Cyber Fellows
About the Cybersecurity Fellows Program
In keeping with our mission to promote the interdisciplinary study of cybersecurity issues (generously supported by the Hewlett Foundation), the Strauss Center established the Cybersecurity Fellows Program to encourage full-time, in-residence graduate students from all departments who have an interest in cybersecurity to take relevant courses from outside their home department, to reward students who pursue this approach with formal recognition, to generate a cross-campus community of interest featuring a speaker series and mentoring, and to provide financial support for cybersecurity-related research, conference attendance, and the like.
There are two stages to this program:
First: Each year, on a rolling basis, we select a group of graduate students from across the campus to form the Fellowship class for the coming year. For the remainder of their time at UT, Fellows will receive advice and mentoring relating to cross-disciplinary education opportunities at UT; access to funding to support cybersecurity-related research and travel; support and coaching for those who wish to participate in the Austin and DC rounds of the Atlantic Council’s cybersecurity policy competition; and priority involvement in the series of cybersecurity-related speakers and events we sponsor.
Second: The goal is for each Fellow to complete a certain number of cybersecurity-related courses during their time at UT (with a grade of 3.0 or above in each course). We expect each fellow to make a good-faith effort to achieve this, and we will work with Fellows as needed to help make it possible. Those who do complete these requirements will then be certified by the Strauss Center as having completed the “Integrated Cybersecurity Studies” course sequence.
The current list of eligible courses appears in full below. As you will see, the fundamental requirements are:
- complete at least four courses from the eligible list
- at least one of these must be on the “technical” track
- at least one of these must be on the “non-technical” track
Requests to add additional courses to the eligible list are always welcome.
This requires (1) a statement of interest describing your career goals, your current degree program (including confirmation that you are enrolled in a full-time, in residence graduate degree program), and the areas of cross-disciplinary exposure that interest you most (minimum 3.0 GPA); (2) a resume; and (3) a transcript; and (4) a statement of the courses you have in mind to take in fulfillment of the requirements above (including a description of whether your degree program will allow cross-registration in the event one of these courses is not listed with your home department). Find the link to the application above.
The application period is always open. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
The initial list of eligible course includes two distinct groupings: the Technical Track and the Non-Technical Track. As noted above, students must take at least one course from each of these tracks.
TECHNICAL TRACK COURSES (MUST TAKE AT LEAST ONE FROM THIS TRACK)
For students who do not have a strong computer science or engineering background, by far the best option for satisfying the Technical Track requirement is to take our custom-designed technology introduction course, offered each fall:
- Technology of Cybersecurity: An Introduction for Law and Policy Students (LAW 379M)
There is a second course that we offer that is also accessible to newcomers:
- Technology of Network Security and Incident Response: An Introduction for Law and Policy Students (LAW 379M)
Students who do have a sufficient technical background, in contrast, should take one or more of the following graduate-level computer science or engineering courses (or other courses from those units, upon application):
- Theory and Practice of Secure Systems (CS 380S)
- Network Protocol Security (CS 386S)
- Cryptography (CS 388H)
- Security at the Hardware-Software Interface (EE 382V-3)
- Applied Encryption (INF 385T)
NON-TECHNICAL TRACK COURSES (MUST TAKE AT LEAST ONE FROM THIS TRACK)
- Cybersecurity Law, Policy, and Institutions (REQUIRED) (PA 380L / LAW 379M)
- Seminar: Cybersecurity and Issues at the Intersection of Privacy, National Security, and Technology (PA 388K / LAW 397S)
- The International Law of Cyber Conflict (LAW 179P or 279P)
- Privacy Law: Personal Data Under US and EU Law (LAW 379M)
- Law of the Intelligence Community (LAW 379M / PA 280L)
- Comp. Audit & System Sec’y: Compliance & Advisory Perspectives (ACC F380K.12)
- IT Security, Policy, and Compliance (MIS 384N.3)
- Directed Research Study in Law (LAW 379M)
- Independent Study in Public Policy (PA 189C)
- Security Informatics (INF 385W)
- Special Topics in Inf. Science—Introduction to Blockchain (INF 385T) / INF 385T Blockchain Uses and Applications
- Special Topics in Inf. Science—Concepts & Practices in Inf. Security (INF 385T)
- Information Science in the Intelligence Community (INF 385T.7)
- Identity Communication (IMS 384)
- Lying and Deception (CMS 344K)
- Economics of Cybersecurity (MIS381N / LAW 379M)
- Ethics of AI: Good Systems (INF385T)
