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Overview
Equip yourself with the skills and knowledge needed to become a proficient computer systems security professional.
In today's digitally connected world, computer and system security is paramount. Cyber threats lurk around every corner, posing risks to individuals, businesses and nations. It's crucial to have experts who can safeguard data and systems from potential cyberattacks.
Our Information Systems Security program is designed to empower you with the practical skills and understanding you need to thrive in this evolving computer and information technology field. Over two years, you will dive into a comprehensive curriculum that covers programming, operating systems, networking and strategic thinking.
In this program, you will gain:
- hands-on learning experience through real-world applications of defensive and offensive security technologies
- a strong foundation in networking, tool construction, and operating systems, setting the stage for your success in the field
- industry-relevant skills and expertise needed to protect data and systems in an increasingly interconnected world
- an understanding of the pivotal role computer security plays in safeguarding data and organizations.
Prepare for a rewarding career in computer systems security, where your expertise will be in high demand.
Whether you are interested in a role as a cybersecurity consultant, network security, systems analyst or information security manager, our Information Systems Security program will provide you with the fundamental tools and knowledge to excel. Your future in this critical field starts here.
The co-op program has been a pivotal part of my cybersecurity education. It has allowed me to apply my knowledge in real-world settings, gain valuable experience, and build industry connections even before graduating!
Lesi Nwielaghi, Information Systems Security student
People working in the cyber security analysis field tend to be innovative, objective and directive.
You need:
- analytical skills
- speaking and writing skills
- an inquiring and inventive mind
- an eye for details
- patience and an organized approach to troubleshooting
- decision-making and problem-solving skills
- math and science skills
- teaching skills
- time-management skills.
You should enjoy being innovative, working with others or independently and doing your work with precision.
You can participate in an optional co-op work term between your first and second year, where you can apply what you've learned in a work environment and build relationships with a potential employer.
In your second year, you'll also participate in a capstone project where you'll investigate issues across several different areas and propose a solution.
Once you graduate, you'll be prepared with the knowledge to challenge the Security+ and Comp Tia+ exams and earn your certifications.
Upon successful completion of this program, you'll be awarded a SAIT Information Systems Security diploma.
Careers and opportunities
Each year, SAIT conducts a survey between February and April to determine the employment rate, salary and satisfaction of our newest SAIT alumni.
64% graduate employment rate
$60,000 average starting salary
Find out more about our graduate employment statistics >
Our graduates may work in the following occupations. Some careers require additional experience and education.
Associated National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes: 20012, 21211, 21220, 21221, 21222, 21233, 22220, 22221, 22222.
Career counselling and support
Unsure which career path is for you? SAIT offers career planning services to help you decide your future.
You can also get started by taking our online career finder quiz, which can help you narrow down your search based on your current skills and interests.
Finally, you can also head to Alberta alis for various tools and resources, including additional quizzes and labour market information to help you narrow down a career path.
Courses
The Information Systems Security diploma requires 60 credits (20 courses) to complete.
The program spans two years, with two semesters each year.
