MSc Cybersecurity
Stockholm, Sweden
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
SEK 342,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA/Swiss is 342,000 SEK.
Introduction
Our society is increasingly dependent on digital infrastructures, and as a result, cyberattacks on power grids, financial systems, and communication infrastructure have devastating consequences. Cybersecurity has emerged as one of the most critical challenges for the future. In a domain where knowledge is scarce, the master's programme in Cybersecurity provides a modern portfolio of courses fostering the cybersecurity engineers of the future.
Cybersecurity at KTH
Cybersecurity is a broad and multi-faceted subject. It ranges from fundamental computing theory to software engineering, computer communication, large-scale distributed systems, and physical process control into human and social behaviour. The programme is rooted in computer science and reaches out to aspects of the business and social context of cybersecurity.
The master's programme in Cybersecurity gives you access to all courses offered by the faculty in cybersecurity at KTH. The programme starts with mandatory courses providing an overview of the field, including a course in ethical hacking, and a solid base in the fundamental security pillar of cryptography. Mandatory in the programme are also courses that put cybersecurity in the context of ethics, law, threat actor behaviour, end-user behaviour, sustainability, and business and societal consequences of cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity is not only a broad topic per se; it also has many application domains and junctions with other engineering disciplines. To explore this range, you choose freely among various elective courses covering different aspects of cybersecurity. You can specialise in even more complex security courses or complement the profile with topics such as their cybersecurity expertise with experiences in artificial intelligence and machine learning or critical infrastructure monitoring and control. During the last semester of the programme you will carry out a master's degree project where you work closely with the KTH research faculty within cybersecurity.
In addition to involving KTH research faculty in the programme, we have also made extra efforts to build close ties to the industry. The programme has a reference group gathering key cybersecurity individuals from Swedish industry and the public sector. Many courses include external guest lecturers, and most master's degree projects are done in collaboration with companies.
Even though the programme is campus-based, it is no surprise that much of the teaching is conducted digitally. This is a two year programme (120 ECTS credits) given in English. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science. The programme is given mainly at KTH Campus in Stockholm by the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (at KTH).
Gallery
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
KTH offers four different scholarship opportunities for master's studies. The KTH Scholarship covers the tuition fee of a one or two year master’s programme. The KTH One-Year Scholarship is aimed at current KTH master's programme students and covers the tuition fee of the second year of studies. The KTH Joint Programme Scholarship is aimed at students in certain joint programmes and covers the tuition fee for the study period spent at KTH. The KTH India Scholarship is aimed specifically at students from India.
- KTH Scholarship
- KTH One-Year Scholarship
- KTH Joint Programme Scholarship
- KTH India Scholarship
Swedish Institute
The Swedish Institute (SI) offers a number of scholarships for students from targeted countries coming to Sweden.
KTH associated scholarship organisations
KTH cooperates with the following organisations providing scholarship opportunities for prospective KTH students.
- COLFUTURO (Programa Crédito Beca) for students from Colombia
- LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) for students from Indonesia
- FUNED for students from Mexico
Scholarship portals
IEFA database
The IEFA database offer a comprehensive scholarships search, grant listing and international student loan programmes.
Studyportals
The Studyportals scholarship database lists over 1,000 scholarship and grants for students worldwide applying for studies in the EU.
Scholars4dev
Scholarships for Development is a database of scholarships open to students from developing countries.
WeMakeScholars
WeMakeScholars helps students from India secure education loans from banks and NBFCs. They also lists more than 26,000 international scholarships from different trusts, foundations and govt. bodies.
Deferment of student loans in the United States
KTH is an accredited institution at the US Department of Education and holds a Title IV 'Deferment Only' status (OPE ID 03274300). US students may defer payments on existing federal student loan accounts while enrolled in a master’s programme at KTH. The 'Deferment Only' status does not allow students to take out federal student loans for enrolment at KTH. However, the accreditation facilitates grant and loan opportunities for US students as many private student loan institutions in the US use this designation as a requirement to grant new loans. Students who wish to defer payments must contact their lending institution in the US.
