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Graduate Certificate in
Cyber Threat Analytics and Prevention

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Enhance your understanding of cyber threat attacks, laws, analytics, and terrorism, as well as network vulnerabilities, system threats, and surveillance protocols with the courses in this online graduate certificate program.

Apply by April 15 to start May 13

12 Credits $1,017 per credit

Online Certificate in Cyber Threat Analytics and Prevention (CTAP)

With advanced technology becoming more readily available and affordable on a global scale, our personal information and financial security — and our very safety — are more at risk than ever before. This has led to growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect local, state, and national interests from cyber threats and cyber terrorism.

Designed for working professionals with experience as technical and analytical personnel in the security field, the CTAP graduate certificate is open to candidates who hold a bachelor's degree. It's ideal for professionals who are responsible for technical analysis of and solutions to hacking, espionage, security, and terrorism over networks and the internet.

Penn State's CTAP Graduate Certificate Curriculum

The CTAP graduate certificate can prepare you to understand cyberattacks, cyber laws and regulations, cyber terrorism, network vulnerabilities, system threats, and surveillance protocols. You can acquire the skills needed to prevent, respond to, and recover from cyber threats and attacks. The curriculum focuses on building your knowledge in these key areas:

  • policies and programs within homeland security administration
  • social and ethical issues relating to homeland security
  • domestic and global views of violence and terrorism
  • data collection and analysis
  • privacy and security in the digital age

Information for Military and Veterans

Are you a member of the military, a veteran, or a military spouse? Please visit our military website for additional information regarding financial aid, transfer credits, or application instructions. 

Courses

This 12-credit certificate program consists of four required courses.

Required Courses (6 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    This course will investigate the evolution of information systems architecture.

  • 3
    credits

    A web-centric look at the latest techniques and practices in computer security as they apply to the internet.

Elective Courses (select 6 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    This course provides a foundation in the principles, concepts, techniques, and tools for visualizing large data sets.

  • 3
    credits

    This course will employ several methods and measures from the area of social network analysis to study the interrelatedness of cyber-social and cyber-technical aspects of an organization or the society as a whole to detect and capture the dynamic patterns of group membership and structure. This type of analysis can be useful in uncovering potential threats and attacks and predicting criminal behavior and evolution of criminal networks.

  • 3
    credits

    Fundamental issues and concepts of computer forensics; aspects of computer and cybercrime; methods to uncover, protect, exploit, and document digital evidence; tools, techniques, and procedures to perform computer and cybercrime investigation.

  • 3
    credits

    Essential skills and knowledge for effectively utilizing networks and internet technologies to facilitate, manage, and secure data communications and applications.

  • 3
    credits

    This course provides theoretical and applied foundations of fundamentals of network security, data sources, data collection techniques and tools, cybersecurity analytics infrastructure, machine learning and data mining, network forensics, anomaly and malware detection, security data visualization, and security dashboard design and implementation.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Graduate Tuition

Graduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register. Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.

2023–24 Academic Year Rates

Tuition rates for the fall 2023, spring 2024, and summer 2024 semesters.
How many credits do you plan to take per semester? Cost
11 or fewer $1,017 per credit
12 or more $12,203 per semester

2024–25 Academic Year Rates

Tuition rates for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 semesters.
How many credits do you plan to take per semester? Cost
11 or fewer $1,027 per credit
12 or more $12,325 per semester

Financial Aid and Military Benefits

Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.

Financial Aid and Military Benefits

Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.

How to Apply

Applying

Begin the graduate school application

Deadlines and Important Dates

Your certificate application, including receipt of all application materials, must be received by the following deadlines to be considered complete. Acceptance of your application makes you eligible for preferred registration for your courses, which is why we encourage you to complete your application as soon as possible.

Recommended deadlines:

  • Summer Deadline:  Apply by April 15 to start May 13
  • Fall Deadline:  Apply by July 15 to start August 26
  • Spring Deadline:  Apply by November 15, 2024, to start January 13, 2025

Applications are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis — please begin your application early. Your progress within the online application system will be saved as you go, allowing you to return at any point as you gather additional information and required materials.

For current and future course registration deadlines, visit the Registrar's website to view the academic calendar by semester. 

Admissions Help

Thank you for your interest in continuing your homeland security education through Penn State World Campus. New and prospective students must submit an application for admission when applying to either the master's or a certificate program, along with a nonrefundable application fee. If you have any questions throughout the admissions process, please contact an admissions counselor.

Admission Requirements 

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

Starting Your Application

You can begin your online application at any time. Your progress within the online application system will be saved as you go, allowing you to return at any point as you gather additional information and required materials.

Begin the Graduate School application

  • Choose "WORLD CAMPUS" as the campus

Online Application Materials

Applications are submitted electronically and include a nonrefundable application fee.

You will need to upload the following items as part of your application:   

A copy of an official transcript from each institution attended, regardless of the number of credits or semesters completed — Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Penn State alumni do not need to request transcripts for credits earned at Penn State but must list Penn State as part of your academic history. 

GPA & Test Scores — Postsecondary (undergraduate), junior/senior (last two years) GPA is required. 

GRE or GMAT scores are NOT required for admission. 

English Proficiency — The language of instruction at Penn State is English. All international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with some exceptions. Minimum test scores and exceptions are found in the English Proficiency section on the Graduate School's "Requirements for Graduate Admission" page.

Technical Requirements 

Review the technical requirements for this degree program.

Ready to Learn More?

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Ready to take the next step toward your Penn State graduate certificate?

