Cybersecurity, Master Degree

KU Leuven, Belgium

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The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
Master Degree	Full-time	2 years	find out	find out	find out

About Cybersecurity, Master Degree - at KU Leuven

In our digitalized world, cybersecurity is key to protect our systems, services and data from ever-evolving cyberthreats. Join our Master of Cybersecurity programme and immerse yourself in the underpinning technology, including cryptographic techniques, software and hardware security, systems security and privacy. Top off your technical skills with insights into the legal, business and operational framework of cybersecurity.

The digital transformation has made our global society and economy highly reliant on online platforms, services and assets—and thus liable to cybersecurity risks. Just think about notorious attacks such as the SolarWinds hack, the WannaCry ransomware attack, or data leaks on social networks. It takes trained cybersecurity experts to protect governments, organizations and individuals from threats such as hacking, malware, phishing, DDOS attacks, data theft, industrial espionage and more. The demand for cybersecurity experts is high and career possibilities abundant.

The Master of Cybersecurity is structured around five themes: cryptography, privacy, hardware security, secure software, systems security. The first semester kicks off with an introduction to these themes, after which you select four of them to gain more in-depth knowledge. The semester also covers various research seminars on cybersecurity. In the second semester, you specialize in two cybersecurity themes. In addition, you take courses that provide insight into the broader context of cybersecurity in society. The compulsory course on the legal aspects of cybersecurity prepares you to operate at the intersection of law and technology, while the elective courses on cybersecurity management and governance focus on operations and on risk and business. The remainder of the second semester is dedicated to additional research seminars and your master's thesis.

Learn more about Cybersecurity, Master Degree - at KU Leuven

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Entry requirements

The admission policy is intended to ensure equal opportunity of access to higher education for qualified European and third country students. There are two ways to be admitted to the programme:

Direct admission, on the basis of a relevant degree obtained in the Flemish Community.
After an admission process, which is meant for students that obtained a degree outside the Flemish Community. They have to meet the conditions below.

All applications from students who have obtained a degree outside the Flemish Community are evaluated by both KU Leuven Admissions Office and the relevant master’s programme director. Final admission decisions will made be at the discretion of the Faculty.

Academic background: Candidates should hold a master's degree in ICT related fields; an academic degree of at least 4-year is required.
GRE test results: in order to be considered for admission, applicants are required to submit their GRE score (at the moment, there is no minimum requirement for GRE scores). Please contact ETS requesting an original score card to be forwarded to us using the following Institutional Code: 0749. Students who obtained a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in one of the EEA countries, the UK, or Switzerland are exempted from providing GRE scores. However, submitting GRE scores might still be considered as an asset when applying.
Strong motivation: all candidates must submit a statement of purpose to express your motivation to start the Advanced Master of Cybersecurity.
Reference: all candidates must submit 2 reference letters
English language proficiency: students should have a good command of English, both spoken and written.