Cyber Security Engineering

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www.ece.iastate.edu

Administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

For the undergraduate curriculum in cyber security engineering leading to the degree Bachelor of Science.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECpE) at Iowa State University provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to learn computer engineering fundamentals, study applications of the most recent advances in state-of-the-art technologies, and to prepare for the practice of cyber security engineering. The student-faculty interaction necessary to realize this opportunity occurs within an environment that is motivated by the principle that excellence in undergraduate education is enhanced by an integrated commitment to successful, long-term research and outreach programs.

The program objectives for the cyber security engineering program describe accomplishments that graduates are expected to attain within five years after graduation. Graduates will have applied their expertise to contemporary problem solving, be engaged professionally, have continued to learn and adapt, and have contributed to their organizations through leadership and teamwork. More specifically, the objectives for expertise, engagement, learning, leadership and teamwork are defined below for the program.

The objectives of the cyber security engineering program at Iowa State University are:

  • Graduates, within five years of graduation, should demonstrate peer-recognized expertise in computer security principles together with the ability to articulate that expertise and use it for contemporary problem solving in the analysis, design, and operation of the physical, software and human components of a system, including system integration and implementation.
  • Graduates, within five years of graduation, should demonstrate engagement in the engineering profession, locally and globally, by contributing to the ethical, competent, and creative practice of engineering or other professional careers.
  • Graduates, within five years of graduation, should demonstrate sustained learning and adapting to a constantly changing field through graduate work, professional development, and self study.
  • Graduates, within five years of graduation, should demonstrate leadership and initiative to ethically advance professional and organizational goals, facilitate the achievements of others, and obtain substantive results.
  • Graduates, within five years of graduation, should demonstrate a commitment to teamwork while working with others of diverse cultural and interdisciplinary backgrounds.

As a complement to the instructional activity, the ECpE department provides opportunities for each student to have experience with broadening activities. Through the cooperative education and internship program, students have the opportunity to gain practical industry experience. Students have the opportunity to participate in advanced research activities, and through international exchange programs, students learn about engineering practices in other parts of the world. Well-qualified juniors and seniors in cyber security engineering who are interested in graduate study may apply for concurrent enrollment in the Graduate College to simultaneously pursue both the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science.

Curriculum in Cyber Security Engineering

Administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Leading to the degree Bachelor of Science.

Total credits required: 125
Any transfer credit courses applied to the degree program require a grade of C or better (but will not be calculated into the ISU cumulative GPA, Basic Program GPA or Core GPA). See also Basic Program and Special Programs. 
Note: Department does not allow Pass/Not Pass credits to be used to meet graduation requirements.
International Perspectives: 3 cr.1
U.S. Diversity: 3 cr.1
Communication Proficiency/Library requirement:
ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication (Must have a C or better in this course)3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Must have a C or better in this course)3
LIB 160Information Literacy1
One of the following:3
Technical Communication (C or better in this course)
Proposal and Report Writing (C or better in this course)
General Education Electives: 21 cr.3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Must have a C or better in this course.)3
ENGL 314Technical Communication (Must have a C or better in this course.)3
or ENGL 309 Proposal and Report Writing
Complete minimum of 6 cr. from Approved General Education Component 300 level and above. 36
Complete additional 9cr. from Approved General Education Component. 39
Total Credits21
Basic Program: 24 cr.
A minimum GPA of 2.00 required for this set of courses (please note that transfer course grades will not be calculated into the Basic Program GPA). See Requirement for Entry into Professional Program in College of Engineering Overview section.
CHEM 167General Chemistry for Engineering Students4
or CHEM 177 General Chemistry I
ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication (Must have a C or better in this course)3
ENGR 101Engineering OrientationR
CPR E 185Introduction to Computer Engineering and Problem Solving I 23
LIB 160Information Literacy1
MATH 165Calculus I4
MATH 166Calculus II4
PHYS 221Introduction to Classical Physics I5
Total Credits24
Math and Physical Science: 17 cr.
COM S 227Object-oriented Programming4
COM S 228Introduction to Data Structures3
MATH 267Elementary Differential Equations and Laplace Transforms4
STAT 330Probability and Statistics for Computer Science3
Math Elective 33
Total Credits17
Cyber Security Engineering Core: 37 cr.
(A minimum GPA of 2.00 required for this set of courses, including any transfer courses; please note that transfer course grades will not be calculated into the Core GPA).
CPR E 230Cyber Security Fundamentals3
CPR E 231Cyber Security Concepts and Tools3
CPR E 234Legal, Professional, and Ethical Issues in Cyber Systems3
CPR E 331Application of Cryptographic Concepts to Cyber Security3
CPR E 281Digital Logic4
CPR E 288Embedded Systems I: Introduction4
CPR E 308Operating Systems: Principles and Practice4
CPR E 310Theoretical Foundations of Computer Engineering3
CPR E 381Computer Organization and Assembly Level Programming4
COM S 309Software Development Practices3
CPR E 315Applications of Algorithms in Computer Engineering3
or COM S 311 Introduction to the Design and Analysis of Algorithms
Total Credits37
Other Remaining Courses: 26 cr.
CPR E 491Senior Design Project I and Professionalism3
CPR E 492Senior Design Project II2
Cyber SecurityTechnical Electives 312
Computer Engineering Technical Electives 33
Technical Electives 36
Total Credits26
Seminar/Co-op/Internships 4:
CPR E 166Professional Programs OrientationR
CPR E 294Program DiscoveryR
CPR E 494Portfolio AssessmentR
Transfer Credit Requirements

The degree program must include a minimum of 30 credits at the 300-level or above in professional and technical courses earned at ISU in order to receive a B.S. in computer engineering. These 30 credits must include CPR E 491 Senior Design Project I and Professionalism, CPR E 492 Senior Design Project II, and credits in the core professional curriculum and/or in technical electives. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department requires a grade of C or better for any transfer credit course that is applied to the degree program.

  1. These university requirements will add to the minimum credits of the program unless the university-approved courses are also approved by the department to meet other course requirements within the degree program. U.S. diversity and international perspectives courses may not be taken Pass/Not Pass, but are used to meet the general education electives.
  2. See Basic Program for Professional Engineering Curricula for accepted substitutions for curriculum designated courses in the Basic Program.
  3. From department approved lists.  
  4. Co-op / Internships are optional

See also: A 4-year plan of study grid showing course template by semester.

Note: International perspectives and U.S. diversity courses are used to meet the general education electives.

Cyber Security Engineering, B.S.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CHEM 1674COM S 2274
CPR E 1853CPR E 166R
ENGL 1503MATH 1664
ENGR 101RPHYS 2215
LIB 1601General Education Elective3
MATH 1654 
 15 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CPR E 2814CPR E 2884
COM S 2283ENGL 2503
CPR E 294RMath Elective3
MATH 2674CPR E 2313
CPR E 2303CPR E 2343
 14 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CPR E 3814COM S 311 or CPR E 3153
CPR E 3103CPR E 3084
COM S 3093ENGL 314 or ENGL 3093
CPR E 3313General Education Elective3
General Education Elective3Cyber Security Elective3
 16 16
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
CPR E 4913CPR E 4922
CPR E 494R Tech Elective6
STAT 3303General Education Elective3
Cyber Security Elective6Cyber Security Elective3
CPR E Elective3 
General Education Elective3 
 18 14