Cyber Policy and Ethics, B.S.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Cyber Policy and Ethics is an interdisciplinary degree that emphasizes the interface between, on the one hand, the rapidly evolving technology of networked communication and computing systems and, on the other hand, the many government, social and economic actors who are increasingly dependent upon these new technologies. This degree addresses pressing questions about how we use and control cyber technologies, as well as their effect on concerns such as national security, commerce, privacy, democracy, culture and individuality.
Students entering as of Fall 2023 will complete requirements for the restructured Cyber Policy and Ethics degree instead of the Cyber Intelligence degree path. While similar, the new degree path builds on the foundation of the prior program requirements and offers greater flexibility.
The Cyber Policy and Ethics degree trains students in elements of computer and technological skills while offering a novel, human-centered focus on the interface of cyber technology and society. Coursework includes areas as diverse as psychology, national security and culture as well as flexible foreign language requirements and optional minors and cognates. Our degree promotes employable skillsets in inter-cultural literacy, professional communication, critical thinking, analysis and problem solving.
Learning Outcomes
- Communicate cyber issues, policies and solutions in writing, orally and/or in digital formats.
- Develop responses sensitive to cultural, organizational, and ethical issues.
- Evaluate and solve problems found in the cyber world through the application of digital tools.
- Analyze cyber challenges in a holistic and interdisciplinary manner.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 Hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-46 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 20-37 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 36 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-46 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
- two 4-credit hour CC-SCI laboratory science courses
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher
- any CC-GSS Course
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any CC-CMS Course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility (3 hours)
- any CC-VSR Course
- 1
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
Analytical Reasoning (6 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (6 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher
- Social Science (3 hours)
- The College of Arts and Sciences requires one 3-hour Social Science Course.
- Fine Arts/Humanities (3 Hours)
- A Bachelor of Science from the College of Arts and Sciences requires one 3-hour Fine Arts/Humanities Course
Note: Students may not use courses in foreign language toward the Fine Arts or Humanities requirement, as those courses will count toward the Supporting Courses Foreign Language requirement.
- 1
These courses require additional prerequisite not included in the program.
3. Program Requirements (20-37 hours)
Supporting Courses (9-24 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Language 1 | 0-15 | |
| ISCI 201 | Data, Information & Society (*) | 3 |
| or ITEC 233 | Introduction to Computer Hardware and Software | |
| PHIL 114 | Introduction to Formal Logic I (*) | 3 |
| GEOG 105 | The Digital Earth (*) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 9-24 | |
- 1
The Cyber Policy and Ethics program requires students to complete foreign language(s) beyond the 121-level required by the College of Arts and Sciences. Students may meet this requirement in two ways:
- One language completed through 6 hours at the 300 level, or
- Two languages distributed as follows:
- Carolina Core GFL language continued through 6 hours at the 200 level, and a
- Second language completed through the 122 level, which may require from 6 to 9 hours, depending on whether the language begins with 109 or 121.
Note: The number of hours that students must take to fulfill this requirement will depend upon their proficiency in the language, e.g. students who test into 300-level of a language would not need to take the 200-level prerequisites and would only need 6 hours to meet this requirement. Additionally, should students choose to add a foreign language minor or foreign language as a second major and successfully complete course requirements, then this will satisfy the foreign language requirement for the Cyber Policy and Ethics major. This requirement may be satisfied through foreign language placement tests.
Cognate or Minor (0-18 hours) Optional
This major does not require a cognate or minor.
An optional minor may be added to a student’s program of study. A minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University. A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z. An optional additional major may also be added to a student’s program of study.
Additional majors must include all major courses as well as any prescribed courses noted (*) in the bulletin. Prescribed courses noted in the bulletin may be shared with Carolina Core, College requirements, and Program requirements in the primary program.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (0-28 hours)
120 (or 128) degree applicable credits are required to complete any degree at USC. After the cognate, minor or second major is complete, any additional credits needed to reach 120 (or 128) total credits can be fulfilled by electives. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
4. Major Requirements (36 hours)
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
No more than 9 credit hours at the 200-level may be taken for credit towards the major requirements.
Selection of major courses must include at least one Carolina Core Integrative course: CYBR 399, CYBR 498, CYBR 499, POLI 315,POLI 451, PSYC 430 or PSYC 440.
