Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
Who is this program for?
An undergraduate certificate in Cybersecurity is perfect for students interested in protecting digital systems, networks, and data from cyber threats and attacks. It provides foundational skills for careers in information security, network administration, ethical hacking, or roles in industries such as finance, government, healthcare, and tech, where cybersecurity expertise is in high demand.
Program Overview
Cybersecurity has been recognized as an area of critical importance to national security and economic development. Today, software and hardware security are increasingly important aspects of a computer science or computer engineering profession. The Cybersecurity Certificate will offer current (and incoming) degree-seeking undergraduate students in the College of Engineering a curriculum that prepares them to understand the challenges of cybersecurity, identify potential threats and design effective countermeasures. The certificate is affiliated with the BS degrees in Computer Science and in Computer Engineering.
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What You'll Learn
Degree requirements, course descriptions and academic policies for all programs are detailed in the University Catalog.

Get a Head Start with an
Accelerated Pathway
This program is part of the Accelerated Master's Pathways program. If you plan to obtain a related master's degree, this program can save you time and money with dual credit hours when you sign up.
How to Add this Certificate
Prospective students: Certificates are declared once you are a current University of Kentucky student.
Current students: You can add this certificate in myUK GPS. Under "My Program of Study" on the right side of the screen, click the link "Request a major/minor/certificate change". If you need help, contact your academic advisor.
You should talk with your academic advisor about how adding a program to your plan of study will impact graduation time and any graduation requirements of your major.
Program Specific Requirements
Before you apply (prerequisites):
- Must be enrolled in an undergraduate program in the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. Non-engineering students will be determined on a case-by-case basis, with a focus on the readiness to take the security courses.
- Must have completed CS270 (with a grade C or higher), or EE287 (with a grade C or higher), or comparable experience to be assessed by the faculty for the certificate.
- Note that the required courses taken before you are admitted into the certificate program can still be counted for meeting the certificate requirements.
To Apply:
- Fill out the application form.
After you apply:
- You will be contacted by a faculty member for the certificate to schedule an interview. A decision will be made soon after the interview.
- Once accepted, the college will be informed and the student record will show that you are enrolled in the certificate program.
- In the graduation semester, if you meet all certificate requirements, you will be awarded the certificate and a statement that you earned the certificate will be put on your transcript. If you do not meet certificate requirements, the statement that you are enrolled in the certificate program will be removed from the student record and nothing will appear on the transcript.

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