Information Assurance (Security) Graduate Certificate
[Program Overview] [Program Outcomes] [Curriculum] [Admission Criteria] [Application Requirements] [Transfer Credits] [Academic Standing] [Time to Completion] [Accreditation] [Faculty] [Contact Information]
Program Overview
New information technologies arrive at lightning speed, allowing us to share information across town, across the country, or around the world faster than ever before. The need for organizations to manage the security to make these technologies safe and useful is crucial. The Information Assurance (Security) Certificate program is designed to meet the fast-moving needs of security professionals from a managerial perspective, addressing national standards for this area.
The National Security Agency's (NSA) Information Assurance Directorate is dedicated to providing information assurance solutions that keep our information systems safe from harm, thus protecting national security. Metropolitan State University is committed to enhancing its initiative in information assurance by offering the Graduate Certificate Program in Information Assurance through the College of Management Metropolitan State University has been designated as a Center of Excellence in Information Assurance (security) by the National Security Agency (NSA).
Program Outcomes
This program:
- provides students and organizations with education, information, and training which focuses on how to respond to cyber threats or cyber criminals
- helps students and organizations develop and deploy policies and other safeguards of information assets.
Fully Accredited
The Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) and The National Security Agency (NSA) certify that Metropolitan State University offers a set of courseware that has been reviewed by National Level IA Subject Matter Experts and determined to meet National Training Standards for Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professionals, CNSS National Standards 4011, 4013, and 4016. These include:
- NSTISSI-4011, National Training Standard for Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professionals
- CNSSI-4016, National Information Assurance Training
- CNSSI-4016, National Information Assurance Training Standard for Risk Analysts (RA)
Curriculum
- MIS 600 Management Information Systems (4 credits)
- MIS 683 Process Analysis and Design (2 credits)
- MIS 675 - Risk Analysis and IT (2 credits)
- MIS 680 - Introduction to Information Assurance (4 credits)
- MIS 681 - Data, Network Security & Convergence Issues (4 credits)
- MIS 682 - Analysis/Assessment of Strategic Security Planning, Audit (4 credits)
If the MIS Coordinator determines that you have full prior competence in a certificate course, you may be given credit for the competency and allowed to take sufficient alternate credits to meet the total credit requirement of the certificate. (E.g., if you have completed a graduate 4 credit Management Information Systems course that is accepted, you would be allowed to consider that function completed within the Certificate, and can then take an alternate 4 credits, with approval of the Coordinator.)
Admission Criteria
To be considered for admission to the MIS Graduate Certificate Program, you must submit evidence of the following:
- A bachelor's degree earned from an accredited institution
- Principles of basic statistics and knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
- At least one year of full-time professional work experience (recommended)
Application Requirements
- Graduate Application
- Non-refundable application fee (waived for graduated of Metropolitan State University)
- Official transcripts
- Current resume
- Essay
- Assessment Scores
See Applying to the Program for application packets, details on the requirements, deadlines and International Student application requirements
Transfer Credits
Once fully admitted, you can transfer up to 8 credits reflecting comparable content into your graduate program. A course is accepted in transfer only if it has been completed within the last five years from an accredited institution, no degree was granted, and a letter grade of B or better was earned in the course. Courses are accepted in transfer upon the approval of the Graduate Programs Director in consultation with discipline coordinators and allow you to take alternate credits to meet the credit total. (See note above in Curriculum.)
Academic Standing
You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain in a College of Management certificate program.
Only courses for which you receive a letter grade of C (2.0) or better count toward certificate requirements; and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for graduation.
If you receive a letter grade of C or below in any graduate course, you will be placed on academic probation. If you receive a letter grade of C or below in two courses, you will be dismissed from the graduate program.
If you have been dismissed from the program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may apply for readmission after one calendar year has passed. To reapply, submit an updated resume and a letter to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee indicating what circumstances have changed and how you plan to successfully complete the program. The Admissions Committee reviews your request and responds in writing.
Only courses in which you receive a letter grade are applied toward your certificate. The option of a competence/no competence with a narrative transcript is not available to College of Management graduate students. Only internships are graded using pass/fail criteria.
Appeal of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Removals from the Program
If you are removed from the program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may appeal the removal to the College of Management dean. The appeal must be in writing, and it must provide specific grounds for the appeal. The appeal is due to the dean within 30 days of the date of the letter notifying you of the decision to remove you from the program. The dean has 30 days to respond, in writing, to the appeal. Appeals received after 30 days will not be considered.
Time to Completion
You have two years from your first semester of graduate study to complete your certificate program requirements. You may request an extension of the time limit by writing to the College of Management Graduate Programs Office. Such requests must be received prior to the expiration of the time limit. Requests for extensions should include your reason(s) for requesting the extension, a summary of your plan to finish graduation requirements, and a specific date for the extension to expire. Extension decisions are made by the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee and are not automatic.
Reactivating into the Program
If you are a student in good academic standing who has not registered for courses for three or more consecutive semesters, you must apply to reactivate into the certificate program. To reactivate, submit an updated resume and a letter to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee expressing a desire to reactivate. The Admissions Committee reviews your request and responds in writing, specifying certificate completion requirements and deadline for completion. You may be required to satisfy certificate requirements in force at the time of reactivation, even if those requirements differ from those in force at the time of original admission to the certificate program.
Accreditation
Metropolitan State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Higher Learning Commission
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602-2504
312-263-0456
Faculty
Resident faculty members are primarily:
- Holders of doctoral degrees in their fields
- Authors of applied and refereed publications
- Experienced in their academic fields.
David Bahn, PhD, Allen Bellas, PhD, Barbara Beltrand, MBA-CPA, David Bouchard, PhD, Grover Cleveland, DBA, Steven Creason, JD, Timothy Delmont, PhD, Jennifer Dosch, MBA-CMA, James Fatzinger, MBA, Ken Hess, PhD, Paul Huo, PhD (Dean), Roger Israel, DPA, Katryna Johnson, PhD, Nancy Nentl, PhD, Hameed Nezhad, PhD, David O'Hara, PhD, Narasimha Paravastu, PhD, Roger Prestwich, PhD, Jayant Saraph, PhD, Gary Seiler, PhD, Jennifer Schultz, PhD, Francis Schweigert, PhD, Michael Sher, PhD, Adrianne Slaymaker, DBA, Joel Wilson, MBA-CPA, Michael Wilson, PhD, Minh Vo, PhD, Carol Bormann Young, PhD.
Additionally, the College of Management has a strong community faculty who are fully committed to educational excellence. All community faculty have graduate degrees, either a master's or a doctorate, as well as business expertise in their fields. The College of Management assures the quality of its community faculty through a careful selection process, extensive training through our own Teaching Academy, and regular student evaluations.
Contact Information
| Office Location 1300 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN 55403 |
Mailing Address College of Management Graduate Programs Office Metropolitan State University 1501 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403 |
| Phone: 612-659-7290 Email: com.graduateprograms@metrostate.edu Website: choose.metrostate.edu/comgradprograms | |
