SANS Technology Institute

What you'll study

The curriculum combines two required core courses (6 credits) and two electives (6 credits) chosen from a set of technical courses. Core courses:

• ISE 6240: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring (SEC511 + GMON)
• ISE 6255: Defensible Security Architecture & Engineering (SEC530 + GDSA)

Elective options (choose two):

• ISE 4450: Blue Team Fundamentals: Security Operations and Analysis (SEC450 + GSOC)
• ISE 5401: Intrusion Detection In-Depth (SEC503 + GCIA)
• ISE 6215: Advanced Security Essentials (SEC501 + GCED)
• ISE 6245: SIEM with Tactical Analytics (SEC555 + GCDA)
• ISE 6250: Purple Team Tactics & Kill Chain Defenses (SEC599 + GDAT)
• ISE 6270: Applied Data Science and AI/Machine Learning for Cybersecurity Professionals (SEC595 + GMLE)
• ISE 6537: Automating Information Security with Python (SEC573 + GPYC)
• ISE 6655: Cloud Security Threat Detection (SEC541 + GCTD)

The program emphasizes threat detection, alert triage, network and endpoint defensive techniques, adversary behavior analysis and operational monitoring/response workflows. Students earn GIAC certifications as they complete courses.

Entry requirements

Applications are accepted monthly; applicants should have professional experience and hold a current information-security or related role. Apply by the 15th of any month to receive a decision roughly 30 days later; courses may begin as soon as one month after admission.

Career prospects

The program targets blue-team and defensive roles; reported median salary for program graduates is $130,000 USD. Graduates may pursue duties in threat detection, SOC analysis, incident response, defensive engineering, cloud threat detection and related operational cybersecurity positions. The curriculum and included GIAC certifications are positioned to meet employer expectations and DoD 8140 requirements.

Scholarships & funding angle

SANS Technology Institute offers SANS.edu academic pricing on SANS courses and GIAC certifications. The program page references career-focused outcomes and an alumni outcomes report for ROI and career impact; specific scholarships or external funding options are not listed on the provided source text.