Master of Science in Cyber Security (Online | On Campus)

#### **Master of Science in Cyber Security (Online | On Campus)

The global rise in cybercrime has created an unprecedented demand for cybersecurity professionals. As an international leader in intelligence and cyber education, Mercyhurst University’s new online Cyber Security master’s program will prepare you to analyze cyber threats to computer systems, networks, and networked devices, and protect those systems from cyber attacks. Through engaging online coursework, you’ll also learn to evaluate the legal, regulatory and ethical issues related to cybersecurity and privacy, and effectively communicate complex cybersecurity information.

A master’s in Cyber Security is excellent preparation for career advancement in the rapidly growing cyber professions. Mercyhurst’s program is one of the few in the nation to address cyber threats to business as well as national and international security. Grads of our program are well-positioned for careers as cyber analysts and IT security specialists in virtually any industry.

Fast Facts

• Cyber Security faculty includes experienced professionals with decades of experience in government, national security, and private business
• Our unique program will train students for jobs with government intelligence agencies as cyber analysts as well as IT security specialists in large and small private enterprises
• Mercyhurst's Cyber Security program is housed in the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Science, named after Erie native Tom Ridge, the 43rd governor of Pennsylvania and the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
• A full-time student will complete this 36 credit program in two years
• Cyber Security students will never take more than one class at a time, making this program ideal for working professionals

The Ridge Advantage

Mercyhurst University pioneered the field of intelligence studies in the mid-1990s and is home to the largest and oldest academic intelligence enterprise in the United States. Founded in 1996, the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences has earned a reputation throughout the world for the quality and cutting-edge skills of its graduates. Mercyhurst intel alumni work in all 17 federal intelligence agencies and dozens of Fortune 500 companies, working to assist corporate and government leaders and decision-makers around the globe.

As new threats and technologies have emerged, Mercyhurst has invested heavily in both data science and cybersecurity, developing new online master’s programs in Cyber Risk Management and Cyber Security. Drawing on the diverse learning resources and experienced faculty of the Ridge College, these programs harness our national security bona fides to offer unparalleled instruction in some of today’s most dynamic fields.

“The construction of new cyber training facilities ensure Mercyhurst remains the vanguard of the field.”—Tom Ridge

About

Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, on a hill overlooking Lake Erie, our 75-acre campus is known as one of the most beautiful in the region. Elements of English Gothic architecture are carried throughout our Old Main, academic buildings and student residence halls.

Carpe Diem.

Grounded in the ideals of service, hospitality, and entrepreneurship that inspired our founders, a Mercyhurst education encourages the development of lifelong passions and engagement with the larger world. Inspired by our motto, "Carpe Diem," our faculty and students embrace innovation and leadership in service, as they make a difference within our gates and around the world.

Mission

Faith and Service in a Mercy University

"The joy and the hope, the grief and the anguish of the women and men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. Nothing genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts…That is why Christians cherish a feeling of deep solidarity with the human race and its history." (Gaudium et Spes, Preface 1)

Such dreams and realities engage every Catholic university. They make a particular appeal to Mercy universities founded by the Sisters of Mercy, who have committed their lives and works to serve those who are poor, sick and uneducated. The inspiration expressed in Gaudium et Spes, therefore, lies at the heart of our identity and mission. A Mercyhurst education aims at engaging students for life and at creating leaders in justice and service. In a time of much social change and challenge, this inspiration clarifies our vision of the specific character of our Catholic Mercy University.

Our inspiration leads us to topics of study and engages our perspectives in learning, research, and scholarly endeavors. Such inspiration provides the basis of the social-justice dimension of many of our academic and service programs. Indeed, such inspiration directs the goals of our university. We desire to share this inspiration with those who come through our gates, seeking academic excellence, professional expertise, and a future full of hope.

Our Vision

Mercyhurst University seeks to be a leading higher educational institution that integrates excellence in the liberal arts, professional and career-path programs, and service to regional and world communities.

Our Mission Statement

Consistent with its Catholic identity and Mercy heritage, Mercyhurst University educates women and men in a culture where faith and reason flourish together, where the beauty and power of the liberal arts combine with an appreciation for the dignity of work and a commitment to serving others. Confident in the strength of its student-faculty bonds, the university community is inspired by the image of students whose choices, in life and work, will enable them to realize the human and spiritual values embedded in everyday realities and to exercise leadership in service toward a just world.

Our Core Values

We are:

• Socially merciful,
  • Mercy restores human dignity, expands our social relations, and empowers us to reach out in compassion to others.
• Globally responsible,
  • Globalization challenges us to learn how to steward the resources of the Earth wisely and to act in solidarity with its diverse peoples.
• Compassionately hospitable,
  • Mercy hospitality begins with self-acceptance, welcomes peoples of different faith, ethnic, and cultural traditions, and thus builds communities that transcend mere tolerance.
• Intellectually creative,
  • Generous, inquiring, and critical habits of mind, which support the aspirations for excellence manifested within the academic community, encourage us in our lifelong search for what is true, good, and beautiful.
• Reflectively aware,
  • Our Christian environment encourages self-reflection and contemplation of human behavior, promotes the balance of mind, body, and spirit, and ultimately offers the opportunity to develop a moral compass for a life of integrity.
• Ambassadors of service.

Contact

The Office for Mission Integration, established in 2008, assists the President of Mercyhurst University in promoting and integrating the university’s educational mission, and the beliefs and values of the Catholic identity and legacy of the Sisters of Mercy, as represented in the mission statement and core values of the institution. The work of the office is many faceted but essentially directed to educating and encouraging all members of the university community from students to trustees to advance the mission of Mercyhurst. As such, it has particular care for the Catholic and sponsoring Sisters of Mercy traditions and service.