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the institute website for more information.
Curriculum
The two-year master's programme in Cybersecurity consists of three semesters of courses and one final semester dedicated to the master's degree project. Each semester consists of approximately 30 ECTS credits. The courses presented on this page apply to studies starting in autumn 2024.
Year 1
The mandatory courses AK2030 Theory and Methodology of Science and DA2215 Theory of Science and Scientific methods in Cybersecurity can be taken at any period during the programme.
At least 30 credits of the conditionally elective courses must be taken.
Mandatory courses
- Theory and Methodology of Science (Natural and Technological Science) (AK2030) 4.5 credits
- Theory of Science and Scientific methods in Cybersecurity (DA2215) 3.0 credits
- The Cybersecurity Engineer's Role in Society (DD2303) 2.0 credits
- Cybersecurity Overview (DD2391) 7.5 credits
- Cybersecurity in a Socio-Technical Context (DD2510) 7.5 credits
- Applied Cryptography (DD2520) 7.5 credits
- Ethical Hacking (EN2720) 7.5 credits
Year 2
At least 30 credits of the conditionally elective courses must be taken.
Mandatory courses
- Theory and Methodology of Science (Natural and Technological Science) (AK2030) 4.5 credits
- Theory of Science and Scientific methods in Cybersecurity (DA2215) 3.0 credits
- Degree Project in Computer Science and Engineering, specialising in Cybersecurity (DA237X) 30.0 credits
- The Cybersecurity Engineer's Role in Society (DD2303) 2.0 credits
- Cybersecurity in a Socio-Technical Context (DD2510) 7.5 credits
Program Outcome
Sustainable development
Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. As a sustainable society is increasingly dependent on a digital infrastructure it is also assumed that this infrastructure is resilient and secure. Therefore sustainability is an integral aspect of cybersecurity, supporting several of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, most clearly:
- 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
- 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
A common denominator for all of these goals (and several others) is that they depend on digital infrastructures, which are assumed to be resilient and secure. Simply put, energy will, for example, not be clean and affordable if some adversary is capable of disrupting the energy supply at will through means of cyberattacks. Competences and skills for defending against such attacks by building and maintaining secure digital infrastructures are the heart of the programme.
Sustainable development
Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. As a sustainable society is increasingly dependent on a digital infrastructure it is also assumed that this infrastructure is resilient and secure. Therefore sustainability is an integral aspect of cybersecurity, supporting several of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, most clearly:
- 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
- 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
A common denominator for all of these goals (and several others) is that they depend on digital infrastructures, which are assumed to be resilient and secure. Simply put, energy will, for example, not be clean and affordable if some adversary is capable of disrupting the energy supply at will through means of cyberattacks. Competences and skills for defending against such attacks by building and maintaining secure digital infrastructures are the heart of the programme.
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Cybersecurity Architect
- Cybersecurity Analyst and Cybersecurity Specialist
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities are plenty in the field of cybersecurity. Digitalisation is increasing rapidly, and with every new digital feature, the IT security of that feature needs to be ensured. There is also a vast security deficiency in older IT infrastructures running our world that were not designed with security in mind. Moreover, bottom-line security is a never-ending chase between attackers and defenders planning and reacting to each other's behaviour, technical knowledge and deployed technology.
There is a demand for cybersecurity expertise in almost all fields. On the software development side, this ranges from start-ups and small companies to large enterprises. On the user side, this includes all organisations employing software systems for running their business and operations. The programme provides you with competencies for multiple cybersecurity tasks ranging from managerial positions to technical experts.
Cybersecurity is also a growing academic area, an expanding research field with opportunities to continue towards a PhD at technical universities in Sweden and abroad. Several surveys in recent years have highlighted cybersecurity as an area with a high demand for more competence. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists cybersecurity jobs as one of the fastest-growing professions in the US, expected to increase over seven times faster than the US average job growth of 4% by 2029.
After graduation
Chief Information Security Officer, Cybersecurity Architect, Cybersecurity Analyst and Cybersecurity Specialist
Student Testimonials
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.