Master of Science or MSc in Cyber Security is a 2-year long postgraduate level degree course inculcating the study of cyber laws and cyber security. It includes the study of communication networks and technologies along with the analysis of legal and ethical issues in cyber security.
The candidate must have completed a BSc or BE/BTech degree in Computer Science, IT, Cyber Security or any other equivalent degree from a recognized institution to be eligible for MSc Cyber Security course. The candidates must complete their graduation with a minimum aggregate score of 50%. Almost all the colleges offering this course select candidates based on the marks obtained in the last qualifying exam. Only a few institutes conduct their own entrance exam to grant admission to MSc Cyber Security course. The course covers all the aspects of cyber security, ethical hacking, data encryption and hacking prevention in complete detail. It includes subjects like Digital Security, Cryptography, Digital Forensics, Malware Functionality, etc.
The Average Annual Fees for MSc Cyber Security course ranges from INR 30,000 to INR 2,00,000 depending on the institute.
All businesses face cyber threats and require the skills of an expert to secure their data and safeguard it against thefts and malpractices. The candidates with MSc Cyber Security can apply for jobs not only in IT sector companies but in almost all the big companies all around the world.
Some of the most important job profiles available to them include Penetration Tester, Cryptography Expert, Security Code Auditor, etc. Average salary earned by an MSc Cyber Security candidate ranges between INR 3,00,000 to INR 12,00,000 depending on the skill and expertise of the candidates.
After completing MSc in Cyber Security, a candidate can also go for a MPhil or PhD in Cyber Security. They can also do research on various cyber threats and ways to prevent them and publish their own research papers.
MSc Cyber Security Course Highlights
The major highlights of the MSc Cyber Security course is tabulated in the table below.
| Course Level | Postgraduate |
| Full-Form | MSc in Cyber Security |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Examination type | Semester based |
| Eligibility | 50% aggregate marks in the BSc or any equivalent exam from recognized university |
| Admission Process | Merit-based |
| Course Fee | INR13,660 to INR 2,00,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 3,00,000 to INR 5,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity Policy, Computer System Security, Biometrics, |
| Job Positions | Ethical Hacking, Penetration Tester, Cyber Legal Service, Cryptographic Expert, etc. |
| Top Recruitment Areas | Intelligence forces, research programs, security services, Management teams of companies |
MSc Cyber Security: What is it About?
- Cyber security refers to the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. Cyber security may also be referred to as information technology security. It is a merge of information technology and law to protect all the personal and professional data from theft and misuse.
- MSc Cyber Security course includes subjects like ethical hacking, cyber laws, analytics, operations in computer networking, information assurance, and many more.
- The four major fields of securing information online are: Encryption, Signature Schemes, Hash Functions, and Authentication.
- Formulation of recommendations in both software and hardware assessment of security-related features, estimating and eliminating security risks.
- Examine security loopholes and provide effective solutions to security-related problems.
- Detect and prevent cyber-attacks by implementing various security measures, thus protecting the internet users from frauds, information and identity theft, theft of funds, Dos attacks, and various other intrusions by attackers.
Why Should You Study MSc Cyber Security course?
By the end of this course, students will be able to convey their capabilities in the following:
- The course provides you with all of the above-mentioned skills and also makes your brain work towards finding solutions to all cyber security problems.
- Students will be well equipped with computational skills to solve all cyber-crime related problems efficiently and quickly. Advanced tools and techniques to track crime, management methods to secure data and policy controls to take action in case of any theft or malpractice are taught in this course.
- There are a lot of job opportunities for cyber security specialists in India and abroad where students can earn and are at a more likely chance to get a higher position.
- Both government and private sector companies recruit MSc Cyber Security candidates on a regular basis.
- The salary package is good and the demand for this course is growing day by day. So, the salary is expected to increase further in future.
MSc Cyber Security Admission Process
The admission procedure to MSc in Cyber Security is based on the marks obtained in the last qualifying examination. The procedure of admission is as follows:
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Step 1: Candidates must register themselves on the links provided on the official website of the desired college.
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Step 2: After registering and entering all your appropriate details you must submit all the scanned copies of the required documents.
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Step 3: After submitting your application, you have to pay the application fee online. Only then will your application form be considered.