Course | Credits |
---|---|
Professional Communication and Presentation Skills will introduce learners to the professional writing, collaboration and presentation skills needed to be successful in their chosen field. Learners will gain an understanding of the strategies and competencies required for effective communication with an emphasis on developing the interpersonal skills needed to perform as part of a high-functioning team. Coursework will require learners to work in individual and collaborative settings. Equivalents:
|
3 |
This introductory course provides students a grounding in basic switching, routing and general protocols. These are analyzed and implemented from both a functionality and vulnerability viewpoint. The configuration of defensive and offensive tools is practiced in the lab environment. |
3 |
This introductory course provides students with a firm grounding in the fundamentals of strategy from a military and cyber-warfare viewpoint. Topics include: implications of economics and politics on strategy, tactics vs strategy, writings of classic strategic thinkers from ancient to current times and methods of critically analyzing situations and strategic plans. Through the use of case studies and essays these fundamental concepts are applied to modern cyber-warfare and industrial espionage. |
3 |
This introductory course provides students the basic principles of programming applicable to program design and exploitation. Principles are illustrated using an intermediate, compiled language such as C. The examination of program data structures and execution flow is emphasized in the lab using debuggers |
3 |
This course examines the structure, implementation, and use of scripted and object oriented languages. The crafting of tools for various conditions will be emphasized in the labs and assignments. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course focuses on the fundamental's aspects of modern processors architectures and low-level programming environment. It emphasizes on modern processors designs and its interaction with other system component such as memory and I/O, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) and memory structure. Assembly and C programming languages and debuggers are used for practical exercises Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course explores internal structure (data structure) of most common operating systems. Topics include: kernel structures, system calls, process and threads management, inter-process communication techniques, memory management, storage and file systems structures. Laboratories will focus on examining operating systems' structure and vulnerabilities caused by design and the implementation of defensive practices. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course provides an examination of the implementation, strengths, and weaknesses of both industrial protocols and business protocols. Topics include: networking security protocols, advanced routing, and intrusion detection/prevention. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course provides students with a solid introduction to a variety of enterprise and industrial wireless protocol standards and exploitation techniques. The lab will focus on the use of offensive and defensive wireless tools to harden systems in a variety of environments. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course provides students an introduction to web technologies with an emphasis on web application hardening and exploitation. Topics include: application auditing, proxies, web attacks, web server hardening, man in the middle attacks, secure application protocols and data exfiltration. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course provides students practical, hands on experiences with the analysis and neutralization of malware. Topics include: disassemblers, cloaking/obfuscation, malware design, packing techniques, infection vectors and polymorphism. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This is a laboratory-based course and provides hands-on ethical hacking. Students will work independently on laboratories that focus on implementing techniques for vulnerability management, exploitation, post-exploitation, detection, monitoring, and hardening operating systems to protect it and mitigate risks. A final penetration testing project will be implemented to apply knowledge and skills learned in the course. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course provides students practical, hands on experience with the Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Topics include: industrial wireless network exploitation, encryption key exchange, debugging, component identification, the use of logic analyzers and oscilloscopes, firmware retrieval and analysis, sensor systems and common system architectures. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This advanced course provides students the tools and processes for the collection and evaluation of evidence found in computer systems. The emphasis is on the complexity of investigating incidents in a forensically sound manner consistent with current Canadian and international laws. Topics include: identifying and preserving evidence, chain of custody, file and log analysis, proper legal documentation, memory forensics and the identification of malware within a system being examined. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
Many modern businesses are required to comply with Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. At the core of PCI is encryption. The fundamentals of modern encryption are explored and the PCI standard, auditing, and penetration testing techniques will be discussed. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course examines the business and computing infrastructure needed to protect an organization from attacks. Topics will include: physical security, risk analysis, disaster recovery, data security controls, security models, access controls and security testing frameworks. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This course provides a general overview of persuasion and manipulation techniques, an introduction to neuro-linguistic programming, basic human psychology and improvisational acting. The goal of the course is to allow an entry level penetration tester to successfully infiltrate an organization to conduct security testing. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
This introductory course provides students with a basic understanding of the structure of both the Canadian and the Alberta legal systems. Topics include copyright, intellectual property, contract, evidence collection, and privacy law and their effect on security professionals. The application of the law will be contrasted with ethical guidelines that are enforced on security practitioners. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
In this capstone course, you will investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge, may connect with community issues or problems, and create a solution. Your project should demonstrate the technical and professional skills learned in the program and beyond. You are expected to apply your creativity and problem-solving abilities to a real-world context. Pre-requisites:One of the following sets of pre-requisites, as applicable to your program of study: Information Technology Services
Software Development
Information Systems Security
Film and Video Production
New Media Production & Design
Interactive Design
|
3 |
STAT 245 is an introductory course in data analysis for students in engineering technology programs. Students apply techniques to organize, display, analyze and report data. Outcomes include methods of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will be exposed to software-based methods in laboratory sessions using industry-grade data. Some advanced topics of analysis are selectable toward the end of the course. |
3 |
Course | Credits |
---|---|
This cooperative work term course provides the opportunity to apply your classroom learning in a practical workplace setting, as well as gain valuable industry experience. This course is optional. Pre-requisites:One of the following sets of pre-requisites, as applicable to your program of study: Information Technology Services
Software Development
Information Systems Security
New Media Production & Design
Film and Video Production
Journalism
Interactive Design
Integrated Artificial Intelligence
|
0 |
Progression
You must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better each semester and pass the prerequisite courses to progress through the program.