Apply by April 15 to start May 13. How to Apply
A homeland security professional working at a computer

You can use the knowledge gained from this program and the support of Penn State career resources to pursue careers in a variety of fields, depending on your goals.

Career Services to Set You Up for Success

Student having a virtual meeting on a laptop with a career counselor

From the day you're accepted as a student, you can access resources and tools provided by Penn State World Campus Career Services to further your career. These resources are beneficial whether you're searching for a job or advancing in an established career.

  • Opportunities to connect with employers
  • Career counselor/coach support
  • Occupation and salary information
  • Internships
  • Graduate school resources 
A figure standing halfway up a set of stairs leading towards a graduation cap

Not only can this program help create opportunities in your career, it can also give you a solid head start toward a full master’s degree.

Degree Program Related to This Certificate

Some or all credits earned for this certificate can be applied to the following Penn State World Campus degree program:

Acquire a broad base of knowledge relevant to the current policies and programs of the homeland security administration with a focus on preventing cyber attacks and understanding cyber laws in this online program.

Learn more  

Contact Us

To learn more about the Graduate Certificate in Cyber Threat Analytics and Prevention, offered in partnership with Penn State Great Valley, please contact:

For questions about the program:
Robin G. Qiu, Ph.D.
Professor of Information Science
[email protected]

For general questions about Penn State World Campus:
World Campus Admissions Counselors
Phone: 814-863-5386
[email protected]

Faculty

  • Youakim Badr

    • H.D.R., University of Lyon
    • Ph.D., Computer Science, National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA-Lyon)
    • M.S., Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Software Engineering, Francophone University Agency
    • M.S., Computer Science, Lebanese University
    • B.S., Computer Science, Lebanese University

    Dr. Youakim Badr, professor of data analytics, teaches courses in analytics programming, analytics systems design, data mining and predictive analytics. His research interests include smart service computing, IoT, information security, big data, machine learning, and built-in analytics. Dr. Badr is a professional member of IEEE, a lifetime member of ACM, and associate member of the ACM special interest group on knowledge discovery and data mining (SIGKDD).

  • Adrian S. Barb

    • Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Missouri
    • MBA, Finance and Management Information Systems, University of Missouri
    • B.S., Industrial Engineering, University of Bucharest

    Dr. Adrian S. Barb, associate professor of information science, teaches databases, data mining, and big data courses. He has worked as a database programmer analyst as well as a web developer at University of Missouri. His research interests include data mining, knowledge discovery in databases, knowledge representation and exchange in content-based retrieval systems, semantic modeling and retrieval, conceptual change, ontology integration, and expert-in-the-loop knowledge generation and exchange.

  • Joanna F. DeFranco

    • Ph.D., Computer and Information Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology
    • M.S., Computer Engineering, Villanova University
    • B.S., Electrical Engineering and Math, Penn State

    Dr. Joanna F. DeFranco is an assistant professor of software engineering. She has worked as an electronics engineer for the Navy and as a software engineer at Motorola. Her research interests include software engineering teams, effective teamwork, Internet of Things, and software-intensive critical systems.

  • Partha Mukherjee
    • Ph.D., Information and Technology, Penn State
    • M.S., Computer Science, University of Tulsa
    • M.Tech., Computer Science, Indian Statistical Institute
    • B.Eng., Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University

    Dr. Partha Mukherjee, assistant professor of data analytics, teaches courses in analytics programming, data mining, predictive analytics, and analytics systems design. He is a member of ACM, ACEEE, AIS, AiR, and ASE, and has published papers in peer-reviewed IEEE, Elsevier, and ACM Journals and conferences. Dr. Mukherjee’s research interests include social computing, web analytics, data mining, e-commerce, and natural language processing with a focus on text simplification.

  • Robin G. Qiu

    • Ph.D., Industrial Engineering, Penn State
    • Ph.D., (Minor), Computer Science, Penn State
    • M.S., Numerical Control, Beijing Institute of Technology, China
    • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, China

    Dr. Robin G. Qiu is a professor of information science at Penn State. He teaches courses on data analytics, information science, software engineering, and cyber security. Dr. Qiu's research includes smart service systems, IoT, big data, data/business analytics, information systems and integration, supply chain and industrial systems, and analytics. He served as the editor-in-chief of INFORMS Service Science. He is an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, and has more than 160 publications.

  • Raghvinder S. Sangwan

    • Ph.D., Computer and Information Sciences, Temple University
    • M.S., Computer Science, West Chester University
    • B.S., Genetics and Plant Breeding, Haryana Agricultural University

    Dr. Raghvinder S. Sangwan is a professor of software engineering. His teaching and research involve analysis, design, and development of software-intensive systems and their architecture, and automatic/semi-automatic approaches to assessment of their design and code complexity. He actively consults for Siemens Corporate Technology in Princeton, New Jersey, and holds a visiting scientist appointment at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a senior member of the IEEE and ACM.

  • Satish Srinivasan

    • Ph.D., Information Technology, University of Nebraska at Omaha
    • M.S., Industrial Engineering and Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
    • B.S., Information Technology, Bharathidasan University

    Dr. Satish Srinivasan is an associate professor of information science in the engineering division at Penn State Great Valley. He teaches courses related to database design, data mining, data collection and cleaning, design and implementation of predictive analytics system, network and web securities, and business process management. His research interests include social network analysis, data mining, machine learning, big data and predictive analytics, and bioinformatics.

Ready to take the next step toward your Penn State graduate certificate?

Apply by April 15 to start May 13. How to Apply

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