CYBV498

Cyber Operations Senior Capstone

Course Description

CYBV 498 is designed to provide Cyber Operations majors with a capstone experience emphasizing integration of knowledge acquired in previous courses. The course provides a culminating experience for majors involving a substantive project that demonstrates a synthesis of learning accumulated in the major, including broadly comprehensive knowledge of the discipline and its methodologies. Students are required to incorporate a field research study into their research project. Students engage in the development and production of a senior level research paper grounded in the relevant research and in a relevant and appropriate student engagement experience.

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is for students to apply the Cybersecurity knowledge gained in this program, specialize in an area, and develop a well-researched thesis.

Expected Learning Outcomes

The student will:

• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the discipline of Cyber Operations by:
  • Identifying different threat actors and their motivations in cyberspace
  • Analyzing how information system security design, policies, practices, and people defend against threats in cyberspace
  • Evaluating the effects of laws and gaps in legal guidance and precedent with respect to activities in cyberspace
• Apply competencies gained through an engagement experience to new contexts within the field of cyber operations.
• Exercise critical thinking strategies including reasoning, problem solving, analysis, and evaluation by:
  • Analyzing and synthesizing theoretical and practical constructs within the field of cyber operations
  • Critically reviewing and evaluating the application of selected theories to practical, real world situations
  • Describing and evaluating how competencies gained in an engagement experience can be applied to new contexts
• Demonstrate advanced written communication skills by
  • Conducting and reporting research
  • Reporting, evaluating, and incorporating research conducted through engagement activities and academic sources within the field of cyber operations
  • Developing, outlining, and preparing a thesis proposal
  • Completing a comprehensive research paper