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Step 4: After reviewing all the applications, a merit list will be prepared by the college and will be declared in their websites.
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Step 5: Candidates who have been listed in the merit list must report to the college in the allotted time period to verify all the documents, pay the admission fees and confirm their admission.
Some of the details of the procedure may vary from college to college.
Read more on Amity University MSc Admission Process.
MSc Cyber Security Eligibility Criteria
The basic eligibility criteria for the MSc Cyber Security course are discussed below.
- A candidate must have a BSc/BE/BTech/ or any other equivalent degree in Cyber Security or related fields like Computer Science or Information Technology from a recognized institute with at least 50% marks in aggregate.
- The percentage of passing marks is subject to change for different universities and colleges.
MSc Cyber Security Entrance Exams
Though there is no national level entrance exam for this course, some of the top colleges conduct their own Entrance Exams for MSc in Cyber Security. Some of them are described below.
| Entrance Exams | Registration | Exam Dates |
|---|---|---|
| CUET PG | December 27, 2023 | 11th March to 28th March, 2024 |
| BITSAT | Last week of January 2024 | Last week of May 2024 |
| NEST | February 2023 | June 2023 |
| IIT JAM | September 5, 2023 | February 11, 2024 |
| DUET | February 2024 | 15th – 31st May 2024 |
| TISS NET | February 2024 | 11th March to 28th March, 2024 |
How to Prepare for MSc Cyber Security Entrance Exams?
The entrance exams for admission to MSc Cyber Security generally have questions from the following topics:
- Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning
- English
- Mathematics
- Programming Languages and Ethical Hacking
To crack the MSc Cyber Security exams, the candidate must be well versed with each of these topics. One can follow the points mentioned below to prepare well for the entrance exams.
- One should have clear concepts regarding topics like Mathematics, Programming, Ethical Hacking, Quantitative aptitude and logical reasoning to score well in the exam.
- The duration of the examination is 3 hours, hence one should allocate proper time to each section.
- The Programming and Ethical Hacking section can prove to be hard considering the tricky questions that need to be solved within certain time limits. So, the candidates must practise to solve these problems very quickly.
- Candidates are advised to solve previous year question papers and at least 20-30 mocks before sitting for the actual examination.
How to get Admission in a Good MSc Cyber Security College?
- Since almost all the colleges give admission on the basis of merit, maintaining a good CGPA and GPA score is a must. Hence, students must focus their minds on the subjects being taught to them all throughout their graduation course to score good marks.
- The students should look to attain a minimum percentage of above 65% in their graduation. As the seats are less, the competition in the MSc Cyber Security course is more, so more marks will help.
- They should have a basic idea of ethical hacking, Cryptography and cyber security so that they can pass any written test or personal interview at the time of admission.
- Students are also advised to pick up as many coding languages they can over the course of their holidays, so as to have better command over them and to help them get into good colleges.
Go through the full list of top MSc Cyber Security Colleges in India.
MSc Cyber Security Syllabus
The curriculum for MSc Cyber Security includes subjects like Cryptography, Malware Analysis, Cyber Crime and related Laws, etc. The detailed semester wise breakup has been shown in the table below.
| Semester I | Semester III |
|---|---|
| Digital Securities | Malware Analysis Introduction |
| Online Anonymity | Basic Analysis |
| Cryptography and Secure Communication | Malware Analysis in Virtual Machine |
| Cyber Crime Issues and Investigation | Basic Dynamic Analysis |
| Digital Forensics | Malware Functionality |
| Semester II | Semester IV |
| Introduction to Python | Ethical Hacking |
| Using Modules and Data Structures | Final Year Project |
| String and File Manipulation | - |
| Network Programming | - |
| Scapy – A Python Tool for Security Testing | - |
The syllabus may sometimes vary from college to college.
Read More about MSc Syllabus in detail.
