New cybersecurity degree prepares Aggies for advanced cyber attacks
Beginning in the fall 2026 semester, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering will offer a Master of Science in Cybersecurity to prepare students to defend against rapidly evolving cyberattacks.
The L.F. Peterson Building, home to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
Cybercrime is increasing. In 2025, complaints from the public to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center totaled $20.877 billion in losses — a 26% increase from 2024.
The increase in cybercrime is partially driven by artificial intelligence, which enables cybercriminals to launch attacks on a larger scale and to constantly alter their tactics to challenge organizations’ defenses and flood critical infrastructure. Cybercriminals can use AI models to rapidly write convincing phishing emails or to generate deepfakes, malicious websites or malware.
Thanks to a new cybersecurity degree, Aggies will be prepared to meet the challenges of the tumultuous security landscape. Beginning fall 2026, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University will offer a Master of Science in Cybersecurity.
Applications for the spring 2027 semester are open and will close on Sept. 1, 2026.
“Cybersecurity is the present, and cybersecurity is the future,” said Dr. Nitesh Saxena, cybersecurity researcher, professor of computer science and engineering and associate director of the Global Cyber Research Institute. “Higher education in cybersecurity is in ever-increasing demand. This program will recruit, train and produce graduates that will make state and national cyberinfrastructures secure from known and unknown threats. These graduates will be fully equipped to secure everything that has a computer chip in it and everything that has connectivity, ranging from our mobile phones, smart appliances and autonomous cars to AI systems and servers in the cloud.”
Students will gain hands-on experience in computer security, network security, cryptography, ethical hacking, risk management, incident response and secure software development. The program requires 30 hours of coursework and is expected to take two years to complete. Graduates will be able to develop secure systems, networks and servers from the ground up or evaluate and improve existing ones.
“The program is carefully designed to provide a sound balance between the theoretical foundations in the field and hands-on practical training that will be vital for our graduates to readily apply their know-how in the workforce,” said Saxena. “Our graduates will be able to constantly evolve their domain expertise as the field itself evolves with the changing landscape of cyber threats.”
In addition to helping students face evolving security challenges, the degree will help address an increasing workforce demand for cybersecurity experts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 29% increase in employment for information security experts between 2024 and 2034, which is higher than the national average of 3%. As an advanced engineering degree, the master’s in cybersecurity will stand out among the other master’s-level cybersecurity degrees offered by public institutions in Texas due to its technical nature.
