Education

Since the early 2000s, the School of Computing and Information has offered coursework, degree programs, and certificates to prepare the workforce for a future in which information and network security are paramount.

Our Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS) program, a four-year program, includes security and privacy coursework as part of the required core of the program. This permits all undergraduate students to gain an understanding and appreciation for the role that information security plays in business, healthcare, government, and non-for-profit organizations. Undergraduate students who seek deeper knowledge and skills in information and network security can pursue a focused pathway in Cybersecurity by taking advanced coursework in Advanced Security, Communication Networks, Cloud Computing, Wireless Networks, Security Management and Computer Forensics. 

The Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS) program offers students the opportunity to take the Information Security specialization, which features coursework on data mining, Security Management and Computer Forensics, Network Security, Cryptography, Social Computing , Machine Learning, Developing Secure Systems, and Cloud Computing.

The Department offers two doctoral programs, one in Information Science and one in Telecommunications, which allow students to explore theories and applications in cybersecurity, leading to newly-created knowledge and tools for next-generation information and network security. 

Cybersecurity Certificates

Students can pursue post-baccalaureate and post-Master's certificates in security related topics including:

Cybersecurity, Policy, and Law -- this integrated curriculum—incorporating coursework from Pitt’s School of Computing and Information, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and School of Law—provides students with the skills to develop comprehensive cybersecurity policies and strengthen cybersecurity ecosystems to minimize risk. 

Information and Network Security -- designed to address the needs of professionals who hold a baccalaureate or master’s degree in Information Science or a related field in order to expand their professional skills and qualifications in cybersecurity.

Upskilling, Reskilling, and Diversifying the Cybersecurity Workforce

The Professional Institute (PI) offers a unique and flexible approach for working professionals to make it easier than ever to gain the skills you need right away, when the need is greatest. The PI's cybersecurity micro-credential pathways prepare you to take on real-word cybersecurity challenges in the shortest amount of time. Explore the Professional Institute's programs to find what works best for you here: https://www.sciprofessional.pitt.edu/what-we-offer .

Prof. Leona Mitchell received a Pitt Seed award to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in cybersecurity by creating and offering a boot camp to non-technical working professionals from underrepresented groups that would help them build the technical skills needed to start learning cybersecurity. More information can be found here.

A team of faculty from SCI (Chelsea Gunn, Leona Mitchell, Sherif Khattab, and Ahmed Ibrahim) received an SCI Small Grant award to explore “Actionable Items that can Lead to a Measurable Increase in Cybersecurity Diversity”. Through this effort, the team lead a FOCUS group to discuss the topic as a Dialogue in a special issue on Diversifying the Cybersecurity Workforce where its outcome was published in the Cybersecurity Skills Journal (CSJ) Diversifying the Cybersecurity Workforce Special Issue.

In May 2022, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim partnered with the CEC Hill District to offer a 2-day Cybersecurity Pathway course. The course helped Hill District community members explore cybersecurity and learn: how to use the Linux terminal, how the Internet works, what ethical hacking is and is not, how to scan a network, performing a vulnerability scan, and how to use metasploit to hack into a vulnerable machine. This is a seed to design and offer future courses and programs for the CEC Hill District.

Broadening Cybersecurity Education to K-12

The University of Pittsburgh has had a long-standing commitment to work with the K-12 community.  For the past 40 years, we have provided quality educational support to high school teachers through our College in High School program. High school teachers work closely with world-class faculty from the University of Pittsburgh to build and teach college level courses where students can earn college credits within their own supportive high school environment. Recently, Dr. Balaji Palanisamy with other faculty members developed interdisciplinary introductory curriculum components focused on Security-assured Data Science education, which is offered to high schools through Pitt’s College in High School program. Our mission not only creates awareness and expands educational opportunities but provides support to underrepresented groups.

In November 2022, the School of Computing and Information in collaboration with Cyber.ORG offered a 2-day online cybersecurity professional development training for 16 high school teachers and a 2-day in-person follow-up training for the same group of teachers in February 2023. In 2023, we offered a GenCyber@Pitt program to high school teachers who are interested in providing their students with exposure to cybersecurity in their classes, and to provide opportunities for deeper exploration for interested students.

We are currently recruiting high school teachers for our 2024-2025 GenCyber@Pitt Teachers Preparedness Program. The program start date is Thursday 4/4/2024, will be delivered virtually (i.e., remotely over Zoom), and participants’ synchronous remote attendance is required. More information (and application link) can be found here: https://pi.tt/GenCyber24-teachers.

We also welcome high school teachers leading cybersecurity education in their schools and districts to join the Western PA Cybersecurity Teacher Learning Community. The purpose of this community is to facilitate continuous learning which can happen in many forms like sharing experiences, professional development opportunities, or sharing you questions/concerns with others. It is important that we circulate our experiences and opportunities such that we can have keep strengthening cybersecurity education in high schools around us. To join the Western PA Cybersecurity Teacher Learning Community, send an email to aibrahim@pitt.edu with subject line "CTLC".

Each year, Pitt Cyber, in partnership with Pitt Information Technology, hosts the Air Force Association CyberCamp. This week-long camp is free and open to high school students from the Pittsburgh area and teaches cybersecurity principles, skills, and future career opportunities. More information about this students cyber camp can be found here: https://www.cyber.pitt.edu/events/air-force-association-cybercamp-0 .

If you are a K-12 teacher/student or have questions about our K-12 community engagement, feel free to contact Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim (aibrahim@pitt.edu) with your ideas and questions.

Pitt Cyber Range

The “Pitt Cyber Range” (https://range.pitt.edu/ui) is a sandboxed environment, initially funded by a PittSeed grant, to simulate real cybersecurity attacks and defenses, which are challenging to perform on a personal computing machine. Such exercises allow learners to understand not only how sophisticated attacks work, but also develop the necessary skills to protect humans, information, systems, networks, and critical infrastructure. In addition to learning how to find and exploit flaws, learners develop an understanding about the underlying issues and an ability to articulate reasons and remedies to threats.

Pitt faculty and students can email Ahmed Ibrahim (aibrahim@pitt.edu) to have an account created for them and to get a demo on how to use the range.

DoD Cyber Scholarship Program