Frequently Asked Questions
Please check here before asking a question in the discussion forums or emailing the course staff. If you can’t find your answer here, then send us an email. Please mention that your question is about CYBER 502x.
Q. What are the prerequisites for this course?
A. As specified in the syllabus, there are no prerequisites for this course. This course was written for an audience with Bachelor's level education, but learners across all levels may find the course content approachable.
Q. Why can’t I see all of the units?
A. This is an instructor-led course and runs at a set pace. A new unit opens each week at 14:00 UTC during the course.
Q. What software/books do I need?
A. You do not need any books. Software needed for optional, ungraded activities are listed on the Downloads & Supplies page.
Q. Does this course map to the (XYZ) certification?
A. No. This is a fundamentals course. Some of the knowledge in the course may be coincidentally helpful, but this course is not explicitly written to map to any industry certification.
Q. Are there any hands-on labs in this course?
A. The fifth course in the MicroMasters Program, CYBER 525x Cybersecurity Capstone, will have labs to demonstrate proficiency from the previous four courses in the series. This course does include some optional computer-based activities.
Q. What do I do if I don’t understand a quiz question?
A. If you don’t understand a question in one of the graded quizzes, please email the course team, with the course number, CYBER 502x, the Unit number and Question number.
Q. Are there due dates for the quizzes?
A. No. There are no due dates for individual quizzes. However, you must complete them all by the course ends on September 19.
Q: May I request an extension to the Verification Deadline?
A: RITx will not provide extensions to the published verification upgrade deadlines. Our course verification upgrade deadlines are scheduled to provide learners with as much time as possible to determine whether to pursue a verified certificate, per the course content. If you miss a verification upgrade deadline, we recommend you enroll as a verified learner in the next scheduled offering of the course. You can always find the upgrade deadline on the course home page and your edX dashboard.
Q. How many courses should I take to get the certification?
A. There is a certificate for each course, and an overall certificate for the Cybersecurity MicroMasters. The MicroMasters consists of four courses and a capstone, and is described here: https://www.edx.org/micromasters/ritx-cybersecurity
Q. When will the course launch?
A. The course launches on the date listed on the enrollment and Welcome pages at 14:00 UTC.
Q. Are there any platform requirements?
A. The course is designed to be platform-agnostic. The most important functional requirement is that you can access the edx.org platform and view videos.
Q. How do the optional ungraded activities work? What if I don’t have (a USB drive, a CD burner, a Windows machine…)?
A. There are several optional, ungraded activities included in the course. We have included them to provide people who have the time and resources to complete them some hands-on practice before the Capstone course. However, it is not necessary to complete them to pass the course.
Q. What if activities are for a different platform than I use (Linux, Windows, or Mac)?
A. The Virtual Workstation page on the top toolbar includes instructions for downloading, installing, and using virtual machine software if you want to complete these activities.