Information and Cybersecurity

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is a premier, online, part-time professional degree program designed to train the next generation of digital security leaders. Ranked as the #1 cybersecurity program in the nation, MICS combines UC Berkeley’s world-class academic rigor with the flexibility of a digital campus. The program is specifically crafted for professionals who want to master the technical, legal, and strategic leadership skills of security, utilizing advanced secure systems and applications, and the ability to lead, manage, and contribute to building cybersecurity solutions.  

Students attend weekly live ("synchronous") sessions with classmates and instructors via an online platform as well as engaging with online ("asynchronous") videos and assignments on their own time.

The core curriculum combines deep technical training in securing software, networks, and data with a critical analysis of the legal, ethical, and economic frameworks that govern how these protections are applied in society. Students may select from a wide variety of elective courses,covering topics such as, artificial intelligence (AI), security operations, managing cyber risk, and usable security. MICS features a project-based approach to learning and encourages the pragmatic application of a variety of different tools and methods to solve complex problems.

Graduates of the program will be able to:

• Understand the ethical and legal requirements associated with cybersecurity and data privacy;

• Know how to build secure systems and applications;

• Prepare to lead, manage, and contribute to building cybersecurity solutions; and

• Gain hands-on, practical cybersecurity experience.

The I School also offers a master's in Information and Data Science (MIDS), Information Management and Systems (MIMS), and a doctoral degree Ph.D in Information Science.