M.S.S.I. Graduate Program
The flagship educational experience offered by Johns Hopkins University in the area of information security and assurance is represented by the Master of Science in Security Informatics (M.S.S.I.) degree. A wide range of courses is available in support of this unique and innovative graduate program.
The M.S.S.I. is a full-time day program offered on the Homewood Campus in North Baltimore. Most students complete the program in three full-time semesters though some graduate students may finish their degree part-time after completing the required two consecutive semesters of residency as a full-time student.
Admission Requirements
Application Requirements for the M.S.S.I. Degree
- Application to the M.S.S.I. degree is open to outstanding candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree with sufficient technical exposure to computer science that serves as preparation for the core technology courses, including intermediate programming, data structures, discrete mathematics, and computer system fundamentals.
- All applicants are obligated to take and submit the results of the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination as one of the requirements for admission.
- International students are obligated to take either the TOEFL test or the IELTS test.
The preferred scores are as follows:
GRE General Test
| List 1 | List 2 |
|---|---|
| Verbal | 153 (62%) |
| Quantitative | 160 (84%) |
| Analytical | 3.5 |
| TOEFL Internet based | 100 |
| IELTS | 7.0 |
- The institution code for both the GRE and TOEFL is 5332.
- The department code for the GRE is 0404. The department code for TOEFL is 78.
- These scores in the above serve as general guidelines for admission. The Admissions Committee in making its final decisions will consider the combination of professional knowledge, academic excellence, letters of recommendation, and the statement of purpose, as well as GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS scores of the applicants.
- Additional information about admission application is available at https://grad.jhu.edu/apply/apply-now/.
Program Requirements
Course Requirements for the M.S.S.I.
Upon admission to the Master of Science in Security Informatics, a student is assigned a faculty advisor who must approve the courses to be applied to the M.S.S.I. degree.
The Master of Science in Security Informatics program has a course requirement of a minimum of 10 courses, plus a team-based capstone project including a report and presentation. Students must choose one of two tracks – Technology & Research Track or Policy & Management Track.
All courses supporting the M.S.S.I. are categorized into four areas of Technology, Policy, Health, and Management. Each course is further classified into Core, Elective or Foundational category.
The Technology & Research Track program of study must satisfy the following course distribution requirements:
- Five Technology courses: at least four Core Technology courses including at least one Core Technology course in Cryptography.
- Three Core Policy/Management/Health courses: at least one Core Policy course and one Core Management course.
- Two additional courses from Core or Elective Technology categories; or when deemed appropriate relative to a student’s background, interests, and goals AND with the prior approval of the faculty advisor and the program, from other course areas.
The Policy & Management Track program of study must satisfy the following course distribution requirements:
- Three Technology courses: at least two Core Technology courses including at least one Core Technology course in Cryptography.
- Five Core/Foundational Policy/Health/Management courses: at least one course from each of Core Policy/Management/Health categories and at least one Foundational Management course.
- Two additional courses from Core/Elective Technology or Core/Foundational Policy/Management/Health categories; or when deemed appropriate relative to a student’s background, interests, and goals AND with the prior approval of the faculty advisor and the program, from other course areas.
Project Requirement
The M.S.S.I. Capstone Project will include both technology and non-technology components, and will be conducted within a team-structured environment comprised of students and faculty mentors (plus external mentors if appropriate). These projects can be sponsored by government/industry partners and affiliates, and can also be related to faculty research projects supported by grants and contracts. They should relate to real-world problems and exhibit both theoretical and practical significance. The project must be documented by a report and presentation, as well as other applicable deliverables including but not limited to system prototypes, utility libraries, experimental demonstrations, conference or journal submissions, and so on. It should follow the best practice of software engineering.
Students should actively initiate the project while communicating with a potential faculty mentor. They are expected to develop a project plan before the project starts. A presentation will be scheduled when the project concludes. The faculty mentor should approve each milestone of the project. When the project is completed with all the deliverables, the faculty mentor determines whether the project is satisfactory for the M.S.S.I degree requirement.
Additional Course Requirements
- All courses toward the degree requirement must be 600-level or above. Other courses can be used with the approval of the program.
- Courses not found on the area-specific lists can be used to meet area requirements with prior approval from the student’s advisor and the program.
- At most two independent study courses can be counted toward the course requirements.
- No courses with grades of P may be counted with the exception of independent study courses.
- At most two courses may be transferred from other institutions. The student’s faculty advisor and the M.S.S.I Director must approve such transfer courses.
- The overall grade point average of the courses counted towards the coursework requirements must be 3.00 or higher.
- At most two courses with grade less than B- may be counted towards the course work requirements. No courses with grade less than C- may be counted.
- A grade of D or F results in probation. A second D or F is cause for being dropped from the program.
- Completion of EN.500.603 Graduate Orientation and Academic Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research training.
