Information Technology Security

Graduate faculty

• David Agnew, BSc, PhD
• David Clark, BA, LLB, LLM
• Khalil El-Khatib, BCompSc, MCompSc, PhD
• Shahram S. Heydari, BSc, MSc, MASc, PhD
• Mehdi Hossein-Nejad, BSc, MBA, PhD
• Shih-Chia Huang, PhD
• Patrick C.K. Hung, BSc, MPhil, MASc, PhD
• Chinmay Jain, BTech, PhD
• Kamen Kanev, MSc, PhD
• Xiaodong Lin, BSc, MSc, PhD, PhD
• Stephen Marsh, BSc, PhD
• Carolyn McGregor, BAppSc (Comp.Sc), PhD
• Richard Pazzi, BSc, MSc, PhD
• Ryan Riordan, MBA, PhD
• John Rowcroft, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD
• Nicola Shaw, BSc (Hons), PhD
• Wei Shi, BCompEng, MCS, PhD
• Jay Shiro Tashiro, RN, BSN, PhD
• Julie Thorpe, BCompSci, PhD
• Miguel Vargas Martin, BSc, MASc, PhD, PEng
• Ying Zhu, BSc, MSc, PhD

Program information

The Master of Information Technology Security (MITS) program is a professional graduate degree that prepares students to work in the high-demand IT security industry. The program is designed to enable students to learn how to learn in the rapidly evolving IT security field. The program adopts a project method that provides students with the experience to apply core course materials to a substantial project in the workplace during the latter part of the program.

The MITS program is one of the first of its kind in Canada and one of few specialized IT security graduate degree programs available in the world. Through theory and applied learning, the program enables students to develop an extensive understanding of business and information technology security, polish communication skills and examine business and IT ethics in a team environment.

To achieve the objectives of the program and to enhance students’ learning experience, it is important for the program to provide students with the necessary hands-on skills and knowledge. The Faculty of Business and Information Technology provides a Hacker Research Lab to enhance the curriculum of the MITS program. This lab facility hosts an array of network settings and consists of a variety of network equipment and wireless devices in a secure setting. It offers students a secluded environment within which to work on various IT security projects and experiments.

The MITS curriculum contains the domains found in the Certified Information Systems Security Profession (CISSP) exam. The curriculum, which includes an IT security capstone project, also provides students with the opportunity to apply core course concepts to a substantial project in the workplace. This plan of study introduces students to the fundamental knowledge of the ever-changing IT security field. MITS graduates will not only be able to understand and apply the best of current practice but will also be able to act as managers of transformation to improve that practice as the field evolves. MITS graduates are prepared to work in different levels as IT security professionals.

Admission requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate studies at UOIT , MITS applicants must meet the following program-specific requirements:

• While applicants may hold any four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, preference is given to applicants whose undergraduate degree is in the field of IT, engineering, science or related fields.
• Work experience in IT-related jobs is preferred.
• Submission of a portfolio indicating relevant work experience and skills in IT.
• Successful completion of at least one course in advanced programming (e.g., Java/C/C++/C#) and advanced mathematics (e.g., linear algebra, calculus, number theory, etc.), and at least one course or proven work experience in operating systems (Windows and/or Unix or Linux). To assist with the assessment of the application, applicants should submit detailed descriptions of any completed courses in these areas. Course descriptions should be copied from the university’s academic calendar.

Part-time studies

Students can complete this program on a part-time basis, but because the IT security field changes rapidly, any students who wish to pursue security certification are encouraged to enrol full-time. It is essential that part-time students seek approval from their faculty advisor or the graduate program director regarding their study plan.

Degree requirements

Select a program from the list below for details on degree requirements.

Programs

• Information Technology Security, MITS