Degree Structure
College
Computing and Informatics
Department
Computer Science
Level
Undergraduate
Study System
Courses
Total Credit Hours
18 Cr. Hrs.
Duration
Sophomore 3rd and 4th Years
Intake
Fall and Spring
Language
English
Study Mode
Full Time
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Minor Overview
The proposed Minor in Cybersecurity at the University of Sharjah is an academic program designed to provide undergraduate students with a foundational understanding of cybersecurity principles and practices. It is intended to complement students' primary majors, offering a comprehensive set of skills that are critical in today's digital world. The minor is structured to accommodate students from various disciplines, aiming to enhance their knowledge and expertise in cybersecurity to meet the increasing demand for professionals in this field.
Study Plan
What You Will Learn
The Minor in Cybersecurity will provide students with a foundational understanding of Cybersecurity principles, concepts, and best practices, covering areas such as network security, cryptography, risk management, and security policies. It equips students with practical skills to identify, assess, and mitigate Cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, including hands-on experience with security tools and techniques, while also developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills specific to Cybersecurity, preparing students to address real-world security challenges and incidents.
University Requirements
College Requirements
Minor Requirements
• A minimum CGPA grade of 2.5.
• Third year student.
• Programming Prerequisite: basic programming course such as Programming 1, Programming for Engineers or equivalent.
• Mathematics Prerequisite: Mathematics course such as Discrete Mathematics, Discrete Structures or Mathematics for Engineers.
Course Description
Minor in Cybersecurity – Mandatory Courses
1502170 |
Introduction to Cybersecurity |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
None |
|
Description: This course will introduce all aspects of cyber-security including business, policy and procedures, communications security, network security, security management, legal issues, political issues, technical issues, job and market prospects in cyber security. This serves as the introduction to the cyber security track in computer engineering department. |
1502271 |
Introduction to Cryptography |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502170 – Intro. to Cybersecurity AND 1502111 -- Discrete Math for Engineers |
|
Description: The course focuses on how to secure computer systems. More specifically, students learn how to design and deploy confidentiality services, integrity verification services and access control services to both computer and communication systems. Cryptographic hashing, symmetric and public key cryptosystems are covered in details. Mathematical principles underlying encryption and various codebreaking techniques are also covered. The course also covers the deployment of cryptographic products and protocols in digital systems and metrics to quantify their effectiveness in protecting the system. |
1502475 |
Network Security and Protocols |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502346 – Comp. Comm. & Networks AND (1502271 – Intro. to Cryptography OR 1502444 Computer and Network Security) |
|
Description: The course discusses security attacks in computer networks and the vulnerability of networking protocols at the MAC, IP, transport, and application layers to these attacks. The course also discusses concepts and techniques for identifying, mitigating, and defending against security attacks in computer networks. The course includes programming-based implementation of security attacks as well as conducting them in virtualized network environments. The course also discusses IPSec, VPNs, DNS security, and Firewalls. |
1502373 |
Information Security Management |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity |
|
Description: This course provides students with an insight into the fundamentals of managing modern information systems and their security operations. Topics include security policies and procedures, models and programs for designing and implementing security, risk management, access management and investigation, as well as legal and ethical implications of security management. |
Minor in Cybersecurity – Elective Courses
1502270 |
Database Security |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
(1502111 – Discrete Math. For Eng. OR 1501279 Discrete Structures OR 1440262 Mathematics for Engineers) |
|
Description: The course covers basic concepts of database management systems and known security threats on the data confidentiality and integrity. The topics include database models, SQL, mandatory and recommended access controls mechanisms, design of database with security in mind, protecting the integrity of data, protecting the security of database transactions, and database integrity rules. Topics on security of distributed databases and cloud databases will also be addressed. |
1502371 |
Secure Software Design and Development |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity |
|
Description: This course covers the design and implementation of secure software. Some of the topics covered are the characteristics of secure software, the role of security in the development lifecycle, designing secure software, and best security programming practices. Security for web and mobile applications will be covered. |
1502372 |
Introduction to Digital Forensics |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity |
|
Description: This course introduces digital forensics and cybercrime investigations. It covers the basic steps to conduct a digital forensic investigation, such as evidence gathering, preservation and analysis and presenting digital evidence to legal authorities. It also presents the tools used to find and analyze digital evidence on a variety of devices. Topics also cover laws and regulations in digital forensics. |
1502471 |
Internet and Web Security |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502271 - Introduction to Cryptography |
|
Description: The course provides an overview of the methodologies for developing secure web-based applications. More specifically, the course addresses various security vulnerabilities of web applications and how to protect web-based applications from cyber-attacks. Topics covered in this course includes: web application developments, basic network security mechanisms and tools, webservers and how to secure them, and securing e-commerce applications. Additionally, security issues related to web databases applications and collaborative Web applications, will be studied. |
1502473 |
Ethical Hacking |
Credit hour 3 |
Prerequisite: |
1502170 - Introduction to Cybersecurity |
|
Description: This course provides a basic understanding of penetration testing and ethical hacking techniques. In security testing, an ethical hacker with legal permissions attempts to penetrate a system or systems to find a weak link and then analyze ways to correct the security flaws. Students will learn some of the exploitation techniques and tools used for ethical hacking. The course also covers recommended solutions to correct these flaws and protect systems and networks from potential attacks. |
Career Path
By taking the minor in Cybersecurity, students can explore numerous job opportunities in various sectors. Potential roles include Information Security Analyst, Network Security Engineer, Cybersecurity Consultant, Security Software Developer, Incident Response Specialist, Compliance and Risk Analyst, Ethical Hacker/Penetration Tester, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Forensic Computer Analyst, Cybersecurity Researcher, and Security Auditor. The program equips students with essential skills and knowledge to protect information systems and networks, aligning with industry trends and enhancing employability through relevant certifications like CISSP, CEH, and CompTIA Security.

How will you make an impact?
Every student’s journey at UoS and beyond is different, which is why our Career & Professional Development team provides personalized career resources to help students make an impact for years to come.