Nov 27, 2024

2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog

2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Information Assurance & Cyber Defense [BS]

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The Bachelor of Science in Information Assurance & Cyber Defense program prepares prospective students with the knowledge and skill set necessary for future computing and cybersecurity professionals to build, maintain and protect networks and computer systems in both government and industry.

The program has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) as the Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Information Assurance (IA) and Cyber Defense (CD) education (DHS/NSA CAE-IA/CD).

This major is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET-CAC):

This is a designated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program.

Learn

The Information Assurance and Cyber Defense program emphasizes design, integration, administration, hardening, and protection of all types of computer information systems and network infrastructures in modern cyber environments. Students are immersed in solid theories as well as intensive hands-on practical experiences to enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities applied to all elements in modern computing disciplines. The curriculum covers:

Computing and networking theories/practices
System architecture and administration, integration and troubleshooting
Cybersecurity threat/risk evaluation
Incident response analysis and practice
Network/digital forensics and investigation
Penetration testing and system auditing
Cyber laws, legislation, policy/compliance, and project management

Opportunities

Per the U.S. Department of Labor 2018 handbook, computer and information technology occupations are projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $84,580 in May 2017, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $37,690. Graduates are in demand to work in private, public, and government agencies. Recent graduates have held positions at Amazon, Dell SecureWorks, Duo Security, Google, Snapchat, General Electric, and Dominos Corporate.

Additional Information

This program is available online. International applicants should check with International Admissions or program advisor before applying.

For additional information, please see online.emich.edu.

Transfer Agreements

School Information

Information Security and Applied Computing | Sean Che, Ph.D., Interim Director | 734.487.2490, xche@emich.edu

Advisor Information

General Education (and other university requirements) Advising

GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology Student Services, 203 Sill Hall, 734.487.9751, cet_advising@emich.edu | Make an appointment

Faculty Advisor

To find your faculty advisor, please see School of Information Security and Applied Computing Advisors.

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education or print a worksheet .

Major Requirements: 84 hours

Requirements for Graduation

Only 300-level courses taken at EMU can satisfy major requirements.
ALL students MUST take at least 45 credits at the 300-level or above in the IA/CD program.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative EMU GPA of 2.5.

Foundational Requirements: 9 hours

Information Assurance & Cyber Security Requirements: 75 hours

Students must complete IA 103 and IT 110 (or equivalent transfer courses) with a grade of B- or higher before enrolling in additional IA, IT, or ISAC courses.

Required Core: 57 hours
IA 103 - Information Security Overview 3 hrs
IA 202L4 - Risk-Vulnerability Analysis [GELB] 3 hrs
IA 212 - Open Systems Platform and Network Administration 3 hrs
IA 244 - Administration of Computer Systems 3 hrs
IA 322 - Managing Security Projects 3 hrs
IA 329W - Policy Development in Information Assurance [GEWI] 3 hrs
IA 385 - Database & Web Application Security 3 hrs
IA 400 - Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering 3 hrs
IA 427 - Digital Forensics I 3 hrs
IA 445 - Ethical Hacking and Offensive Security 3 hrs
IA 455 - Incident Response 3 hrs
IA 462 - Advanced Operating Systems Security and Administration 3 hrs
IA 473 - Network Forensics and Analytics 3 hrs
IA 495 - Capstone 3 hrs
IT 110 - Concepts of Network and Business Technology 3 hrs
IT 145 - Task Automation for IT Admins 3 hrs
IT 150 - Networking I 3 hrs
ISAC 350 - Network Security 3 hrs
ISAC 375 - Software Assurance 3 hrs
Restricted Electives: 18 hours

Students will select 18 credit hours from the restricted elective list below. Credit in IA courses may not exceed nine hours. With advisor approval, a student may select up to six credit hours of IA, IT, ISAC, COSC, or CIS not listed above (300-level or above).
IA 240 - Intelligence Analysis I 3 hrs
IA 387L4 - Cooperative Education [GELB] 3 hrs
IA 425 - Cyber Crime Investigation 3 hrs
IA 428 - Digital Forensics II 3 hrs
IA 471 - Data Security and Privacy 3 hrs
IA 474 - Applied Data Mining for Information Assurance 3 hrs
IA 475 - Advanced Topics in Information Security 3 hrs
IA 476 - Enterprise Security Analytics 3 hrs
ISAC 317 - IoT and Embedded Systems Security 3 hrs
ISAC 417 - Modern Vehicle Technology & Cyber Security 3 hrs
IT 319 - Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction 3 hrs
IT 321 - Web Server Administration and Development 3 hrs
IT 356 - Managing Virtualization and Cloud Computing 3 hrs
IT 375 - Wireless Networks Administration 3 hrs

Minor Requirement:

This major 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.

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.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) 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 the 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; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit 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. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

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.