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Department of Computer ScienceCyber SecurityStudy GuideMaster of Science ETH/EPFL

Master’s Programme inCyber Security ETH Zurich – EPFLStudy GuideProgramme Regulations 2019RSETHZ 324.1.1600.30D-INFK / October 2022

Table of Contents1Introduction1.11.22General Information1.2.1Course g for Examinations1.2.5Grading System1.2.6Student Exchange Programme688889910Master’s Programme2.13Study Administration and Student Advisory ServicesMaster’s Programme Structure2.1.1Core Courses and Electives in Cyber Security2.1.2Seminar2.1.3Core Courses and Electives in a Minor2.1.4Inter Focus Courses2.1.5Mandatory Semester at EPFL2.1.6Semester Project2.1.7Free Electives2.1.8Science in Perspective2.1.9Internship2.1.10Master’s Thesis2.1.11Grade Point Average1213131313141414141515152.2Study Duration162.3Master’s Degree16Planning the Master’s Studies3.1Personal Study Plan173.2Tutor System173.3Enrolment for Courses and Examinations183.4Admission and Registration for the Master’s Thesis193.5Master’s Degree Request20

6Cyber Security Study Guide1 IntroductionThis document contains important information for a successful completion ofthe joint Master’s programme ETH Zurich – EPFL in Computer Science Majorin Cyber Security at ETH, offered by the Department of Computer Science(D-INFK). It comprises a short description of the Master’s programme structure and other essential information on how to plan the studies.Prospective and current students are asked to read this document carefully,as it will help them to choose courses and plan their personal study programme. It is the student’s responsibility to meet the requirements of theprogramme. Should any questions arise, please contact one of the personsbelow for further advice.1.1  Study Administration and Student AdvisoryServicesFor questions not covered by this study guide, the Department of ComputerScience (D-INFK) offers various services. For names and addresses of thefollowing officials, see the inside front cover.– The D-INFK Director of Studies is responsible for the degree programmes,examination regulations and the validation of examination results. All requests addressed to the Director of Studies must be submitted to the Studies Administration Office in written form.– The D-INFK Studies Administration Office can help with most study-relatedissues, in particular with administrative concerns. In any case, it can referstudents to the right person.– For questions concerning military service (only Swiss military service), theStudies Administration Office may be consulted as well.– For questions on study planning, please contact the D-INFK Student Coordinator.

Master of Science ETH/EPFL– Students interested in studying abroad, please contact the D-INFK StudentExchange Advisor of the Department of Computer Science and the StudentExchange Office (see section 1.2.6).– The Psychological Counselling Service offers a variety of services for confidential assistance with personal and academic problems; for example, howto deal with demanding situations such as examinations. It is advantageousto seek help at an early stage. The Psychological Counselling Service is freeof charge for all students enrolled at ETH Zurich.The Verein der Informatik Studierenden (VIS) is the computer science student union at ETH Zurich (www.vis.ethz.ch). One of its valuable services isto collect and provide previous examination papers for the purpose of exampreparation. VIS also organises several events, such as barbecues and a skicamp in winter. Furthermore, VIS helps networking, organises excursions tocompanies and provides contacts for internships.VIS is part of VSETH, the overall student’s association. As such, when a student becomes a registered VSETH member (check the VSETH box on the registration form), they automatically become a VIS member as well. VIS requiresthe active assistance of students and encourages them to become a memberof the organising committee. The VIS office is found in CAB E 31 and is alwaysopen for a coffee and a chat. More information can be found here:www.vis.ethz.chMoEB (Committee for Master’s students without an ETH Bachelor’s degree).MoEB is a section of VIS. It was founded to support Master’s students withoutan ETH Bachelor’s degree by representing their interests within the department and by offering activities to integrate them into the student community.More information can be found at: www.vis.ethz.ch/moeb7

8Cyber Security Study Guide1.2 General Information1.2.1 Course CatalogueAll courses are listed in ETH’s Course catalogue: www.vvz.ethz.ch. Studentswill find further information about the objective, content, teaching language,time schedule and localities of the courses, as well as details about the examination and the number of credits awarded after successful completionof the courses.1.2.2 CreditsAll study programmes at ETH are based on the European Credit TransferSystem (ECTS). For a Master’s degree ETH Zurich – EPFL in Computer ScienceMajor in Cyber Security, the acquisition of 120 ECTS credits is required. Thenumber of credits assigned to a course is determined by the number (#) ofweekly hours spent in lectures (V), in exercises (U), in lectures combined withexercises (G), in laboratories (P) and additional self-study (A).1.2.3 AssessmentsAny method to evaluate the achievements of students on a course can serveas an assessment. Most courses, however, rely on examinations. Examinationsmay take place at the end of the semester (end-of-semester examinations) orat the end of the semester break (examination session).End-of-semester examinations are organised by the department. Studentsare informed of the dates by the lecturers themselves or by the Studies Administration Office. The examination sessions are organised by ETH’s Examinations Office and students will be informed via myStudies (see also chapter 3.3)and email.Repetition of a failed examination is possible only after re-enrolment and fullparticipation in the relevant course. An examination may be taken only twice.The type of examination (end-of-semester/session examination), the examination mode (oral/written form) and the duration are announced in the course

