Bachelor of Science Network Engineering & Security

Our daily interactions with the Internet are ever-increasing in scale and complexity. What was once a packet delivery system mimicking a postal system is now an intricate multi-tiered structure of protocols and services. The ongoing development and survival of these services depends on our ability to adaptively address challenges such as securing our interactions, scaling with users and devices, and meeting the ever-changing expectations in Quality of Experience and Service Availability.

Today, researchers at DePaul are addressing the aforementioned challenges with an eye towards providing higher service levels and reducing the energy footprint of Internet operations. They are studying how to optimize operations in machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks. New network infrastructures are being developed to operate in ad hoc situations, without relying on the Internet, to mitigate connectivity during power outages and in infrastructure-poor regions. The Internet is profoundly changing on multiple fronts. Video content is now dominating web traffic, and Internet service providers must now accommodate nearly 30 billion networked devices. Thus, we must re-examine every design choice and hold both current and future protocols to highly rigorous standards in development and performance evaluation.

The unique BS Network Engineering and Security (NES) program at DePaul University delivers both the theory and practice behind the design and maintenance of these diverse network infrastructures. Students have access to extensive lab facilities using equipment from Cisco, Juniper, and other manufacturers. Our students get hands-on practice in configuring routers, switches, and firewalls, as well as securing networks, evaluating and managing their performance, and ensuring the they meet business requirements.”

For international students: this is a STEM-designated program.

Degree Requirements

$62,000 median salary reported by program graduates 6 months after degree completion

Common Career Areas

  • Network Design
  • Product/Vendor Evaluation
  • Programming
  • Security Infrastructure Design
  • Security Management
  • Software Development
  • System Management

Innovative Research

professor explaining to two students

Associate Professor Sharief Oteafy is currently investigating how Internet of Things (IoT) systems could be developed to allow for interoperation, despite their heterogeneity. His research spans resource management and functional scalability in future IoT systems. Dr. Oteafy is also actively involved in the development of the Tactile Internet, which will enable remote operation of devices in perceived real-time, across the globe.

2 students collaborting infront of computer  

Hands-On Learning

Coursework emphasizes hands-on learning with Cisco equipment. The CDM Security Lab contains more than 100 routers, over 60 switches, 90 firewalls, and a wide variety of servers and specialized network appliances, all of which are available to students to practice and perfect their networking and security skills.

 

BS + CCNA

DePaul is a Cisco Networking Academy (CNA). CDM faculty can make use of Cisco online learning resources to supplement their course materials. Students who wish to earn their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) have access to all Cisco review materials as a part of their coursework. However, unlike many CNA institutions, CDM’s courses provide a broad range of learning materials beyond what Cisco offers.

security locks  

CyberCenter

DePaul’s CyberCenter, founded in June 2003, is chartered to advance the science, teaching, and practice of computer security, information assurance, network security, and related disciplines. Through affiliated labs, including the Secure Design Lab, Adversarial Cybersecurity Automation Lab (ACAL), Network and Security Lab, and more, the Center aims to increase the awareness of security and produce program graduates who are better able to meet the increasing needs of the nation in the area of information assurance. The Center also works in cooperation with Chicagoland area corporations to assist them in applying information assurance practices into their businesses operations and coordinates with community service organizations to help increase their awareness and implementation of information assurance.

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Sebastian Lekas
BS in Network Engineering and Security
 

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