Mar 19, 2024  
2015-2016 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2015-2016 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Information Assurance Major


Individuals selecting the information assurance degree will have the flexibility to focus on a concentration of classes that will prepare them for employment after graduation or to take that next step to an advanced degree. There are four unique concentrations to this degree: IA management, applied IA, IA cryptography and network security/administration.

The unique interdisciplinary nature of information assurance requires a diverse educational approach. The purpose of this undergraduate interdisciplinary program is to:

  1. Meet society’s need for educated professionals in information assurance.
  2. Provide graduates with the knowledge and skills required to protect the informational technology needs of society, which includes all government branches and the private sector.
  3. To propagate a new generation of research scientists in information assurance. As a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, the program offers tremendous opportunities that are excellent preparation for an advanced degree in information assurance.

What is Information Assurance?
The term “information assurance” encompasses the scientific, technical and management disciplines required to ensure computer and network security, such as:

Systems/network administration and operation
Systems security engineering
Information assurance systems and product acquisition
Cryptography
Threat and vulnerability assessment (includes risk management)
Web security
Computer emergency response team operation
Information assurance training, education and management
Computer forensics
Defensive information operations

NSA Center of Academic Excellence
Eastern Michigan University’s Center of Academic Excellence is one the 106 federally designated Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education in the nation. This valued designation provides students with a wealth of research, scholarship and educational opportunities. The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEIAE) program is an outreach program designed and operated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in support of the President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace. The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education in information assurance.

All incoming students will take a placement examination prior to enrolling in IA 300-level courses. This examination will be offered on-line and available for the student to take.

For more information, please visit the program website.

Click here to watch a short video about this program.

Articulation Agreement

An articulation agreement exists between this program and at least one community college. To see a current list of program articulation agreements, please click here.

School Information:


School of Information Security and Applied Computing - College of Technology

Bob Lahidji, Ph.D.
Interim Director

109 Sill Hall
(734) 487-0354
blahidji@emich.edu

Advisor Information:


Contact department for advisor information.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements refer to the General Education Program .

Major Requirements: 93 hours


Choose one concentration from the following:


Information Assurance Management: Concentration for Second Admission


Information assurance management will enable the student to focus on management of information systems. The practice of vulnerability, risk, countermeasures and ethics enable the IA manager to meet cyber security in the 21st century. The management of information in today’s business, industry, government, education and other related fields is how persons in positions of trust manage information systems and apply secure computing to their business enterprise. This concentration of study will enable that management oriented student to apply secure computing concepts in the protection of cyberspace.

Applied Information Assurance: Concentration for Second Admission


Applied information assurance management prepares the student with hands-on applications for analysis, prevention, deterrence and countermeasures of information security and integrity in the global arena. Students who select this concentration of study will find that hands-on application will enable them to embrace the concepts studied in lecture format and apply those concepts in a laboratory setting. This concentration also provides an opportunity to conduct directed research as a final project.

Information Assurance Encryption: Concentration for Second Admission


The sustained and rapid advance of information technology in the 21st century dictates the adoption of a flexible and adaptable cryptographic strategy for protecting national security information. This strategy complements the existing policy for the use of the advanced encryption standard (AES) to protect national security systems and information as specified in The National Policy on the Use of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to Protect National Security Systems and National Security Information (CNSSP-15)

Over the past 30 years, public key cryptography has become a mainstay for secure communications over the Internet and throughout many other forms of communication. It provides the foundation for both key management and digital signatures. In key management, public key cryptography is used to distribute secret keys used in other cryptographic algorithms (e.g., DES). For digital signatures, public key cryptography is used to authenticate the origin of data and protect the integrity of that data. For the past 20 years, Internet communications have been secured by the first generation of public key cryptographic algorithms developed in the mid-1970s. Notably, they form the basis for key management and authentication for IP encryption (IKE/IPSEC), Web traffic (SSL/TLS) and secure electronic mail.

Information assurance encryption will prepare the students for master’s or doctoral work. The student may want to teach upon completion of the degree or enter into the area of information security research. This block also provides an opportunity to conduct directed research as a final project.

Information Assurance Network Security/Administration: Concentration for Second Admission


The Network Security and Administration concentration prepares the student with hands-on applications for administration, design, and implementation of secure computer networks. Students will learn to administer network environments to be scalable, secure and available. Student work will center on best practice administration across Microsoft, Open Source and CISCO products. Students will implement these products and build countermeasures for defending services that underpin the product solution. Students who select this concentration of study will find that hands-on application of classes will enable them to embrace the concepts studied in lecture format and apply those concepts in a laboratory setting. This concentration also provides an opportunity to conduct research as a final project.

Minor Requirement:


This program does not require a minor.

Program Total:


Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Beginning in Fall 2022, all baccalaureate degree programs for all undergraduates (regardless of catalog year) will require a minimum of 120 credit hours for completion.

Notes:


* Student must complete math sequence prior to taking Cryptology.

Additional courses may be required as some of the “Concentrations” include courses with prerequisites that are not included in the program.

Critical Graduation Information:


Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement. A Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of one year of college credit in a world language.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
  • Complete a Writing Intensive (WI)  Course in your major.
  • Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; the internal review of such courses is conducted by individual departments/schools within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credits for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor, will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)
General Education Requirements:

EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. Please see General Education  for a detailed description of requirements.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.