About the Program

The University of North Texas Information Science PhD Program (IS PhD Program) responds to the varied and changing needs of the information age, therefore offering the Cybersecurity Concentration. The Cybersecurity Concentration is being offered jointly with UNT Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and UNT Department of Information Technology and Decision Sciences with the ultimate goal of providing interdisciplinary training, research, and professional services in cybersecurity. The concentration will prepare academics that are capable of conducting research on the critical issues in cybersecurity and related areas, and that are highly focused on information science perspective. They will fulfill the ever-increasing need for highly-trained researchers to assist the federal and state governments, the military, and the public sector in defending our information infrastructure and assets.

Course Requirements
Students enrolled in the cybersecurity concentration will take courses from four blocks of courses:

1. Information Science Core Area (12 graduate credit hours)

• INFO 6000 - Seminar in Information Science
• INFO 6660 - Readings in Information Science
• INFO 6700 - Seminar in Communication and Use of Information
• INFO 6945 - Doctoral Seminar in Information Issues

2. Research Courses (minimum of 24 graduate credit hours, including doctoral dissertation hours)

• INFO 6940 Inquiry and Research Design Quantitative Research Methods/ Statistics (6 graduate credit hours in consultation with advisor)
• Qualitative Research Methods (3 graduate credit hours in consultation with advisor)
• Doctoral Dissertation Hours (minimum of 12 hours of INFO 6950 to be completed after passing the qualifying exam)

3. Cybersecurity Concentration Core (15 graduate credit hours)

• INFO 5707 - Data Modeling for Information Professionals or CSCE 5350 - Fundamentals of Database Systems
• INFO 5960 - Library and Information Sciences Institute or Seminar (when topic is “Knowledge Management, Tools and Technologies”)
• BCIS 5740 - Information Security Management or CSCE 5550 - Introduction to Computer Security
• CSCE 5380 - Data Mining

4. Cybersecurity Concentration Electives (a minimum of 12 graduate credit hours from the partial list below; other courses may be used upon approval).

• BCIS 5620 - Networking and Telecommunications
• BCIS 5650 - Emerging Information Technologies
• BCIS 5670 - International Issues in Information Technology
• BCIS 5680 - Web-Based Systems Development
• BCIS 5690 - Topics in Information Technology
• BCIS 5700 - Strategic Use of Information Technology
• CSCE 5550 - Introduction to Computer Security
• CSCE 5933 - Topics in Computer Science and Engineering (when topic is Design and Analysis of Trusted Secure Computing Platform”)
• CJUS 5100 - Information Warfare, Security and Risk Analysis
• INFO 5347 - Digital Citizenship
• INFO 5960 - Library and Information Sciences Institute or Seminar (when topic is “Information Privacy,” “Data Analysis and Knowledge Discovery” or “Topics in Information Security”)