MSc Cyber Security Top Colleges
Many top colleges and universities in India provide MSc Cyber Security courses. Some of them have been listed in the table below.
| College Name | Location | Admission Process | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calicut University | Calicut | Entrance Based | INR 4,770 |
| Amity University | Jaipur | Merit Based + English Language Test | INR 1,22,000 |
| Centurion University | Bhubaneshwar | Entrance Based | INR 93,000 |
| Chandigarh University | Chandigarh | Entrance Based | INR 1,04,000 |
| Brainware University | Kolkata | Merit Based | INR 1,20,000 |
| NSHM Knowledge Campus | Kolkata and Durgapur | Merit Based | INR 1,56,000 |
| Ganpat University | Mehsana | Merit Based | INR 70,000 |
| Dr. K.N.Modi University | Tonk | Merit Based | INR 1,54,000 |
Source: College Websites
MSc Cyber Security College Comparison
Below we have given a detailed comparison of three top private universities offering MSc Cyber Security course on the basis of parameters like Fees, Placement Salary, Top Recruiting Companies, etc.
| Parameters | Ganpat University | Brainware University | Amity University |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Ganpat University is a State Private University established in 2005 in Mehsana, Gujarat. | Brainware University is a private university located in Barasat, Kolkata and was established in 2015. | Amity University, Jaipur, Rajasthan was established in 2008 and is a private university. |
| Location | Gujarat | Kolkata | Jaipur |
| Eligibility | Graduate degree such as B.E. or B.Tech. in a computer background. | 40% in Graduation (Any Stream) | B Tech or B Sc – CS, Computer Applications, IT, ECE, IT, BCA |
| Admission criteria | Merit-Based | Merit-Based | Merit-Based |
| Annual Fee | INR 70,000 | INR 1,20,000 | INR 1,22,000 |
| Placement companies | Mindinventory, Concetto Labs, Ace Infoway, Code Zeros, etc. | Amazon, Tata, Infosys, Wipro, JustDial, Capgemini, etc. | TCS, Infosys, Amazon, Cognizant, BYJU’s, etc. |
Cyber Security is an important discipline in Computer Sciences. Two of the closest courses related to MSc Cyber Security are MSc IT and MSc Computer Science. Below we have compared these courses one by one.
MSc Cyber Security vs MSc IT
MSc Cyber Security and MSc IT are quite related to each other by many aspects. But there are many differences too. The two courses have been compared below in detail.
| Parameters | MSc Cyber Security | MSc IT |
|---|---|---|
| Course Level | Postgraduate | Postgraduate |
| Full Form | MSc in Cyber Security | MSc in Information Technology |
| Course Overview | This course revolves only around cyber security threats, ethical hacking, hacking prevention and malware detection, cryptography, etc. | This course not only involves the basics of cyber security but it also includes many other important topics of the Information Technology field like Data Structure, Object Oriented Programming, etc. |
| Duration | 2 years | 2 years |
| Examination type | Semester based | Semester based |
| Admission criteria | Merit-Based | Merit or Entrance-Based |
| Eligibility | 50% aggregate marks in the B.Sc. or any equivalent exam from recognized university | Bachelor’s degree in relative discipline with aggregate 50% marks from recognized university |
| Course Fee | INR13,660 to INR 2,00,000 | INR 80,000 to INR 3,00,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 3,00,000 to INR 12,00,000 | INR 3,00,000 to INR 8,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity Policy, Computer System Security, Biometrics, | Deloitte, Accenture, IBM, Infosys, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung |
| Job Positions | Ethical Hacking, Penetration Tester, Cyber Legal Service, Cryptographic Expert, etc. | Project Manager, System Analyst, Software Consultant, Database Designer, Database Administrator, Application Programmer, Network Planning Manager, etc. |
Source: College Websites
Also, check the full list of MSc IT colleges in India.
MSc Cyber Security vs MSc Computer Science
MSc Computer Science is the study of the complete field of Computer Science while MSc Cyber Security deals with only the topics related to Cyber Security. The two courses have been compared below.
