Cybersecurity 

The cybersecurity undergraduate degree is a 18-credit program that helps build specialized expertise, complement your degree and develop skills in emerging fields to enhance your career opportunities.

Explore program courses in the University Catalog

Learning outcomes
 
Build practical cybersecurity skills to protect systems across hardware, software, networks and human interactions. You'll learn to apply security principles, assess risks and threats, and evaluate strategies that strengthen operational resilience. The program also develops your ability to make informed decisions based on legal and ethical responsibilities, preparing you to address real-world cybersecurity challenges with professionalism, critical thinking and a comprehensive understanding of secure computing practices.

Class format

This 18-credit certificate program provides a structured pathway to develop foundational and advanced cybersecurity skills. Students complete required coursework in cybersecurity, privacy, operating systems, Python programming, technical foundations, networking and network defense. Courses are sequenced across four terms to support progressive skill development, beginning with core concepts and advancing toward applied security practices. Students must complete all required courses with a grade of C or better to earn the certificate.

Faculty expertise

Work alongside faculty with expertise in:

• Cybersecurity applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
• Secure deep learning and neural network architectures
• Data science, predictive analytics and cybersecurity intelligence
• Natural language processing (NLP) for security analysis and threat detection
• Intelligent systems and AI engineering for cyber defense applications
• Trustworthy, ethical and secure AI development and deployment
• Adversarial machine learning, AI vulnerabilities and model security
• Computer vision, pattern recognition and security monitoring applications
• Evolutionary computation and optimization for cybersecurity solutions
• Robotics, intelligent automation and secure industrial control systems
• High-performance computing and large-scale systems for cybersecurity operations

Connect with program faculty 

Hands-on learning

All U of I College of Engineering students, especially undergraduates, participate in hands-on activities through:

• Nationally-ranked Senior Capstone Design Program — Emphasizing the design process and the creation of a thoughtfully engineered, tested and validated outcome or prototype. Interdisciplinary teams showcase their work at our annual Engineering Design EXPO.
• Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) – Get paid up to $20,000 alternating semesters of academic study with paid full-time employment in your field.
• Pursue your passions and build skills industry are looking for - Improving an ever-changing world requires the knowledge of a highly skilled engineering community. The University of Idaho College of Engineering Professional Skills Academy develops graduates with expert technical and professional skills who are ready to lead a competitive workplace.
  • Idaho’s only Grand Challenge Scholars Program - Preparing undergraduates to solve the biggest challenges facing society in the 21st century.
  • Research and funding opportunities - Grow your confidence in a laboratory setting, gain experience with research proposal development and project management, and collaborate extensively with peers and faculty in research projects that make an impact.
• Internships and Summer programs – Vandal engineers spend their summers in paid internship, fellowship and research mentorship programs. Explore opportunities with leading industry, national research centers and more.

Clubs and organizations

Our college offers 20+ clubs and organizations tied to international and national engineering organizations, including national competition teams.

Clubs related to your major include:

• Cyber Defense Club
• CyberForce Competition Team
• Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC)
• Polymorphic Games Studio
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
• Robotics Club
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
• Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honor Society (TBP)

U of I’s certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid or scholarships on their own. However, students enrolled in a bachelor's or associate degree program may apply their financial aid and scholarships toward a certificate if they are pursuing both simultaneously.

For more information or to explore funding options, contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-6312.

Idaho LAUNCH

This degree is approved for Idaho LAUNCH, a grant that supports Idaho students pursuing high-demand careers. Students enrolling under the 2026–27 Academic Catalog may be eligible for up to $4,000 per year / $8,000 total in scholarship funding through the Idaho LAUNCH program.

Learn about eligibility and application deadlines at nextsteps.idaho.gov/launch, or see our full list of approved U of I programs on the in-state scholarships page.

Recognized STEM Program

This program is recognized as a STEM program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and may be eligible for the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension for international students.

Learn more about STEM approved CIP/degree codes

Admission criteria for undergraduate certificates are the same as those for U of I undergraduate degree programs. View our admission requirements to learn more

Undergraduate certificate application process:

Students interested in adding a certificate to their bachelor’s or associate degree program should speak with their academic advisor or faculty member.

Students interested in earning an undergraduate certificate as a standalone program should contact the Admissions Office at 208-885-6326 for information on how to apply.