Rafael Pass wrote:
The modern study of cryptography investigates techniques for facilitating interactions between distrustful entities. In our connected society, such techniques have become indispensable---enabling, for instance, automated teller machines, secure wireless networks, internet banking, satellite radio/television and more. In this undergraduate course we introduce some of the fundamental concepts of this study. Emphasis will be placed on rigorous proofs of security based on precise definitions and assumptions. 

Topics include: one-way functions, encryption, signatures, pseudo-random number generation, zero-knowledge and basic protocols. 

Note: This will be a theory course. You will be expected to read and write formal definitions and mathematical proofs. This is not a course in security: you will not learn how to secure your system. Cryptography is only one (important) part of security. We will not study cryptographic acronyms or all cryptographic protocols in use today. Rather we focus on some of the fundamental design paradigms and on notions that will allow you to critically evaluate cryptographic protocols.