Major Courses (36 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Tools and Digital Skills | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| WebGIS | ||
| Advanced Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Introduction to Computer Technology & Applications for Info Env | ||
| User-Centered Information Architecture | ||
| Competitive Intelligence | ||
| Emerging Topics in Information Science | ||
| Cybersecurity Operations | ||
| Information Technology Security for Managers | ||
| Statistical Methods II | ||
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Global Cyber Cultures | ||
| CYBR 393 | Special Topics in Global Cyber Cultures | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to African-American Studies | ||
| African-American Literature I: to 1903 | ||
| African-American Literature II: 1903 – Present | ||
| African Literature | ||
| Seminar in African-American Studies | ||
| Learning Across Cultures | ||
| Caribbean Cultures | ||
| Cultures of Islam | ||
| Chinese Popular Culture | ||
| Latin American Cultures | ||
| African-American Cultures | ||
| Chinese Culture, Tradition, and Modern Societies | ||
| Special Topics in Global Cyber Cultures | ||
| African-American Literature I: to 1903 | ||
| African-American Literature II: 1903 – Present | ||
| African Literature | ||
| Introduction to European Studies | ||
| Geography of Latin America | ||
| Geography of Europe | ||
| Geography of the Middle East | ||
| Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Landscape and Cultural Geography | ||
| The History of Modern Russia and the Soviet Union | ||
| Africa since 1800 | ||
| Modern East Asia | ||
| Modern Latin America | ||
| American Thought since 1865 | ||
| Interdisciplinary Study of Latin America | ||
| Introduction to Japanese Culture and Literature | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Constitutional Law I: Institutional Powers | ||
| African American Political Thought | ||
| International Relations of Latin America | ||
| Politics and Governments of Europe | ||
| Middle East Politics | ||
| Politics and Governments of Africa | ||
| Politics and Governments of Latin America | ||
| Introduction to Buddhism | ||
| Introduction to Judaism | ||
| Introduction to Christianity | ||
| Introduction to Islam | ||
| Religions of the African Diaspora | ||
| Islamic Theology and Philosophical Thought | ||
| Governance and Policy | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Anthropology of Law and Conflict | ||
| American Military Experience | ||
| Criminal Justice Intelligence | ||
| Homeland Security and Terrorism | ||
| Information-Based Management in Criminal Justice | ||
| Computer Applications in Criminal Justice | ||
| Special Topics in Cyber Policy and Governance | ||
| Geography and Global Geopolitics | ||
| Global Geography of Human Rights | ||
| Evolution of Warfare II | ||
| American Military Experience | ||
| Constitutional History of the United States | ||
| Constitutional History of the United States | ||
| Cyberethics and Information Policy | ||
| Internet and Social Media Law | ||
| International Relations | ||
| National Security Policies of the United States | ||
| Politics and the Mass Media | ||
| Regulatory Policies | ||
| Race and Science Fiction | ||
| Revolution and Political Violence | ||
| Theories of War in International Relations | ||
| International Law | ||
| Law and Contemporary International Problems | ||
| Science, Technology, and Public Policy | ||
| Globalization and Security | ||
| Constitutional Law I: Institutional Powers | ||
| Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties | ||
| Law and Society | ||
| Applied Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Social Problems | ||
| Sociology of Crime | ||
| Gender and Politics | ||
| Society and Ethics | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Black Activism | ||
| Ethnography of Communication | ||
| Theories of Culture | ||
| Special Topics in Cyber Society and Ethics | ||
| Postcolonialism | ||
| Science Fiction Literature | ||
| Women Writers | ||
| Film and Media Analysis | ||
| Film and Media History | ||
| Global Media Industries | ||
| Global Media Industries | ||
| Video Games and History | ||
| History of Capitalism 2: From the Industrial Revolution to the Global Economy | ||
| Technology and American Society | ||
| Digital History | ||
| Material Culture in the Digital Age | ||
| Data, Information & Society | ||
| Social Issues in Information and Communications Technologies | ||
| Social Media and Society | ||
| Law and Ethics of Mass Communications | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Sports Media | ||
| Naval Leadership and Ethics | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Ethics of Science and Technology | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| The State of American Politics | ||
| Women and the Law | ||
| Psychology and Politics | ||
| Survey of Social Psychology | ||
| Survey of Personality | ||
| Morality, Ethics, and Religion | ||
| Social Justice & Religion | ||
| Sociology of Religion | ||
| An Introduction to Social Inequality | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Society through Visual Media | ||
| Sociological Theory | ||
| Social Networks | ||
| Issues in Women's and Gender Studies | ||
| Feminist Philosophy | ||
| Men and Masculinities | ||
| Women and the Law | ||
| Challenges and Development | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Special Topics in Cyber Intelligence | ||
| Internship: Global Experience in Cyber Policy and Ethics | ||
| Internship: Cyberintelligence | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.