Cybersecurity Engineering, BS

Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes

Program Mission

Program Goals

1. Application of mathematics, science and engineering principles to complex problems to produce solutions that meet specific needs with consideration to public health, safety and welfare as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
2. Proficiency and technical acumen in applying sound security principles to computer hardware, software, network infrastructure, and emerging technologies both in preparation for and response to active cyberthreats.
3. Professional commitment and integrity with respect to the security and privacy of client information, the rights of copyright holders, and the inherent responsibilities of license users.
4. Effective written and oral communications with all levels of stakeholders by utilizing clear and concise language for both technical and professional communications.
5. Commitment to sustained learning and adaptation to a field of constantly evolving technologies through professional development, self study and graduate work.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of this program will have:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

CURRICULUM AND COURSE SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE – THE ABOVE LIST DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CO-OP TERMS

Legend

C = Number of lecture hours per week

L = Number of laboratory hours per week

T = Total Quarter Credit Hours where each lecture hour per week is one credit, every 2-4 laboratory hours are one credit depending on the expected amount of pre- or post-lab work.

PLEASE NOTE:  All liberal arts core courses are listed in italics.

All bachelor’s degree engineering students are required to take a minimum of 45 credits of a combination of college-level mathematics and basic sciences with experimental experience, 44 credits of liberal arts, and 68 credits of engineering topics in addition to capstone-related courses. See the course descriptions section of this catalog for a list of the core area courses.

Subject to change.

Q&A and Technical Standards

Questions & Answers

1. When do my classes meet?
   Day Classes: Technical classes normally meet for at least three hours a day for up to five days a week. Classes normally begin in the early morning (7:45 a.m.), late morning (usually 11:25 a.m.), or mid-afternoon. The time slot for your program may vary from term to term.Evening Classes: Technical classes meet on the average of three nights a week, although there may be times when they will meet four nights a week. Classes normally begin at 5:45 p.m.In addition, to achieve your bachelor’s degree, you will take a total of approximately seven liberal arts courses, which will be scheduled around your program schedule over the course of your entire program. Each liberal arts course meets approximately four hours per week. Liberal arts courses are offered days, evenings, and Saturdays.At the beginning of each term you will receive a detailed schedule giving the exact time and location of all your classes. The College requires that all students be prepared to take classes and receive services at any of NEIT’s locations where the appropriate classes and services are offered.When a regularly scheduled class falls on a day which is an NEIT observed holiday (Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Memorial Day), an alternate class will be scheduled as a make up for that class. The make-up class may fall on a Friday. It is the student’s responsibility to take note of when and where classes are offered.
2. How large will my classes be?
   The average size for a class is about 20 to 25 students; however, larger and smaller classes occur from time to time.
3. How much time will I spend in lab?
   Almost half of your technical courses consist of laboratory work. In order for you to get the most out of your laboratory experiences, you will first receive a thorough explanation of the theory behind your lab work.
4. Where do my classes meet?
   Students should be prepared to attend classes at any of NEIT’s classroom facilities: either at the Post Road, Access Road, or East Greenwich campus.
5. How long should it take me to complete my program?
   

   To complete your degree requirements in the shortest possible time, you should take the courses outlined in the prescribed curriculum. For a typical 14-term curriculum, a student may complete the requirements in as little as 3.5 years. Students may also elect to complete some of their liberal arts requirements during Intersession, a five-week term scheduled between Spring and Summer Terms. Students wishing to extend the number of terms needed to complete the required courses in their curriculum will be assessed additional tuition and fees.

6. Is NEIT accredited?
   NEIT is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation by NECHE is recognized by the federal government and entitles NEIT to participate in federal financial aid programs. Some academic departments have specialized professional accreditations in addition to accreditation by NECHE. For more information on accreditation, see NEIT’s catalog.
7. Can I transfer the credits that I earn at NEIT to another college?
   The transferability of a course is always up to the institution to which the student is transferring. Students interested in the transferability of their credits should contact the Office of Teaching and Learning for further information.
8. Can I transfer credits earned at another college to NEIT?
   Transfer credit for appropriate courses taken at an accredited institution will be considered upon receipt of an official transcript for any program, biology, science, and mathematics courses in which the student has earned a “C” or above within the past three years and for English or humanities courses in which the student has earned a “C” or above within the last ten years. An official transcript from the other institution must be received before the end of the first week of the term for transfer credit to be granted for courses to be taken during that term. Students will receive a tuition reduction for the approved technical courses based on the program rate and will be applied against the final technical term of the curriculum’s tuition amount. No tuition credit is provided for courses which are not a part of the technical curriculum.
9. What is the “Feinstein Enriching America” Program?
   New England Institute of Technology is the proud recipient of a grant from the Feinstein Foundation. To satisfy the terms of the grant, the College has developed a one-credit community enrichment course which includes hands-on community enrichment projects. The course can be taken for a few hours per term, spread over several terms. Students who are already engaged in community enrichment on their own may be able to count that service towards course credit.
10. How many credits do I need to acquire for my Financial Aid?
    In order to be eligible for the maximum financial aid award, you need to maintain at least 12 credits per academic term.
11. What does my program cost?
    The cost of your program will be as outlined in your enrollment agreement, along with your cost for books and other course materials. Students who decide to take more terms than the enrollment agreement describes to complete the technical courses in their curriculum will be subject to additional fees and possible additional tuition costs. Students who elect to take the technical portion of the degree requirements at a rate faster than the rate prescribed in the curriculum and the enrollment agreement will be assessed additional tuition. Students who require prerequisite courses will incur additional tuition and fees above those outlined in their enrollment agreement. If a student elects to take a course(s) outside of the prescribed curriculum, additional tuition and fees will be assessed. Remember, students who withdraw and re-enter, one time only, pay the tuition rate that was in effect for them at the time of their last day of attendance for up to one year from their last day of attendance. Second re-entrees and beyond pay the tuition rate in effect at the time they re-enter. The most economical way for you to complete your college degree is to begin your program now and continue your studies straight through for the six terms necessary to complete your degree requirements.
12. What kind of employment assistance does NEIT offer?
    The Career Services Office assists NEIT students and graduates in all aspects of the job search, including resume writing, interviewing skills, and developing a job search strategy. Upon completion of their program, graduates may submit a resume to the Career Services Office to be circulated to employers for employment opportunities in their fields. Employers regularly contact us about our graduates. In addition, our Career Services Office contacts employers to develop job leads. A strong relationship with employers exists as a result of our training students to meet the needs of industry for over fifty years. No school can, and NEIT does not, guarantee to its graduates’ employment or a specific starting salary.
13. Where will job opportunities exist?
    Graduates have obtained employment in the local area. However, one of the most exciting aspects of this program is the ability to look nationally for employment opportunities.
14. Is this degree program accredited?

