Understand the nuances of finding and mitigating malware and graduate with the skills to defend against — and recover from — targeted attacks with Utica College's Master of Science in Cybersecurity with a Malware Analysis specialization.
M.S. in Cybersecurity: Malware Analysis Specialization
Program Overview
Defend against the growing threat of malicious software.
Understand the nuances of finding and mitigating malware and graduate with the skills to defend against — and recover from — targeted attacks with Utica College's Master of Science in Cybersecurity with a Malware Analysis specialization.
Protect Organizations in Any Industry
Malware is a growing threat to organizations, as advances in technology and inter-connectivity have increased the sophistication and intensity of cyberattacks. Malicious code can compromise both the hardware and software integrity of a computer or network and cause these to behave in undesirable ways.
Through 18 core credits and 12 specialization credits, you'll learn to think like a malware author and gain the expertise to address cybersecurity problems and protect your organization.
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Career Outlook
No matter the size of the organization, one of the most important considerations for cybersecurity is to understand how, rather than if, an attack will occur.
In the Malware Analysis specialization, you'll learn specialized techniques to understand the characteristics of real-world malware and reverse engineer this malicious software to determine what it does, who it talks to, and how to defend against it. With these skills, you'll graduate ready to act as an invaluable asset to organizations, regardless of industry.
Career Spotlight: Malware Analyst
$90,633/year
As a malware analyst, you would examine malware samples — such as trojans, viruses, worms, and more — to determine exactly what the software does, as well as its potential impact on a given computer or network. Through reverse engineering, professionals in this position determine how to mitigate malware issues and defend against future attacks.1
Career Spotlight: Reverse Engineer
$89,758/year
As a reverse engineer, your responsibilities would be similar to a malware analyst. You would work backward from a malware attack to determine computer or network vulnerability. These professionals then design solutions to close gaps and protect an organization's systems and data.2
Other titles you may qualify for:
- Intrusion Intelligence Analyst
- Cyber Incident Response Analyst
Curriculum: Innovative Methods and Cutting-Edge Tools
Delve into the intricacies of cyberattack methods and techniques (including malware) with the Malware Analysis specialization. Through discussions and virtual hands-on exercises, you'll gain an in-depth understanding of malicious code and use cutting-edge tactics to combat it.
Plus, you'll have the opportunity to utilize tools from Utica's Malware Analysis Laboratory. Located in a secure, controlled facility, the lab is designed to safely analyze suspect malware and houses over 100 GB of recent malware samples.
Many of the state-of-the-art tools used in the lab by our cyber faculty to conduct real-world research and analysis on malware are also available to you as a student in the online malware analysis specialization.
Course Spotlight: CYB 641 – Computer and Network Operations
Develop an appreciation and depth of understanding of computer network operations (CNO) and its three pillars of operation: Attack, defense, and exploitation. Cultivate skills in system vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
Course Spotlight: CYB 691 – Malware Practicum
This practicum is designed to give you supervised, practical application of previously or concurrent studied theory in malware mitigation and analysis. You'll learn the nuances of finding and mitigating malware and gain a deep understanding of the technical methods of malicious code (malcode), specialized malware analysis tools and environments, and enterprisewide mitigation methods.
More Options for Your Degree
Frequently Asked Questions
Advancing your life and career with an online degree comes with lots of questions, and we want to ensure your search for answers is effortless. If you have a question we haven't covered, call (866) 295-3106 to speak with a program manager.
The M.S. in Cybersecurity program is designed to be completed in less than two years by taking two classes per 16-week semester. Through 30 credit hours, you'll develop both a foundational understanding of cybersecurity principles, ethics, and critical thinking related to cybersecurity, and specialize in any of seven areas: Cyber Intelligence, Cyber Forensics, Malware Analysis, Electronic Crime, Cyber Operations, Cyber Policy, and Data Analytics.
The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Utica College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) through academic year 2024.
Our cybersecurity programs have also been recognized for their excellence by the Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) and EC-Council, one of the premier international certifying cybersecurity bodies.
When you graduate with a new set of expert-level skills in cybersecurity, information assurance, and computer forensics, you'll be in high demand wherever you're interested in protecting data and deterring cybercrime.
In-demand jobs are available in corporate, governmental, analytical, or investigative environments. Employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than average 12 percent through 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
See our M.S. in Cybersecurity Career Outlook page for detailed information about the career paths, jobs, and earning potential that may be possible for you after graduation.
No. While previous experience in computer and information security may provide valuable context to your studies, work history in the field is not required for admittance to the program. See our full list of admissions requirements for the M.S. in Cybersecurity program.
The Master of Science in Cybersecurity program is a 30-credit-hour program at a cost of $895 per credit hour, for a total estimated tuition cost of $26,850. Dual-specialization students will require 42 credit hours for a total of $37,590.
For a detailed list of all related expenses and fees, see the M.S. in Cybersecurity tuitions and fees page.
In order to complete the program, you'll be required to complete 30 credit hours, which will include a foundational set of courses as well as your chosen specialization. Dual-specialization students will require 42 credit hours. See the full M.S. in Cybersecurity curriculum for detailed information.
SOURCES:
1PayScale (n.d.). Average Malware Analyst Salary. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Malware_Analyst/Salary
2Glassdoor Inc. (n.d.) Reverse Engineer Salaries. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Malware_Analyst/Salary