Master of Science in Business Security and Resilience (As of Spring 2025)
The Master of Science in Business Security and Resilience will provide students seeking to embark on careers, or advance in existing careers, in the corporate sector with the analytical tools and knowledge base to cope with critical business concerns including threats to business operations, business continuity planning, project management, operations planning and control, organizational change, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and data analytics. The MS in Business Security and Resilience will offer students a choice of one of our tracks in Business Cybersecurity and Risk Management, Business Project Risk, and Data Analytics. The multidisciplinary program will consist of courses offered via the Department of Security Studies, the Department of Computer Science, and the Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems, the Department of Finance and Banking, the Department of Economics and International Business, the Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, and the Department of Accounting.
Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Science in Business Security and Resilience program must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
3. GPA of 3.0 or higher
4. An undergraduate degree from an accredited academic institution in an allied field
5. Official transcripts of all academic coursework previously undertaken
6. A current resume
7. International Students only: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) -- a minimum score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based) is required.
A holistic review of each student's application will be completed on a competitive basis.
Courses are offered online as this is an online degree program. However, some specific courses may be available during certain semesters as face-to-face courses, subject to decisions made by the respective departments. If a face-to-face option is available, students can request to register for such classes.
The MS in Business Security and Resilience is 30-hour degree program. No thesis is required, but students must take 18 hours of Required Courses and 12 hours of Track Elective Courses. Students can select from the following Tracks:
- Cybersecurity, Risk Management, and Business Concentration
- Risk Management, Project Management, and Digital Forensics Concentration
- Crisis Management and Continuity of Operations Concentration
- Risk Management, Information Systems, and Data Analytics Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Science in Business Security and Resilience | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| DFSC 5315 | Network and Cyber Security | 3 |
| DFSC 5336 | Business Continuity Management | 3 |
| MGMT 5325 | Project Management | 3 |
| SCST 5338 | Security and Management | 3 |
| SCST 5348 | Critical Infrastructure Protection | 3 |
| SCST 6362 | Critical Infrastructure Risk Management | 3 |
| Required Concentration Courses 1 | 12 | |
| Students must select a concentration and complete 12 hours of concentration courses. | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
See Concentration course listings below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity, Risk Management, and Business Concentration 1 | ||
| Choose four track elective courses: | ||
| COSC 5325 | Operating System Security | 3 |
| COSC 5335 | Database Security | 3 |
| MGIS 5360 | Project Management for Business Systems Development | 3 |
| MGMT 5320 | Management of Innovation and Technology | 3 |
| MGMT 5330 | Operations Planning & Control | 3 |
| SCST 5320 | Emergency Management Integration I | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Management, Project Management, and Digital Forensics Concentration 1 | ||
| Choose four track elective courses: | ||
| DFSC 5316 | File System Forensics | 3 |
| DFSC 5327 | Digital Forensics Investigation | 3 |
| MGIS 5360 | Project Management for Business Systems Development | 3 |
| MGMT 5320 | Management of Innovation and Technology | 3 |
| MGMT 5330 | Operations Planning & Control | 3 |
| SCST 5320 | Emergency Management Integration I | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Crisis Management and Continuity of Operations Concentration 1 | ||
| Choose four track elective courses: | ||
| BUAD 5310 | Managerial Communication | 3 |
| MGMT 5323 | Tools of Project Management | 3 |
| MGMT 5330 | Operations Planning & Control | 3 |
| SCST 5320 | Emergency Management Integration I | 3 |
| SCST 6320 | Emergency Management Integration II | 3 |
| SCST 6360 | Leadership in Homeland Security and Emergency Management | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Management, Information Systems, and Data Analytics Concentration 1 | ||
| Choose four track elective courses: | ||
| ACCT 5302 | Financial Reporting & Business Decisions | 3 |
| BANA 5368 | Techniques Of Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| COSC 5318 | Database Systems | 3 |
| COSC 6314 | Data Mining/Knowledge Discovery | 3 |
| COSC 6335 | Big Data Analytics | 3 |
| MGIS 5360 | Project Management for Business Systems Development | 3 |
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.
The MS in Business Security and Resilience is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:
- Assess risks to critical infrastructure and risk mitigation strategies.
- Adapt project management skills to enhance security and resilience in critical infrastructure.
- Appraise threats to network and cybersecurity and measures to enhance network and cybersecurity.
- Evaluate approaches to ensure business continuity in the face of risks.
