The UC Berkeley School of Information's (I School) Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is an accredited online program that prepares students with the cybersecurity skills needed to assume leadership positions in private-sector technology companies as well as government and military organizations.

Our holistic approach to cybersecurity develops students’understanding of information security technologies as well as the economic, legal, behavioral, and ethical impacts of cybersecurity. Students graduate as competitive candidates in the job market with connections to UC Berkeley alumni and professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area technology hub.

A Leadership-Focused Curriculum

The interdisciplinary MICS curriculum provides students hands-on practical experience with secure systems and applications, an understanding of the legal requirements associated with cybersecurity, and the ability to lead, manage, and contribute to building cybersecurity solutions.

Students master core technical skills and become fluent in the business, political, and legal context of cybersecurity. They can expect to graduate with a comprehensive understanding of the following:

• Secure coding

• Government and national security

• Network and web security

• Usable privacy and security

• Cryptography

• Operating system security

• Security in context: legal, behavioral, and ethical issues

• Privacy engineering

• Cyber risk

The Curriculum includes the following courses：

    Beyond the Code:                            Cryptography for Cyber                                 Government, National Security,                   

Cybersecurity in Context                       and Network Security                                           and the Fifth Domain

    Network Security                           Operating System Security                                 Usable Privacy and Security

    Software Security                               Managing Cyber Risk                                           Privacy Engineering

The online MICS program is nine courses (27 units) and can be completed in 20 months. Students complete foundation courses, electives, and a capstone project. They also attend one in-person immersion on the UC Berkeley campus or in another location relevant to cybersecurity.

To complete your application, you must submit the following:

• Online application

• Official transcripts from all educational institutions attended

• Statement of Purpose and additional admissions statements

• Two professional letters of recommendation

• Current resume

• TOEFL Scores (if applicable)

• Application fee of USD $120 for domestic applicants or USD $140 for international applicants

• GRE or GMAT scores (optional)

Applications are evaluated holistically on a combination of prior academic performance, work experience, essays, letters of recommendation, and goals that are a good fit for the program. The UC Berkeley School of Information seeks students with the academic abilities to meet the demands of a rigorous graduate program. To be eligible for the online master's programs, you must meet the following requirements:

You should have a superior scholastic record — normally well above a 3.0 GPA. The recognized equivalent to a bachelor's degree is also accepted, if earned from an accredited institution.

Many schools issue transcripts electronically, either through their own web services or through vendors. If this option is available through the institutions you attended, please specify that your transcript(s) be sent to the address below as this will expedite the delivery of your transcript(s) and the completion of your application.

Cybersecurity (MICS): appsvcs@cybersecurity.berkeley.edu
Data Science (MIDS): applicationservices@datascience.berkeley.edu

If you would like your transcripts to be sent by mail, please use the following address designated for your program of interest below:

This should be demonstrated by at least one of the following qualifications:

• Work experience that demonstrates your quantitative abilities

• Academic coursework that demonstrates quantitative aptitude

A high level of analytical reasoning ability and a problem-solving mindset as demonstrated in academic and/or professional performance.

For the MIDS program, this includes knowledge of data structures, algorithms and analysis of algorithms, and linear algebra. Applicants who lack this experience in their academic or work background but meet all other requirements for admission will be asked to complete a bridge course before enrolling in the Applied Machine Learning course.

For the MICS program, this includes an understanding of – or, a proven aptitude for and commitment to learning – data structures and discrete mathematics which can be demonstrated by at least one of the following qualifications:

This should be demonstrated by at least one of the following qualifications:

• Academic performance

• Professional experience

• Strong essays that demonstrate effective communication skills

MIDS: Proficiency in programming languages, such as Python or Java, should be demonstrated by prior work experience or advanced coursework. Applicants who lack this experience in their academic or work background but meet all other admission requirements will be required to take the Introduction to Data Science Programming course in their first term.

MICS: Knowledge of at least one, and ideally two, programming languages, such as C, C++, Python, Java, Javascript, or machine/assembly language as demonstrated by work experience or coursework. Applicants who lack this experience in their academic or work background but meet all other admission requirements will be required to take the Programming Fundamentals for Cybersecurity course in their first term.

Test Codes

International Application Requirements

If you are an international applicant, you may be required to provide additional materials to complete your application. U.S. degree equivalency documents – including transcripts and degree conferral certificates – issued in languages other than English or Spanish are required to be accompanied by official translations. Per UC Berkeley Graduate Division requirements, translations must be provided by one of the following:

• The degree-granting institution;

• The ministry of education; or

• A certified translator in the American Translators Association

UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that applicants who received their degrees in countries other than the U.S., U.K., Australia, or English-speaking Canada submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores. This includes applicants with degrees from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. 

For students taking the TOEFL, UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that your most recent score be at least 90 on the Internet-based version of the TOEFL.

For students taking the IELTS, UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that your most recent score be at least 7.0 out of 9.0 on the IELTS Academic test.

To be valid, the TOEFL or IELTS must have been taken within 24 months of the start of classes. Test scores must be sent directly from the testing authorities. The school code for UC Berkeley is 4833. The department code for the I School is 99.

To qualify for a TOEFL exemption, UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires that you have at least one of the following:

• Received an undergraduate degree from an institution in a country in which the official language is English, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, English-speaking Canada, McGill University, or Concordia University

• Received a graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher

• Have completed at least one year of full-time undergraduate coursework from an accredited U.S. institution with grades of “B” or better in each course

If you graduated from a recognized academic institution outside the United States, you must hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Equivalency is determined by international evaluators in the UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions Office.

The I School's online students are assessed program tuition fees, which are charged per enrolled unit of coursework, and the Berkeley campus fee, which is charged per enrolled semester. The online master’s programs are 27 units each. Students are also assessed the Document Management Fee, which is a one-time fee charged in the first term of enrollment.

Additionally, for each program there will be a USD$500 immersion fee. Students will also be responsible for the cost of their hotel stay during the immersion and travel to and from the immersion. Fees are subject to change each academic year; new fees typically take effect in the fall term.

For the 2021-2022 academic year (Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Summer 2022), program fees are as follows:

¹The tuition, fees, and charges displayed here are estimates based on currently approved amounts. These figures may not be final. Actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California and could be affected by State funding reductions. Accordingly, final approved levels (and thus a student’s final balance due) may differ from the amounts shown. Students should expect fees to moderately increase each fall term.

Fee assessment example:

• A new student who enters the program in Spring 2022 and takes two classes (6 units) would be assessed a total of USD$17,070.75 (consisting of USD$2,712 per unit x 6 units + USD$699.75 Campus Fee + USD$99 Document Management Fee).

• A continuing student who takes one class (3 units) in Spring 2022 would be assessed a total of USD$8,835.75 (consisting of USD$2,712 per unit x 3 units + USD$699.75 Campus Fee).