| Parameters | MSc Cyber Security | MSc Computer science |
|---|---|---|
| Course Level | Postgraduate | Postgraduate |
| Full-form | MSc in Cyber Security | MSc in Computer Science |
| Overview | This course revolves only around cyber security threats, ethical hacking, hacking prevention and malware detection, Cryptography, etc. | It is the complete study of all the fields and topics of Computer Science, including Data Structure, Programming, Computer Architect, AI and ML, along with the basics of Cyber Security as well. |
| Duration | 2 years | 2 years |
| Examination type | Semester based | Semester based |
| Admission criteria | Merit-Based | Entrance-Based |
| Eligibility | 50% aggregate marks in the B.Sc. or any equivalent exam from recognized university | Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics or any other related fields from recognized university |
| Course Fee | INR13,660 to INR 2,00,000 | INR 40,000 to INR 3,00,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 3,00,000 to INR 12,00,000 | INR 5,00,000 to INR 12,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity Policy, Computer System Security, Biometrics, etc. | Dell, Intel, HCl, Accenture, Oracle, Wipro etc. |
| Job Positions | Ethical Hacking, Penetration Tester, Cyber Legal Service, Cryptographic Expert, etc. | Website Developer, App Developer, Technical Assistant, Lab Assistant, IOS Developer |
Source: College Websites
Go through the entire list of MSc Computer Science colleges in India.
MSc Cyber Security Job Prospects and Career Options
- There are a lot of job opportunities available in the field after graduating in MSc in Cyber Security.
- As the world has evolved and has become more interconnected with technology, so have the malpractices and hence the cyber security course has gained importance.
- There is a lot of demand for cyber security degree graduates to help keep all the company’s data secure.
- You can get a job as an ethical hacker, penetration tester, cryptographic expert, security software developer, and also in cyber legal services.
Some of the major job profiles available to MSc Cyber Security candidates are discussed in the table below.
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Hacker | Ethical hackers are cyber security professionals who are capable of breaching security systems. They conduct tests on computer networks and try to hack into the networks to access information without authorization. | INR 4,90,000 |
| Penetration Tester | Companies employ penetration testers to improve information security by detecting and correcting system weaknesses before criminal hackers can exploit these weaknesses. | INR 5,16,000 |
| Cyber Legal Service | This includes overseeing the cyber laws, privacy, security, and support rules and regulations. | INR 6,00,000 |
| Cryptographic Expert | Cryptographers analyse and decipher encrypted data to assist law enforcement or government agencies in solving crime, threats or security concerns. | INR 7,00,000 |
| Security Software Developer | A software developer’s duties include testing, operating, and implementing software that protect the company’s data from hacking and theft. | INR 4,00,000 |
| Security Code Auditor | A Security Code Auditor is responsible for reviewing source code to discover if there are any potential security weaknesses, bugs, exploits or violations of programming standards. | INR 5,00,000 |
Source: Payscale
MSc Cyber Security Future Scope
Cyber Security is a growing field. As digitization increases, the cyber threat is also increasing day-by-day and hence, the demand for MSc Cyber Security candidates is also increasing.
- Lots of Job opportunities are available for these candidates both in government and private sector companies.
- The candidates can get jobs in Banks, Railways, Defence, along with renowned MNC's and IT sector Companies.
- The Salary Package for these candidates are good. The average starting salary ranges between INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,00,000, which increases with experience.
- If the candidates wish to study further, they can go for MPhil and PhD degrees in this domain.
- After completing their PhD they can join as faculty members in renowned colleges providing Cyber Security courses.
MSc Cyber Security FAQs
Ques. Can candidates apply for the MSc cyber security course offline?
Ans. Yes, candidates can apply via offline mode.
Ques. Which is better: MSc in cyber security or MSc IT?
Ans. MSc in cyber security is better as it is more specific.
Ques. Can students pursue further studies in the same?
Ans. Yes, as MSc in cyber security creates a base for further research studies and degrees such as M.Phil. and Ph.D.
Ques. What are the application dates for Ganpat University?
Ans. The application has started from April, 2023 onwards.
Ques. What are the prerequisites for this course?
Ans. Candidates must have basic knowledge of coding languages and computers and have primitive knowledge of what the field is all about.
Ques. What is the average salary earned by graduates in MSc in Cyber Security?
Ans. The average salary over a wide array of job profiles is 3-12 lac INR per annum.
Ques. Is the MSc in Cyber Security worth it?
Ans. Yes absolutely! The completion of the degree provides for high position well-paying jobs with job-security. There are various networking opportunities and the work is meaningful and vitally important.
Ques. Which is better: MSc in cyber security or MSc in computer science?
Ans. Computer science is a more general branch whereas cyber security is a more specific branch. Hence, the better option depends on what the candidate wants to do for a job.
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