Doctor of Computer Science (DCS): Concentration in Information Assurance

In today’s complex global business environments, the planning, upgrading and monitoring of security measures play critical roles in the protection of an organization’s computer networks and the safeguarding of its digital files and vital electronic infrastructure. Roles and responsibilities for professionals challenged with maintaining the integrity and safety of a company’s data are diverse, ranging from software engineers and computer scientists to those specializing in computer security from an information systems perspective.

Colorado Technical University’s Doctor of Computer Science with a concentration in Information Assurance (DCS-IA) is a degree program designed to develop leaders in managing enterprise information systems with an emphasis on information assurance. The three-year program is structured to provide students with the industry-current knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a diverse range of leadership opportunities that require the capacity to analyze the computer and information needs of an organization from an operational and strategic perspective.

Core coursework in this program focuses on a number of substantive areas relevant to the field of information assurance. For example:

• In Enterprise Security Architecture, students explore security as it relates to service‐oriented architecture (SOA), software‐as‐a‐service (SaaS), business‐to‐business architectures and cloud computing.
• In Foundations of Digital Systems Security, malware attacks are examined and vulnerability analysis and risk assessment are discussed, along with many other industry-relevant topics.
• In Governance, Quality, Compliance and Ethics, students study topics such as trust, security and privacy issues in enterprise computing and quality assurance issues in enterprise computing.

Elective courses in the DCS-IA program include:

• Business intelligence
• Networking and security
• Applications Security     
• Communications Security and Countermeasures   
• Strategy, Alignment, Portfolio Management
• Enterprise Management Concepts
• Managing, Planning, and Integrating EIS
• Enterprise Architecture Technology
• IT Service Management

The CTU DCS-IA program is a three-year program designed to provide candidates with the theoretical, research and applications capabilities necessary in the field of information assurance.

Year 1: Foundations
Year one focuses on introductory topics and research methods. Coursework covers introduction to enterprise information systems in general and security management in particular. In the research and writing component, students start identifying research-topic areas, analyze relevant literature and start preparing research proposals.
 
Year 2: Acquisition of Knowledge
With the foundations in place, each student develops an in depth understanding of the knowledge areas and research methods in information assurance. Course¬work covers information assurance, security foundations and enterprise security architecture. The research and writing courses further develop each student’s research.

Year 3: Leadership and Professional Advancement
Coursework in the final year of the program includes a course in governance, quality, compliance, and ethics, a course on futuring and innovation and two elective courses. The research compo¬nent results in documentation of the student’s applied research in either a dissertation or a series of publishable-quality papers.

Successful completion of the DCS-IA program can provide students with an applicable foundation of career-related knowledge and skills, including how to:

• Critically evaluate, analyze and solve problems within Information Assurance.
• Demonstrate expertise within a sub-discipline of Information Assurance by summarizing the state of the art, selecting an important problem, conducting research addressing the problem and extending current knowledge with the results.
• Communicate research results and prepare them for publication.
• Make well-rounded forecasts about future challenges and developments in Information Assurance.
• Demonstrate ethical behavior in all aspects of professional life including honesty, integrity, professional practice and protection of research subjects.

In addition to a quality curriculum based on industry standards, Colorado Technical University’s DCS-IA program is taught by an experienced team of computer science professionals who bring an impressive range of experience into their classrooms. Their firsthand knowledge and perspectives offer students the opportunity to learn from experts willing to share their understanding of the qualities and skills sought in today's competitive job market for skilled, senior-level leadership in Information Assurance.

To learn more about CTU, our DCS-IA degree program or how to apply for admission, please contact us for more information.