MBA in Cybersecurity

Dr. Gregory Falco is an assistant professor at Cornell University's Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Systems Engineering Program, and specializes in cybersecurity. He earned his doctorate from MIT, where his doctoral research in cybersecurity was funded by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Before his tenure at Cornell, he held positions at Johns Hopkins and conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford and MIT. He directs the Aerospace ADVERSARY Laboratory, focusing on creating autonomous, secure space infrastructure with support from DARPA, NASA, and other agencies. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and as a DARPA RISER, Falco's research has led to impactful patents and startups. He also consults for major tech and defense companies. Prior to his academic career, he was an executive at Accenture.

Through their cybersecurity coursework, students move toward two outcomes covered by the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework):

Protect and Defend and Oversight and Governance. Students will gain experience with open-source hacking tools (to understand how/why bad agents attack) as well as practical simulations. Students will 'role-play' through various attack situations across many sample industries as well as learn how to analyze penetration tests. All courses include interactive case studies.

1. Evaluate and create comprehensive governance, risk management and compliance plans that align with corporate performance goals, follow key regulations, and enhance organizational resilience.
2. Evaluate security solutions to meet the unique needs of IT and OT systems, cloud environments, data storage, and IoT networks, aligning with business goals.
3. Demonstrate strategic leadership in cybersecurity by proactively planning, implementing, and managing comprehensive security measures.
4. Effectively communicate technical and policy information about cybersecurity challenges in order to affect organizational security measures.
5. Assess career opportunities and key sectors relevant to cybersecurity.
6. Identify and operate open-source hacking tools to recognize and address security vulnerabilities in accordance with ethical hacking principles.

GSM programs are accredited by AACSB, the most prestigious and demanding level of accreditation for business schools. This level of accreditation directly supports students because the AACSB assesses student learning. Students' actual assignments are used to document the extent that students master MBA learning outcomes, and continuous improvement occurs for programs and courses.

Why major in Cybersecurity?

Online-First: Cybersecurity courses are built to ensure that online classes are not merely attempting to recreate the in-person experience but truly leverage the strengths of online learning. Students are able to enjoy the flexibility of remote coursework and engage with students at other leading institutions, bolstering their professional networks for the future.

Accessible to All: Designed for inclusivity, the program provides a strong foundation in cybersecurity through low-code tools, empowering students to manage and oversee projects without requiring advanced technical expertise.

Leadership and Ethics: Students gain the skills to lead cybersecurity initiatives with a strategic focus, identifying risks, implementing solutions, and addressing ethical considerations to ensure responsible and effective security practices.

Effective Communication: The curriculum emphasizes bridging the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, teaching students to translate complex cybersecurity challenges into actionable strategies that drive organizational resilience and informed decision-making.

SXU's accelerated BBA+MBA Dual Degree program combines a four-year Bachelor of Business Administration and a two-year Master of Business Administration into a five-year program. Students complete 120 credit hours of undergraduate coursework and 30 credit hours of graduate coursework to fulfill the dual BBA+MBA degree. Students may take up to 12 credit hours of MBA coursework concurrent with their undergraduate coursework during their senior year.

Students are encouraged to apply to the 4+1 program in their junior year. Upon acceptance, students may register for courses at the graduate level with permission from the director of the Graham School of Management and the director of the MBA program. The BBA is awarded after successful completion of all undergraduate requirements. The MBA is awarded upon successful completion of the graduate requirements.

For more information, please contact the GSM director at ghoshFREESXU.