Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity

A bachelor’s in cybersecurity is a four-year degree that can be completed in 2 years across 8 semesters of full-time coursework, building on your associate program. Students who are in the process of earning an associate degree in IT or a related field with 12 hours of specialized coursework can apply to start classes in Spring or Fall, and may be required to meet on-campus or online with an ACC Area of Study advisor.

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity is an academic program and is not part of the continuing education track.

Cybersecurity Program Requirements

Students must meet the following criteria:

• Must have reached junior status, as defined as having earned at least 60 college-level semester hours in:
  • Cybersecurity
  • Network Administration
  • Or related field
• Have successfully completed 12 credit hours of cybersecurity courses composed of the following or equivalent from another school:
  • ITSY 2300 – Operating Systems Security
  • ITSY 2301 – Firewalls and Network Security
  • ITSY 2330 – Intrusion Detection: Ethical Hacking
  • ITSY 2343 – Computer System Forensics
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or better

Students currently enrolled in the AAS in Cybersecurity program who plan to get their BAS should focus on completing their associate degree.The AAS covers the prerequisite courses for the BAS.

Related Degree Credits

Students who have an AAS in Cybersecurity or in a related degree from ACC must have completed 12 credit hours of cybersecurity courses to be eligible for the BAS degree program. Students should discuss their particular degree and credits with an advisor.

You can compare the award plans and program maps to see if you have credits that are applicable to this degree. Students should discuss their degree and credits with their advisor to see what prerequisites they will need to be eligible for this program.

Transcripts and Credit Hours

Students who already have a degree must provide transcripts from their college or university with their application. ACC will determine which of those credits apply to the college in general and to the BAS in Cybersecurity in particular. In addition, in order to be eligible for this program, students must have the following:

• Must have reached junior status, as defined as having earned at least 60 college-level semester hours in:
  • Cybersecurity
  • Network Administration
  • Or related field
• Have successfully completed 12 credit hours of cybersecurity courses, comprised of the following or equivalent from another school:
  • ITSY 2300 – Operating Systems Security
  • ITSY 2301 – Firewalls and Network Security
  • ITSY 2330 – Intrusion Detection: Ethical Hacking
  • ITSY 2343 – Computer System Forensics
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or better

The BAS Cybersecurity will focus on the skills that employers are looking for to safeguard their networks, their data, and their people. It provides coursework and hands-on work with:

• Network infrastructure
• Programming
• Cloud security
• Penetration testing and security troubleshooting
• Security planning and policy
• Secure system design

Students can start in either the fall or spring semesters; there are currently no classes during the summer for this program.

At the present time we do not equate work experience to college credit. If you have CompTia A+, Security+, or Net+ current certification, that will count as courses.

Application Steps

• Attend a free information session
• Complete online application and submit relevant transcript and other required information
• Submit application by semester due date

After you apply:

• Department faculty reviews applications
• Students receive notification emails
• Students must sign and return acceptance letter
• Students meet with advisor and register for classes