Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity — Curriculum

Three Pathways into the ABM

The ABM program is open to students of any undergraduate major and is offered in three configurations:

1.  CS B.A. → PSM in Cybersecurity  (Standard Track or AI Track)

URI students completing a B.A. in Computer Science double-count 12 credits (typically CSF 430, CSF 432, and CSF 534) toward both the B.A. and the PSM.

2.  CS B.S. → PSM in Cybersecurity  (Standard Track or AI Track)

URI students completing a B.S. in Computer Science double-count 12 credits (typically CSF 430, CSF 432, and CSF 534) toward both the B.S. and the PSM.

3.  Any Other Major → OnRamp → PSM in Cybersecurity  (Standard Track)

Students with a Bachelor’s degree in any field outside CS complete URI’s OnRamp To Cybersecurity bridge program first. OnRamp’s three courses build the technical foundation needed for the PSM, and the third OnRamp course (CSF 432) counts directly as the first PSM course. After OnRamp, students follow the PSM Standard Track curriculum. Double-counting of non-CS undergraduate coursework is evaluated individually with an advisor.

In all cases, double-counted courses must be 500-level or 400-level courses designated for graduate credit. The graduate year focuses entirely on the remaining PSM requirements.

ABM AI Track Curriculum Detail  [NEW]

Students completing URI’s CS AI Specialization (B.A. or B.S.) follow a specialized double-count arrangement for the AI Track. Three undergraduate AI specialization electives that are also PSM-eligible courses: CSF 430, CSF 432, and CSF 534, count toward both degrees. The graduate year then replaces two standard PSM electives with the two new AI-cybersecurity courses:

  • CSF 592 – Machine Learning Security  [new course]Vulnerabilities of ML classifiers, adversarial attacks (FGSM, PGD, C&W), and defenses including gradient masking, model ensembles, and adversarial training.
  • CSF 470 – Applied AI for Cybersecurity  [new course]Applying supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning to log analysis, threat detection, anomaly detection, and SOC automation. Prerequisite: CSF 432.

Curriculum information for each program:

Once accepted to the ABM program, and prior to receiving their Bachelor’s Degree, all students must earn a grade of B or better in two PSM curriculum courses. For non-CS students who have completed OnRamp, CSF 432 (taken in OnRamp) satisfies one of these requirements. Consult your advisor to plan your remaining pre-graduation PSM course.

Students are eligible to double count only 500-level courses and 400-level courses designed for graduate credit.

Coming from a Non-Technical Background?

URI’s OnRamp To Cybersecurity is your starting point. Three fully online undergraduate courses — Python programming, system fundamentals, and network security — build the foundation you need. The third OnRamp course counts directly as a PSM course, so you are already earning graduate credit while you prepare. OnRamp acceptance includes conditional acceptance to the PSM program.Learn more and apply at:  web.uri.edu/cs/academics/onramp/