Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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Information Assurance & Cyber Defense [BS] - Macomb Community College Articulation (2020-2023)


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This major is built off of an articulation agreement, a specialized agreement between a four-year university, in this case, Eastern Michigan University, and a community college. Faculty from both schools collaborated to design an agreement that facilitates the smooth transfer of course credit from a two-year associate’s degree program to a four-year bachelor’s degree program. 

This agreement is effective Fall 2020 - Summer 2023. Students have until Summer 2028 to graduate from Eastern Michigan University using this agreement.


 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

International Applicants (Online Programs)   

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

Articulation Agreements - Information Assurance & Cyber Defense [BS]  

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 Faculty Advisors.

Student Eligibility


A student’s eligibility to graduate from this major is determined by the following.

  • Apply and granted admission to Eastern Michigan University (emich.edu/admissions).
  • A completed associate degree, certificate, or adequate coursework. Students eligible to follow an articulation agreement typically transfer 60 credit hours to EMU. Eligible students who transferred in less than 60 credit hours had unique circumstances and were granted permission by the Director of Community College Relations (emich.edu/ccr).

Interested students should meet with their community college advisor for information on following the articulation agreement before transferring to EMU. After transferring to EMU, a student must consult with the Community College Relations Office to confirm eligibility.

General Education Requirements:


A student with a Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) endorsement on their transcript only needs to complete the General Education Application Requirements of

To use MTA, a student must have an official community college transcript, with the “MTA Satisfied” endorsement sent to EMU’s Admissions Office. The MTA may be completed after admission to EMU, however, students should inform their advisor or they may be advised to complete additional courses for the general education program.

Students who do not have “MTA Satisfied” on their community college transcript, will be required to satisfy EMU’s general education requirements as applied to transfer students. For specific General Education requirements, click here  or print a General Education 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  (or eq. ITIA 1200 - Introduction to Information Systems Security @ MCC) and IT 110  (or eq. ITNT 1500 - Principles of Networking 4 hrs @ MCC) with a grade of B- or higher before enrolling in additional IA, IT, or ISAC courses.

Minor Requirement:


This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:


Students must earn a minimum of 124 credits at the 100-level or above. If sufficient credit hours are not transferred, additional EMU credits must be completed to reach the minimum of 124 credit hours required to graduate.

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


This articulation agreement provides the following exceptions:

University Requirements

  • Under this agreement, EMU will waive the 60-hour rule and require that a minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed in EMU courses, with at least 15 hours in the program at the 300-level or above. Of the last 30 hours completed before graduating, a minimum of 10 credit hours must be in courses offered by EMU. A minimum of 124 credit hours, completed in-residence or accepted in transfer, is required for graduation.

Students are required to satisfy all requirements listed below, not waived or modified above

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.

 

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