Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal enabler in transforming cybersecurity education and practice, offering intelligent, adaptive, and scalable solutions for mitigating the growing complexity of digital risks. In cybersecurity, AI empowers professionals through Intelligent Agents—autonomous software or hardware entities capable of observing, learning, and acting to fulfill specific security objectives.

The methodology applied in this study draws on experiences from the Erasmus Mundus CyberMACS project and follows a mixed-methods approach. It combines (i) curriculum analysis across partner universities to identify how AI content is integrated into master-level cybersecurity courses; (ii) case studies of student projects addressing intrusion detection, threat intelligence, and blockchain-enabled credentialing; (iii) structured surveys and focus group discussions with more than 50 students and 12 faculty members during winter and summer schools; and (iv) industry workshops with external experts to validate curricular design and professional relevance. This methodological triangulation provided both quantitative evidence (survey data, project evaluations) and qualitative insights (student reflections, faculty perspectives, and industry feedback).

Findings indicate that AI-oriented modules and projects enhance students’ ability to apply machine learning for anomaly detection, develop intelligent defense models, and assess the ethical and regulatory implications. Interdisciplinary integration of cybersecurity with AI and blockchain was identified as particularly effective in preparing graduates with comprehensive and practice-relevant skill sets.

As enterprises and governments increasingly adopt AI-driven security infrastructures, the demand for professionals trained in both domains will intensify. The CyberMACS experience demonstrates that embedding AI into cybersecurity curricula, supported by a transparent methodology of curriculum analysis, case studies, surveys, and workshops, provides a validated model for cultivating future cybersecurity leaders capable of designing and deploying intelligent security solutions in an evolving digital threat landscape.

Keywords: Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, curriculum design, university Master program.