Cyber Defense

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Cyber Defense is designed to focus on the necessary skills required to secure, protect and identify vulnerabilities in computer systems. Emphasis is placed on developing the theoretical, legal, ethical and practical skills needed to maintain the security of mission-critical systems. The program meets the requirements of the National Security Agency’s Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) and is designed to meet the training needs of government and industry employees. The program covers a variety of information security technologies and structured languages and also focuses on the skills needed for internationally recognized IT certifications and high demands in business, industry, and government.

Details

Field of Interest
Computer and Information Technology
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Cyber Defense (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3213
Total credits required
60-70
Catalog Year
2026-2027
Effective Term
Fall 2026
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Courses within any of the following prefixes must be taken within five (5) years prior to completion of the program to be applied toward this award: CIS, CNT, ITS, and MST

What You'll Learn
  • Demonstrate understanding of the fundamental concepts behind cybersecurity.
  • Explain the fundamental security design fundamentals that help create systems that are worthy of being trusted.
  • Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the components in an information technology system and their roles in system operation.
  • Explain where and how cryptography is used.
  • Describe how networks are built and operate and the various basic network analysis tools.
  • Create simple scripts/programs to automate and perform simple operations.
  • Implement algorithms using programming languages to solve problems.
  • Explain the concepts used in defending a network, and the common tools and techniques that can be used to protect a network and communication assets from cyber threats.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of methods such as managing applications, services, and network ports to improve the robustness of operating systems.
  • Describe ethics in a cyber context, including typical situations where ethical dilemmas arise and the tools for ethical decision making.
  • Utilize methods for exploiting vulnerabilities to gain access to a system.
  • Explain the common standards related to information assurance.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

Computer Network Support Specialists
$65,340
Information Security Analysts
$125,320
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
$87,090

* Wage information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Updated May 2024.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Note: You will have to select one of the options below to view available course sequences.

Full-time Sequence

To view course sequences, select one of the pathway map options above.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Courses Not Currently Offered

Maricopa Community Colleges does not currently offer these courses. Alternative courses, as outlined in the term-by-term course listing above, may also meet the same requirements for your degree or certificate.

Courses listed in this pathway map that are not currently offered at Maricopa Community Colleges
Course Number Course Name Offering Colleges
MST160 Azure Administrator Not currently offered
MST260 Microsoft Azure Cloud Development and Operations Not currently offered
Course Area Key
  • AHM = Arts and Humanities
  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First-Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts & Design
  • IAM = Institutions of the Americas
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • NSI = Natural Sciences
  • OCM = Oral Communication
  • QNR = Quantitative Reasoning
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SCB = Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
  • WCM = Written Communication
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award at https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=16460631.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Cyber Defense