses in the Master of Science in Information Security curriculum in their senior year and earn a grade of “B” or better in each of those courses will have to complete a minimum of 21 more credit hours to earn the MSIS. Students who enter the MSIS program through this Fast Track option will not be required to take 68-510 and 68-515.  Students accepted into this Fast Track option are required to apply for admission to the MSIS.

Listed below are graduate courses in the MSIS program which students enrolled in the Fast Track option may take during their senior year. Listed next to each is the undergraduate course for which it substitutes, where applicable. Students in this Fast Track option may apply no more than three of these courses toward their undergraduate Bachelor of Science major in Computer Science:

68-505 Introduction to Information Security

68-520 Intrusion Detection, Response, and Recovery substitutes for 70-420 Computer Security

68-523 Computer Forensics substitutes for 70-250 File Systems and Digital Forensics

68-525 Encryption and Authentication Systems substitutes for 70-425 Encryption

68-560 Securing Windows substitutes for 70-485 Advanced Communications and Networking

68-563 Database Management and Security substitutes for 70-330 Database Systems

68-565 Software Vulnerabilities and Defenses substitutes for 70-247 Web and Distributed Programming

Degree Requirements

I. Core Courses (54)

13-200	Calculus I	4
13-201	Calculus II	4
13-310	Discrete Mathematics	4
70-200	Introduction to Computer Science	3
70-210	Programming and Data Structures	3
70-220	Introduction to Unix	3
70-245	Object-Oriented Programming	3
70-247	Web and Distributed Programming	3
-	OR
68-565	Software Vulnerabilities and Defenses	3
70-250	File Systems and Digital Forensics	3
-	OR
68-523	Computer Forensics	3
70-330	Database Systems	3
-	OR
68-563	Database Management and Security	3
70-350	Operating Systems	3
70-420	Computer Security	3
-	OR
68-520	Intrusion Detection, Response and Recovery	3
70-425	Encryption	3
-	OR
68-525	Encryption and Authentication Systems	3
70-460	Programming Languages	3
70-480	Communications and Networking	3
70-485	Advanced Communications and Networking	3
-	OR
68-560	Securing Windows	3

II. The advanced writing requirement for the BS Computer Science Fast Track option is satisfied by taking both 70-460 Programming Languages and either 70-485 Advanced Communications and Networking or 68-560 Securing Windows.