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Program Description
The Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) in Cloud and Operational Technology (OT) Security offered by the School of Information Studies in the Faculty of Arts is a 15-credit program covering advanced cybersecurity topics such as: applying best practices for securing cloud services and infrastructure; the principles of operational technology and control systems; identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in industrial operation technology environments; implementing security controls specific to operational technology (OT) and critical infrastructure; thread data analysis; developing actionable threat intelligence for proactive defence; threat modelling and analysis techniques to predict potential attacks; security testing for applications; developing applications with secure coding practices; executing effective incident response strategies; performing digital forensic analysis to investigate cyber incidents; and employing Artificial Intelligence and machine learning techniques for cybersecurity applications.
Keywords: Cybersecurity, Cloud computing, Systems engineering, Cyber-physical systems, IoT, Cyber forensic, Hacking, Information Technology
Unique Program Features
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The program is designed to be followed on a part-time basis, taking two courses in Fall, two courses in Winter, and one course in Summer (finishing at the end of June). Students following this schedule can typically complete the program in 8 months, to a maximum of three years.
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Each course is a standard 13-week in-person graduate course at McGill with video/audio recording accessible at the discretion of the instructors. Students are expected to commit between 130 and 150 hours for a 3-credit course. The courses will include lectures, in-class activities, individual and group assessments, interactive lab activities, projects, and exams.
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The lectures will be scheduled in the early evening to accommodate students working full-time.
- Students who successfully complete the Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity, the Graduate Certificate in Cloud and Operational Technology (OT) Security, and the Graduate Certificate in Data Science may be eligible to receive the Master of Science (Applied) in Cybersecurity Analytics, subject to formal program admission and university approvals. Please note that this Master's program is currently undergoing formal review and is pending final government approval. Students intending to pursue this stackable certificate pathway toward the Master's degree are advised to defer starting their third certificate until official program approval is finalized. A specific timeline for this approval is not yet available.
University-Level Admission Requirements
- An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
- English-language proficiency
Each program has specific admission requirements including required application documents. Please visit the program website for more details.
Visit our Educational credentials and grade equivalencies and English language proficiency webpages for additional information.
Program Website
Graduate Certificate in Cloud & Operational Technology (OT) Security website
Department Contact
Graduate Program admissions.sis [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Grad.%20Cert.%20in%20Library%20%26%20Information%20Studies) (email)
Available Intakes
Fall
Application Deadlines
| Intake | Applications Open | Application Deadline - International | Application Deadline - Domestic (Canadian, Permanent Resident of Canada) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | September 15 | January 15 | June 1 |
| WINTER | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| SUMMER | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Note: Application deadlines are subject to change without notice. Please check the application portal for the most up-to-date information.