Master of Science in Network Engineering & Security

Program Overview

The Master of Science Network Engineering & Security program at DePaul University emphasized hands-on learning with Cisco and other manufacturers' equipment. Students learn theory and practice for designing and maintaining network infrastructures, gaining skills in routing, security, network performance evaluation, and compliance. Graduates have high employment rates and median salaries of $82,000, benefiting from the program's industry connections and access to the CyberCenter.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Master of Science Network Engineering & Security (NES) program at DePaul University focuses on the theory and practice behind the design and maintenance of diverse network infrastructures. The program emphasizes hands-on learning with Cisco equipment, Juniper equipment, and other manufacturers' equipment.

• Understanding Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing: Students will be able to describe the operations and metrics of BGP routing, including the BGP path selection process.
• Differentiating between IPv6 and IPv4 routing: Students will understand the differences between IPv6 and IPv4 routing protocols, including protocol headers, routing protocols, subnetting, tunneling and translation mechanisms.
• Implementing Quality of Service (QoS) techniques: Students will be able to describe and compare QoS techniques for providing differentiated treatment of Voice over IP (VoIP) and data packet flows.
• Designing fault-tolerant networks: Students will learn how to design a fault-tolerant network and identify protocols to implement and manage these networks.
• Understanding public-key encryption systems: Students will learn about authentication and integrity in public-key encryption systems, including digital signatures and PKI.
• Operating an Intrusion Detection System (IDS): Students will understand and demonstrate the operations of an IDS, including writing IDS rules.

Teaching:

• Hands-on learning: The program emphasizes hands-on learning with Cisco equipment and other manufacturers' equipment in the CDM Security Lab.
• Faculty expertise: The faculty bring a blend of industry expertise and academic excellence to the classroom.
Many have worked for major companies, including Bell Laboratories, Tellabs, Alcatel-Lucent, and Motorola.
• Innovative research: Faculty conduct advanced research in areas such as security for wireless communication, protocol development and testing (NETCONF), network configuration and reliability, and performance management.

Careers:

• Employment outcomes: 92% of reporting program graduates were employed, continuing education, or not seeking employment within six months of graduation.
• Median salary: The median salary reported by program graduates six months after degree completion is $82,000.
• Networking opportunities: Students have access to CDM's extensive alumni network, which includes professionals at Fortune 500 companies in Chicago such as PwC, KPMG, Apple, and Motorola Solutions.
• Industry opportunities: The program is located in Chicago, a city teeming with industry opportunities.

Other:

• Challenges in network infrastructure: The text highlights the increasing complexity and challenges of network infrastructure, such as securing interactions, scaling with users and devices, and meeting evolving quality of experience and service availability expectations.
• Research focus: The program highlights the research conducted by faculty, particularly in areas like IoT systems, resource management, and functional scalability in future IoT systems.
• CyberCenter: DePaul's CyberCenter is a resource for the program, offering affiliated labs, including the Secure Design Lab, Adversarial Cybersecurity Automation Lab (ACAL), and the Network and Security Lab.
• Capstone project: The Network Capstone course, NET 594, provides a highly realistic corporate case study where students apply their learning to complete requirements analysis, logical, physical, security, and management designs, and pricing and implementation planning.

Note:

The program is no longer accepting applications, and interested students are encouraged to apply to the MS in Cybersecurity program with a concentration in Networking and Infrastructure.