Information Assurance and Cybersecurity
Plan B (Directed Project): GCYSEC 698 The student is required to complete a 3-credit independent/team IAC project and to pass a final oral examination covering the student’s project area and related subject areas. The content of the independent/ team project can be either (1) study and development of a prototype-level application culminating in a publishablequality technical report. The content should represent a researched and creative expression of the student’s advanced capability as a result of the graduate program. The directed development project must be proposed and approved prior to the commencement of the independent/team project work. Proposals must be approved prior to registering for project credits. Per department guidelines, directed project students register for GCYSEC 698 Directed Project when completing the development effort and after having received agreement from a faculty member to be the chair of the student’s development effort. While enrolled in GCYSEC 698 and GCYSEC 699 Directed Research, the student is required to satisfy other departmentstipulated activities such as attendance at research seminars, participation in research presentations, and writing- or researchimprovement seminars.
107
In addition to the overall program outcomes, at the conclusion of the program of study, the Cyber-option graduate will be able to: This program in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity is broken into three components: Cybersecurity Essentials a 12-credit certificate program that can be completed in one year. It is a shorter commitment for working professionals who want to expand their careers into cybersecurity. This certificate prepares the participants for three industry professional certifications; CompTIA Networking +, CompTIA Security +, and Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). This coursework lays the foundations for: Information Systems Security is a 12-credit certificate program that can be completed in one year. Based on the Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) Designation Requirements. This certificate builds additional cyber competencies, preparing participants for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.
THE CURRICULUM PLAN
Information Assurance Capstone a 6-credit ‘cap off’ to the IAS program that can be completed in one year or less. It consists of an advanced elective in Information Assurance and a directed graduate technical or research project.
The MS-CYSEC is a professional degree program. Students may begin studies with a wide variety of academic and work backgrounds.
CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
Courses are presented in three general categories: • Cyber Essentials Courses: 12 credits of required coursework. • I nformation Assurance Courses: 12 credits of required coursework. • Cyber Electives: 3 credits required of upper-division coursework. The student must complete 30 credits of graduate course work. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 for the duration of their master’s degree program. A total of ten graduate level courses (500-level or higher), exclusive of foundations-series courses are required. Students seeking placement for required coursework may be granted placement for certification, significant work experience on review of the program director.
COURSE OF STUDY Information Assurance and Cybersecurity is a dynamic and fastgrowing field at the interface of hardware and software. The emergence of massive cyber-attacks on every area and size business. The MS-ISA program prepares students to understand major practice areas in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity. The program’s comprehensive curriculum will provide you with a solid scientific and technical foundation for pursuing either doctoral work or advanced positions in business, industry and government.
Cybersecurity Essentials (12 credits): Four courses: GCYSEC 501 Networking Fundamentals GCYSEC 502 Cybersecurity Foundations GCYSEC 503 Security Leadership GCYSEC 504 Cybersecurity Management Information Assurance (12 credits): Four courses: GCYSEC 605 Asset Security and Risk Management GCYSEC 606 Information Security Architectures GCYSEC 607 Security Assessment and Access Control GCYSEC 608 Operations & Software Development Security Cybersecurity Elective (3 credits): Select one of two courses: GCYSEC 609 Digital Forensics GCYSEC 610 Network Management and Security Implementation Directed Project or Directed Research (3 credits): One of: GCYSEC 698 Directed Project or GCYSEC 699 Directed Research
DEPARTMENT POLICIES Incomplete Grades in IAC coursework Incomplete (“I”) grades for a course within the CIS Department require students to follow extra procedures in order for the “I” grade to be appropriately handled. • Students must obtain confirmation from the course instructor to be assigned the “I” grade.
