Integrating Artificial Intelligence into the Cybersecurity Curriculum in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Jing Tian

Abstract: Background: To understand the state of the art of how artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity are taught together, this paper conducts a systematic literature review on integrating AI into the cybersecurity curriculum in higher education. Methods: The peer-reviewed works were screened from major databases published between 2020 and 2025. Integrating AI and cybersecurity typically requires new learning designs. To address this gap in higher education, this review is organized by three categories of research questions: (1) who we teach (audiences and delivery modes), (2) what we teach (related AI topics and cybersecurity topics and how they are integrated), and (3) how we teach (instructional activities and tools used in teaching). Results: The course delivery is mostly face-to-face. The course curricula focus mostly on perception AI. Teaching methods are active and practical, with hands-on labs, interactive tasks, and game-based activities, supported by hardware, programming notebooks, and interactive visualizations. Conclusion: This paper provides the state of the art of integrating AI into the cybersecurity curriculum in higher education, actionable recommendations, and implications for further research. Therefore, it is relevant and transferable for instructors in the field of artificial intelligence education and cybersecurity education.

External IDs:doi:10.3390/educsci15111540