Note: The Radboud University provides a limited number of
scholarships covering part of the cost. If you are interested in such a scholarship, please contact
Lejla Batina as soon as possible (before February 15, 2011).
Do you want to become a computer security specialist? Are you up to the challenge
of a technical study, but prefer to study at a general university covering a
broad range of studies?
Does the city of
Nijmegen
appeal
to you?
Welcome to the Kerckhoffs Institute!
The Kerckhoffs Institute is co-hosted by
the
Digital Security group,
Institute for Computing and Information
Sciences (ICIS)
of the
Radboud University Nijmegen.
The
Digital Security group was
rated as one of the top research groups in the Netherlands
in the national research evaluation for Computer Science in 2010,
while the
Institute for
Computing and Information Sciences as a whole was rated
the best computer science institute in the country.
We offer a 2-year international master track in computer security (as part
of our computer science master programme),
in close collaboration with the University of Twente and Eindhoven University
of Technology.
Goals
Our master track will give you a broad and strong background on
many aspects of computer security. Towards the end of the programme,
you will choose a particular specialisation topic for in-depth study.
You could, for example, become a smart card expert,
a network security and intrusion detection specialist,
a cryptographer, or an information security analyst.
Developing secure systems and analysing the security of existing systems
is a challenging task. Computer security is a topic of growing importance,
as it affects ever more aspects of business, government, and
our daily life as citizens.
That is why security specialists are in high demand.
The Kerckhoffs Master
in Computer Security offers excellent career prospects in both the public
and the private sector, and in academic as well as industrial research.
After completing the master track, you are ready to take on one of
the following job opportunities.
- Security architect
- Security consultant.
- Security policy maker.
- Industrial researcher.
- Academic researcher (towards international PhD).
Programme
The master programme covers two years, divided into two semesters each.
Each semester offers two
mandatory courses,
and a selection of
optional courses.
The courses cover a wide range of topics,
including but not limited to: cryptography, system/network security,
organisational security, privacy, data management.
Courses are taught in English. Course materials are in English as well.
The last
semester is reserved for the graduation project and writing a master thesis.
Master projects can be either internal, or external at a company for instance.
Courses are taught in Nijmegen, as well as the University of Twente and
Eindhoven University of Technology. Lectures at Enschede and Eindhoven are
scheduled exclusively on Mondays and/or Fridays. Students need to travel one
day a week on average. Optional courses are scheduled back to back with
mandatory courses to minimise such travel.
On successful completion of the programme,
you will obtain a master diploma in Computer Science, with a certificate
attesting you specialised in Computer Security at the Kerckhoffs Institute.
About us
The
Digital Security group of the
Radboud University Nijmegen works at the forefront of computer
security research. We investigate new security vulnerabilities, build tools
to analyse the security of critical systems, and develop new, stronger,
countermeasures. We are also actively involved in the lively debate
on the effects of security measures on society at large, such as
the introduction of biometric passports, or electronic voting.
In Nijmegen, the computer security master programme is an option
in the general Computing Science Master (theme Security, research
(O) variant). More information about the Computing Science master
is availabel in
Dutch
and in English.
Admission requirements & procedures
General procedure
To register at the Kerckhoffs Master programme, you need to perform the following
steps.
- First, send a preliminary registration to the Kerckhoffs
Institute. Simply send an email to
info@kerckhoffs-institute.org
stating your full name, date of birth,
and email address.
- register (info in dutch)
as a full time computer science master student
at the Radboud University Nijmegen first
(for foreign students, the
registration procedure
is different).
- Then register as a computer science student
at the Eindhoven University of Technology
and the University of Twente (in order to follow the courses offered by
those universities) as well. By law, these
secondary registrations are free of charge. Make sure you include a
"Bewijs van Betaald Collegegeld" (proof of admission fee paid)
issued by the Central Student Administration (CSA) with the
registration request.
- Finally, complete your registration at the Kerckhoffs
Institute by sending us
info@kerckhoffs-institute.org
the student numbers for each of universities you registered at, indicating
which university is your primary university.
For further information regarding the registration procedure, please contact
the "onderwijsburo",
Mrs
Resi Westerman.
By the time you graduate, you should transfer your grades for TUE and
UT subjects to the Nijmegen administration system. For this, get
signed print-outs with grades of the student administrations ar TUE
and UT, and take these to the Facultaire Studenten Administratie in
Nijmegen. They will provide you with a so-called testimonium for each
subject that you have to get signed by the head of the Computer
Science examination board, currently Prof. Plasmeijer.
CS bachelors from a Dutch university
Students with a Bachelor degree in Computer Science from a Dutch university are
automatically admitted to the security master programme.
Registration is of course still required.
CS bachelors from a Dutch polytechnic
Students from a polytechnic (in Dutch: HBO) with a degree in computer
science will also be admitted, but need to follow extended programme with
additional courses that aim to cover missing parts in their background
[informatie
|
inschrijfprocedure
(in Dutch)].
Please note that the programme does involve quite a bit of mathematics that
you may need to spend time on to master.
Foreign students, or those with a different degree
Foreign students, or students with a different academic degree
will be admitted on a case by case basis. A personal interview may be part of
the admission procedure
[additional information].
The admission procedure is described
here.
Huygens scholarships
Excellent student from all countries can apply for a HSP Huygens Scholarship; for more information see this.
Further Information
For more information on the security master contact
dr. Lejla Batina by phone (+31 24 3652217),
email (lejla@cs.ru.nl
) and/or Dr. Erik Poll (+31 24 36252710), email (erikpoll@cs.ru.nl
) .
We look forward to meet you and work with you to make this master
programme a success!