MSSI Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.601.640 | Web Security | 3 |
| EN.601.641 | Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies | 3 |
| EN.601.642 | Modern Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.601.643 | Security & Privacy in Computing | 3 |
| EN.601.644 | Network Security | 3 |
| EN.601.645 | Practical Cryptographic Systems | 3 |
| EN.601.742 | Advanced Topics in Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.601.743 | Advanced Topics in Computer Security | 3 |
| EN.601.745 | Advanced Topics in Applied Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.650.601 | Introduction to Information Security | 3 |
| EN.650.614 | Rights In Digital Age | 3 |
| EN.650.621 | Critical Infrastructure Protection | 3 |
| EN.650.631 | Ethical Hacking | 3 |
| EN.650.640 | Moral & Legal Foundations of Privacy | 3 |
| EN.650.653 | Financial Issues in Managing a Secure Operation | 3 |
| EN.650.654 | Computer Intrusion Detection | 3 |
| EN.650.655 | Implementing Effective Information Security Programs | 3 |
| EN.650.656 | Computer Forensics | 3 |
| EN.650.658 | Introduction to Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.650.660 | Software Vulnerability Analysis | 3 |
| EN.650.663 | Cloud Computing Security | 3 |
| EN.650.671 | Cryptography & Coding | 4 |
| EN.650.672 | Security Analytics | 3 |
| EN.650.673 | Mobile and Wireless Security | 3 |
| EN.650.681 | Global Cybersecurity Trends and Practices | 3 |
| EN.650.683 | Cybersecurity Risk Management | 3 |
| EN.650.724 | Advanced Network Security | 3 |
| EN.650.757 | Advanced Computer Forensics | 3 |
| EN.650.840 | Information Security Independent Study | 3 |
- For seven-week course modules, e.g., several courses offered through the Whiting School of Engineering Center for Leadership Education (CLE), two of them count as one course of 3 credit hours.
- For quarter-based courses, e.g., several courses of course numbers starting with ME from the School of Medicine Division of Health Sciences Informatics, two of them are equivalent of one WSE course of 3 credit hours.
Core Technology Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.601.640 | Web Security | 3 |
| EN.601.642 | Modern Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.601.643 | Security & Privacy in Computing | 3 |
| EN.601.644 | Network Security | 3 |
| EN.601.645 | Practical Cryptographic Systems | 3 |
| EN.601.742 | Advanced Topics in Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.601.743 | Advanced Topics in Computer Security | 3 |
| EN.601.745 | Advanced Topics in Applied Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.650.601 | Introduction to Information Security | 3 |
| EN.650.631 | Ethical Hacking | 3 |
| EN.650.654 | Computer Intrusion Detection | 3 |
| EN.650.656 | Computer Forensics | 3 |
| EN.650.658 | Introduction to Cryptography | 3 |
| EN.650.660 | Software Vulnerability Analysis | 3 |
| EN.650.663 | Cloud Computing Security | 3 |
| EN.650.671 | Cryptography & Coding | 4 |
| EN.650.672 | Security Analytics | 3 |
| EN.650.673 | Mobile and Wireless Security | 3 |
| EN.650.724 | Advanced Network Security | 3 |
| EN.650.757 | Advanced Computer Forensics | 3 |
Elective Technology Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.601.631 | Theory of Computation | 3 |
| EN.601.633 | Intro Algorithms | 3 |
| EN.601.641 | Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies | 3 |
| EN.650.621 | Critical Infrastructure Protection | 3 |
| EN.650.840 | Information Security Independent Study | 3 |
Core Policy Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.650.614 | Rights In Digital Age | 3 |
| EN.650.640 | Moral & Legal Foundations of Privacy | 3 |
| EN.650.681 | Global Cybersecurity Trends and Practices | 3 |
| EN.595.731 | Business Law for Technical Professionals | 3 |
| EN.635.672 | Privacy Engineering | 3 |
| EN.660.311 | Law and the Internet | 3 |
Core Health Courses
School of Medicine courses may be taken to fulfill core health course requirements.1
Core Management Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.650.653 | Financial Issues in Managing a Secure Operation | 3 |
| EN.650.655 | Implementing Effective Information Security Programs | 3 |
| EN.650.683 | Cybersecurity Risk Management | 3 |
| EN.595.660 | Planning and Managing Projects | 3 |
| EN.635.775 | Cyber Operations, Risk, and Compliance | 3 |
| EN.635.776 | Building Information Governance | 3 |
Foundational Management Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.663.644 | Writing for Clarity | 1.5 |
| EN.663.645 | Improving Presentation Skills for Scientists and Engineers | 1.5 |
| EN.663.660 | Managing People and Resolving Conflicts | 1.5 |
| EN.663.670 | Project Management | 1.5 |
| EN.663.671 | Leading Change | 1.5 |
| EN.663.673 | Leading Teams in Virtual, International and Local Settings | 1.5 |
| EN.663.674 | Fundamentals of Management | 1.5 |
| 1 | For additional information refer to http://isi.jhu.edu/mssi/course_distribution |