Certificate Overview
The Cybersecurity Engineering and Ethical Hacking Graduate Certificate develops your command of defensive and offensive security. In four online courses, you’ll explore network and cloud security, penetration testing with Kali Linux, DevSecOps practices, and the vulnerability assessment techniques used by security professionals in the field.
Designed for professionals seeking hands-on cybersecurity expertise, this fully online certificate grounds you in applied, tool-based learning through real-world scenarios. You’ll build the technical depth to engineer secure systems and the offensive mindset to find and fix weaknesses before adversaries do.
This graduate certificate is part of the optional Cybersecurity Certificate and Degree Pathway.
Skills You'll Gain
Through the Cybersecurity Engineering and Ethical Hacking Graduate Certificate, you’ll learn to:
- Engineer secure systems and cloud environments with built-in resilience and controls.
- Perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessments using Kali Linux and industry-standard tools.
- Identify and mitigate common cyber threats across infrastructure and application layers.
- Apply DevSecOps practices for secure deployment and continuous monitoring.
- Communicate technical security findings effectively to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
Career Outlook
Demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow as organizations work to protect systems, data, and infrastructure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for information security analysts to grow 29% from 2024 to 2034.
This certificate can help prepare you for a variety cybersecurity roles, such as:
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- Penetration Tester/Ethical Hacker
- Security Operations Analyst
- DevSecOps Engineer
- Cloud Security Specialist
Courses
The Cybersecurity Engineering and Ethical Hacking Certificate includes four online courses.
3 required courses:
- CSCI 155 Networks and Cloud Security
- CSCI 159 Introduction to Cybersecurity
- CSCI 212 Introduction to Kali Linux and Ethical Hacking
1 course from the following options:
- CSCI 117 Secure Applications
- CSCI 144 Information System Forensics
- CSCI 177 Introduction to Data Security
Selecting courses. Multiple course options are available during fall, spring, and summer terms. Offerings vary by term. Explore current options in the DCE Course Search & Registration platform.
Upcoming Term: Fall 2026
Enroll in your first certificate course this fall — no application required.
Pre-registration opens July 6. Registration opens July 20 at 9 a.m. ET.
Featured Faculty
David Cass, MBA
Vice President, Cyber and IT Risk, Supervision Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Heather Hinton, Ph.D.
Chief Information Security Officer in Residence, Professional Association of CISOs
David Malan, Ph.D.
Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard University
Cybersecurity Certificate and Degree Pathway
The Cybersecurity Engineering and Ethical Hacking Graduate Certificate can be completed on its own or applied toward the Cybersecurity Master’s Degree Program.
Two courses for the certificate — CSCI 155 and 159— enable you to:
- Fulfill the “earn your way in” admissions requirement.
- Earn the Cloud and Cybersecurity Foundations Microcertificate.
After admission, you can complete two additional courses to earn the graduate certificate while also applying them toward your master’s degree.
Learn more about degree admissions, requirements, and timeline.
Tuition
Support and Resources
Access to career resources, including webinars, advising, and career fairs
Weekly virtual office hours with the student advising team
Affiliate membership in the Harvard Extension Alumni Association
Earning Your Certificate
If you take two courses per semester, you can complete your certificate in 8 months. If you prefer a more flexible pace, you have up to three years to finish.
There is no formal application required. You simply register for each course.
To meet the requirements for the certificate:
- Complete the four certificate courses for graduate credit.
- Earn at least a B grade in each course.
- Complete all courses within three years of starting your first eligible certificate course.
Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.
