BAS CO Curriculum, Emphasis Areas & Courses

Cyber Operations

The College of Information Science's Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations (BAS CO), offered on main campus and online, equips students with the versatile skills they need to become a critical part of the nation's cyber defense.

120

Units to Complete Degree, Includes:
42 Upper-Division
47 Major Coursework
18 Minor or Dual Degree

3

Emphasis Areas:
Cyber Engineering,
Defense & Forensics,
Cyber Law & Policy


Program Goals & Learning Outcomes

  • Forensics: Demonstrate and explain how to acquire a forensically sound image;
    understand user activity; determine the manner in which an operating system or
    application has been subverted; identify forensic artifacts left by attacks; and
    recover deleted and/or intentionally hidden information.
  • Networking: Demonstrate a thorough understanding of how networks work at
    the infrastructure, network and applications layers; how they transfer data; how
    network protocols work to enable communication; and how the lower-level
    network layers support the upper ones.
  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Demonstrate understanding of how
    variability affects outcomes; how to identify anomalous events; how to integrate
    and differentiate continuous functions of multiple variables; and how to solve
    complex problems using computation and scripting languages.
  • Law, Ethics, & Policy: Describe and explain the relationship between cyber ethics
    and law; US and International cyber laws; criminal penalties related to unethical
    hacking; and apply the notion of Gray Areas to articulate where the law has not
    yet caught up to technology innovation.
  • Security Principles & Vulnerabilities: Demonstrate and explain the various types
    of vulnerabilities and their underlying causes; how security principles interrelate
    and are typically employee to achieve assured solutions; and explain how failures
    in fundamental security design principles can lead to system vulnerabilities that
    can be exploited as part of an offensive cyber operation.
  • Cyber Threat Intelligence: Describe and demonstrate how knowledge about an
    adversary's motivation, intentions, and methods are collected, analyzed, and
    disseminated to help security personnel and business staff to align resources and
    protect critical assets within an enterprise architecture.

  • Students will be able to solve information and data challenges using key techniques of computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms).
  • Students will be able to collect, manipulate and correctly analyze varied data at different scales.

  • Students will establish the ability to exercise the four key techniques of computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms) in solving information and data challenges.
  • Students will acquire the skills of collecting, manipulating and analyzing different types of data at different scales, and interpreting the results properly.
  • Students will demonstrate understanding of the use of information and communication technologies and the implications of such use in, for example, scientific and social uses of information and social, cultural and economic implications of digital life and culture.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct a research project using appropriate and ethical methods, including proper citation of sources.
  • Students will demonstrate facility using basic research methods; for example, research design; statistics and analysis; organization, identification and location of data and information including open- and closed-access sources; and presentation of findings in oral, written and multimedia form, including proper use of and citation of sources.
  • Students will be able to recognize and analyze ethical and policy concerns raised by new technologies and will be able to apply ethical thinking to real-world cases and craft effective solutions.
  • Students will acquire the skills, knowledge and self-understanding to communicate with and effectively work and interact across cultures and with diverse people and groups.
  • Students will be able to identify and apply professional ethics and standards relevant to their career and aspirations.
  • Students will demonstrate knowledge of career possibilities and further education options and opportunities open to them relative to their plan of study and will set goals and make plans beyond their expected graduation.

Sample Four-Year Plan

120 units are required for graduation.

Click to view sample courses by year:

Year 1 | Fall

ENGL 101: First-Year Composition3 units
Major Course3 units
UNIV 101: Introduction to the General Education Experience1 unit
General Education3 units
General Education3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
TOTAL16 units

Year 1 | Spring

ENGL 102: First-Year Composition 3 units
Major Course3 units
General Education3 units
MATH (based on placement)3 units
General Education 3 units
TOTAL15 units

Year 2 | Fall

Major Course 3 units
General Education 3 units
General Education 3 units
First-Semester Language 
Additional Elective Course3 units
TOTAL16 units

Year 2 | Spring

Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Second-Semester Language4 units
TOTAL16 units

Year 3 | Fall

UNIV 301: General Education Portfolio1 unit
General Education3 units
Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
TOTAL16 units

Year 3 | Spring

Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
TOTAL15 units

Year 4 | Fall

Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
TOTAL15 units

Year 4 | Spring

Major Course3 units
Major Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
Additional Elective Course3 units
TOTAL12 units
TOTAL DEGREE CREDITS120 units

This is a sample plan and is subject to change based on catalog year, placement tests, AP/CLEP credit, transfer work, minor requirements, summer school, etc. The official degree requirements may be found in the University General Catalog and all University of Arizona students should refer to the Academic Advising Report for specific graduation requirements.


Curriculum, Emphasis Areas & Courses

Bachelor's in Cyber Operations students take a mix of Foundations, General Education, Core Major and Electives courses, subject to change based on catalog year, placement tests, AP/CLEP credit, transfer work, minor requirements, summer school, etc.

Choose from either the Cyber Engineering, Defense and Forensics or Cyber Law and Policy emphasis area.

View or download fillable BAS CO degree checklist by emphasis area:

Click a link below to learn more and view course information:

Foundations

Specific unit requirements may vary based on placement and/or prior college-level coursework:

  • First-year English or equivalent
  • MATH 122B or MATH 113 or MATH 116
  • Second-semester second language proficiency

General Education

  • Introduction to General Education (1 unit)
  • Exploring Perspectives Courses (12 units, including at least one course from each domain: Artist, Humanist, Natural Scientist, Social Scientist)
  • Building Connections Courses (9 units)
  • General Education Capstone (1 unit)

Learn More About U of A General Education Requirements

Students who started before Spring 2022 will follow the previous U of A GenEd requirements:

  • Tier 1 Individuals & Societies (6 units)
  • Tier 1 Traditions & Cultures (6 units)
  • Tier 1 Natural Sciences (6 units)
  • Tier 2 Humanities (3 units)
  • Tier 2 Individuals & Society (3 units)
  • Tier 2 Arts (3 units)
  • Diversity (3 units)

Ready to become part of a critical layer of cyber defense?

Learn more about the Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations by contacting us at infosci-ugrad@arizona.edu, or review the admissions process and begin your application now.

If you are a current U of A student, learn more about declaring a major, minor or certificate.

Start Your Application