To qualify for graduation, you must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.
Review our grading and progression procedure >
Explore your options!
Some courses in this program are available through Open Studies. You can complete courses via Open Studies to get a head start on your education, reduce your course load once accepted into a credentialed program, or determine which career path best suits you before you fully commit.
You may also take courses for general interest or personal and professional development.
Admission requirements
Applicants educated in Canada
Applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and completion of the following courses or equivalents:
- at least 65% in Math 30-1 or 70% in Math 30-2, and
- at least 60% in English Language Arts 30-1 or 65% in English Language Arts 30-2.
SAIT accepts high school course equivalents for admission for applicants educated outside Alberta.
All applicants who were educated outside of Canada must demonstrate English language proficiency and provide proof they meet the program admission requirements with an international document assessment. Find accepted educational documents and assessment options.
SAIT may also accept courses completed at certain international post-secondary institutions.
Academic Upgrading
Missing an admission requirement for this program? Upgrade your prior education to help you receive admission into one of SAIT's career programs.
English language proficiency
All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada.
Transfer agreements
At SAIT, we evaluate post-secondary credit you have previously earned and apply it to your SAIT credential. Explore our formal transfer agreements available for this program.
We can evaluate your prior education, even if we don't have a formal agreement in place.
Submit a transfer credit application
There are no formal transfer agreements currently in place for this program.
Transfer options for graduates
Build on the knowledge you’ve learned at SAIT. The opportunity to advance your education at an accredited post-secondary institution may be available.
🔗 Visit Transfer Alberta search tool for all transfer agreements in Alberta (including UCalgary, MRU and BVC).
If there are transfer agreements with other institutions outside of Alberta, nationally or internationally, they will be listed below.
Griffith University
- Program name
- Bachelor of Information Technology
- Available credits:
- 45
Upon successful completion of this program, you'll be eligible to receive up to 45 credits (1.5 years) toward Griffith's Bachelor of Information Technology program.
This degree is a three-year program with intakes offered in February and July each year.
Available intakes
Winter 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: Extended
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- International students: Closed
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Application deadline: Sept. 30, 2024
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Spring 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: April 30, 2025
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- International students: Open
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Application deadline: March 28, 2025
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Fall 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: June 30, 2025
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- International students: Open
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Application deadline: May 30, 2025
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Costs
2024/25 tuition and fees
The following costs are effective as of July 1, 2024.
Domestic students
Books and supplies are approximately $1,000 - $1,500 per full-time year.
This is a bring-your-own-device program with a power-user hardware and software requirement. See the specific requirements on our computers and laptops page.
Your textbooks will be discussed in class. You will not need to purchase them ahead of time.
Required equipment/tools
You'll require an:
- Electronic kit
- Wireless access point
- Sensor kit
- Computer network port or network dongle
- Cloud computing services subscription (approximately $800 - $1,200 per year.)
Please wait for your instructors to provide further direction before purchasing equipment.
Financial aid
Paying for your education may feel overwhelming, but we have resources and programs that can help, including information about payment options, student loans, grants and scholarships.
Application process
Ready to apply?
Follow our step-by-step guide to submitting a successful application.
Communication during admission
Email is the primary source of communication during the selection process. Ensure your personal email account is managed appropriately to receive our emails, files and communications. We recommend you add the sadt.advising@sait.ca domain to your safe senders' list or you risk missing critical email messages.
Begin your application
Apply now using the online application portal.
Ensure you have a valid Visa or Mastercard to pay the non-refundable application fee of $120 for domestic applicants or $175 for international applicants.
Information sessions
Prepare for a strong start in your chosen program or get the details you need to decide your future path.
Our expert staff and faculty are ready to answer your questions and provide information about the following:
- What sets SAIT apart
- An introduction to the program and area of study
- Admission requirements
- Future career paths
- Information on the earning potential and graduate employment rates.
Contact us
School for Advanced Digital Technology Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8543
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Email - sadt.advising@sait.ca
International Student Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8852
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Email - international@sait.ca
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Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.