Master of Science ETH/EPFLcatalogue (www.vvz.ethz.ch). For further information, please contact the Studies Administration Office of D-INFK.1.2.4 Preparing for ExaminationsSolving the exercises accompanying a given course is not always mandatory.Nevertheless, we strongly encourage students to make the effort, as it is thebest way to prepare for the examination. VIS (CAB E31) offers a collection ofold examination papers. In general, the style of examinations does not changemuch from one year to another, particularly if the course is taught by the sameprofessor. Therefore, it is worth taking a close look at old papers.1.2.5 Grading SystemThe grading scale at ETH ranges from 1.0 to 6.0 in quarter grade steps (0.25).The pass grade is 4.0 and the maximum grade is 6.0. The numerical gradescorrespond to the following predicates:GradeMeaning6Excellent (the best possible grade)5Good4Sufficient (the lowest passing grade)3Insufficient (fail)2Poor1Very poor (the lowest possible grade)For some courses, a pass/fail rating is used instead of grades.Credits are awarded only if the course requirements have been fulfilled andthe associated examinations have been passed successfully. If a course hasbeen completed successfully, the full number of credits is awarded independently of the grade obtained.9

10Cyber Security Study Guide1.2.6 Student Exchange ProgrammesInternational experience, cross-cultural competence and language skillsare becoming increasingly important in today’s business world. The StudentExchange Office organises study placements for ETH students who hold aBachelor’s degree from ETH Zurich at partner universities in Switzerlandand abroad within the student exchange programmes and various bilateralagreements.Students interested in studying abroad should contact the D-INFK StudentExchange Advisor and ETH’s Student Exchange Office. However, courses taken in an exchange semester do not count towards the Master’s degree. Themandatory semester at EPFL is a part of the programme and does not countas an exchange semester.

Master of Science ETH/EPFL2 Master’s ProgrammeCyber security is a cornerstone of the information society. The consecutiveETH Master’s programme in Cyber Security is a two-year programme thatoffers a thorough education in cyber security topics, such as information security, system security, network security and cryptography. The programmeis offered in collaboration with EPFL. Students enrolled in the programmecomplete a semester at EPFL.The specialist Master’s programme in Cyber Security offers a broad set ofcourses from all areas of cyber security. To complement these subjects, students choose an area in computer science as a minor, such as Data Management Systems, Machine Intelligence, Visual and Interactive Computing orTheoretical Computer Science. A semester project and the Master’s thesisprovide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills. TheMaster’s programme structure is described in detail in the following chapters.11

12Cyber Security Study Guide2.1 Master’s Programme StructureThe Master’s programme in Cyber Security is divided into several coursecategories as shown in Figure 1. The minimum numbers of credits requiredfor completion of the degree are listed in the fields of the course categories.Several course categories are nested to provide more flexibility, as the leastnumber of credits required within subordinate course categories do not sumup to the least number of credits required for the superordinate course category. The remaining credits can be distributed freely over all subordinatecourse categories. See chapter 2.1.1ff for a detailed description of the coursecategories.Master ETH Zurich – EPFL in Computer ScienceMajor in Cyber Security Core Courses and Electives in Cyber Security Core Courses Core ElectivesSeminar Core Courses and Electives in a Minor Core Courses Core Electives12028162188Inter Focus Courses 16Semester Project 12Free ElectivesScience in Perspective Master’s Thesis 230Figure 1: Course categories with the minimum number of credits required.

Master of Science ETH/EPFL2.1.1 Core Courses and Electives in Cyber SecurityThe Core Courses provide essential knowledge in Cyber Security and ensurea high level of competence. Elective Courses cover specialist topics.The Core Courses and Core Electives in Cyber Security are listed in the coursecatalogue (see chapter 1.2.1)2.1.2 SeminarIn seminars, students are trained in how to read and understand scientificpublications. Participants are expected to present a paper on a selected topicand contribute to the discussions following the presentations of other seminarattendees.2.1.3 Core Courses and Electives in a MinorStudents choose one area of computer science (other than Secure and ReliableSystems) as a minor. The objective of the Core Courses and the Elective Coursesis to complement the cyber security education; for instance, in applicationareas of security.The Core Courses and Electives of the chosen minor are listed in the coursecatalogue.2.1.4 Inter Focus CoursesThe Inter Focus Courses cover topics important to all computer scientists.They teach algorithmic reasoning – from real world problems to algorithmicmodelling to implementation – and introduce students to advanced systemsdesign issues.13