    The Bachelor of Science Degree program in Cybersecurity Engineering is being developed using the criteria of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Application for a Readiness Review by ABET will be submitted in accordance with ABET policies.

15. Is there any federal licensing required in my field?
    Under existing (1996) Rhode Island law no license is required for any of the careers which you will be preparing to enter. Because of the complex nature of licensing requirements and because these requirements change periodically, we cannot list all the requirements for all the types of licenses available in all the states. NEIT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES IN LICENSING REQUIREMENTS THAT ANY STATE LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING RI, MAY IMPLEMENT AT ANY TIME. Each student should take personal responsibility for determining the licensing requirements in the specific trade and state in which he or she plans to work. Your instructor or department chair can give you help as needed.
16. What kind of jobs will I be qualified to look for?
    

    Generally, jobs will exist in a number of exciting industries. These jobs include:

    • Cybersecurity Engineer
    • Systems Operations & Maintenance Professional
    • Network Security Specialist
    • Network Security Engineer
    • Cryptographer
    • Information Security Analyst

17. How do I obtain a cooperative education (Co-Op) position?
    Generally, students who maintain the minimum GPA to remain in good-standing in the program, have a 90% or higher attendance record, have no NEIT conduct violations, complete a background check, and secure a letter of recommendation from their Department Chair, are eligible for Co-Op.How do I obtain a cooperative education (Co-Op) position?

18. How do I obtain a cooperative education (Co-Op) position?
    The Career Services Office will assist students in securing a Co-Op position. Students may also independently coordinate with an employer to obtain a Co-Op position. The Career Services Office and Department Chair will assess independently secured positions to ensure they meet programmatic standards and comply with University policies.

19. What does a Co-Op schedule look like?

    Typically, your Co-Op schedule will include:

    • 35+ hours per week
    • 17-28 weeks (multi-term)
    • On site, remote, or on-campus
20. What are the standards for admission into the program?

    It is expected that students applying for admission into the Cybersecurity Defense Engineering program will have completed:

    • 3 years of high school science (with grades of C or higher)
    • 4 years of high school math, including pre-calculus (with grades of C or higher).

Technical Standards

These technical standards set forth by the IT department establish the essential qualifications considered necessary for students admitted to the program. The successful student must possess the following skills and abilities or be able to demonstrate they can complete the requirements of the program with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Cognitive Ability

• Good reasoning and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to learn, remember and recall detailed information and to use it for problem solving.
• Ability to deal with materials and problems such as organizing or reorganizing information.
• Ability to use abstractions in specific concrete situations.
• Ability to separate complex information into its component parts.
• Ability to perform tasks by observing demonstrations.
• Ability to perform tasks by following written instructions.
• Ability to perform tasks following verbal instructions.
• Possession of basic keyboarding skills and knowledge of computer programs.

Communications Skills

• Ability to speak in understandable English in a classroom situation on a one-on-one basis as well as before a group.
• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty and other students.
• Ability to demonstrate and use the knowledge acquired during the classroom training process.
• Ability to verbally express technical concepts clearly and distinctly.
• Ability to express thoughts clearly.

Adaptive Ability

• Ability to remain calm in the face of computer lab equipment and/or software failure.
• Ability to maintain emotional stability and the maturity necessary to interact with members of the faculty and students in a responsible manner.
• Ability to tolerate the differences in all students, faculty, and administration.
• Ability to follow instructions and complete tasks under stressful and demanding conditions.
• Ability to adapt in a positive manner to new and changing situations with an open mind and flexibility.
• Ability to think clearly and act quickly and appropriately in stressful situations.

Physical Ability

• Ability to sit continuously at a personal computer for long periods of time in order to learn and become proficient in computer programming and networking.
• Ability to perform learned skills independently, with accuracy and completeness within reasonable time frames in accordance with classroom and business procedures.

Manual Ability

• Sufficient motor function and sensory abilities to participate effectively in the classroom laboratory.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and motor coordination to coordinate hands, eyes and fingers in the operation of computers and business equipment.

Sensory Ability

• Visual
  • Acute enough to see clearly and interpret the contents on the computer screen.