Advanced (Graduate) Certificate Program in "Information Assurance"

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The State Education Department has approved and registered (HEGIS  Code: 5199) the proposal for an Advanced (Graduate) Certificate  program at the University at Buffalo. This program is currently  being offered under the aegis of the National Center of  Excellence in Information Systems Assurance Research and Education  (CEISARE) at UB.   

The Information Assurance Certificate is designed to equip students  at UB with a comprehensive understanding of the many facets of  Information Assurance and Security. With the rapid growth of the  Internet and, in turn, the creation of numerous new information  channels, the task of securing these channels and their underlying  systems has become an industry-wide and national level top priority.   However the lack of professionals with the skill set to tackle  such complex security issues is clearly evident. Several  universities in the country have established research and education  centers in IA to address the challenges and to reduce vulnerabilities  in the National Information Infrastructure. The University at  Buffalo aims to fill this void by offering this certificate. The  program provides coursework giving a broad overview of the  interdisciplinary aspects of Information Assurance as well as  specialized training with respect to a chosen discipline.  Within the Advanced Certificate program, students may elect to  follow one of two paths: Technical versus Managerial. The program  of study follows from the option chosen. The Advanced Certificate  Program requires that students must complete a total of 14-15  credits of coursework - 3 credits of which are common to all  students, 6 credits of which are defined by the track chosen,  and 5-6 credits of possibly interdisciplinary electives. This  program structure ensures that students receiving this certificate  possess the necessary foundation in Information Assurance as  well as allows them a certain degree of freedom to tailor the  Certificate to their interests.  

At present, there are four disciplines participating in the  program in terms of the applicable courses they offer: Computer  Science and Engineering (CSE), School of Management (SOM),  Mathematics (MTH), and School of Law (LAW).  The certificate  will provide recognition of this training earned by students  in Information Assurance. These graduates will then enter the  federal work force and industries with an expertise in IA,  better prepared to meet the needs of our increasingly  technological society.  

Curriculum: The Advanced Certificate will be awarded upon completion of the  following requirements: 

Completion of 14-15 credit hours of coursework, consisting of 

1)  6 credit hours of required coursework defined by the track chosen.
2) 3 credit hours of the required integrative course,  Information Assurance.
3) 5-6 credit hours of elective coursework limited to  departmentally approved courses. 

Students must maintain a B average over all Certificate courses  and must be in good academic standing in their department.  As mentioned, the Program consists of two possible tracks: Technical  vs. Managerial.  The Technical track is defined by the CSE  department; whereas the Managerial track is defined by the  MSS department.

Based on the track chosen, the 6 credits of  coursework in (1) fall into two options: 
Technical Track:  In addition to the integrative course MGS 650* Information Assurance,  students must take two courses from a set of three core courses  
- MTH 535 Introduction to Cryptography or CSE 664: Applied Cryptography and Computer Security
- CSE 565 Computer Security
- CSE 566 Wireless Networks Security or CSE 7XX: Seminar on Wireless Networks Security

The remaining two or more courses could be taken from a list of approved electives including the third core course above to make  up the total of 14-15 credit hours. 
Managerial Track:   In addition to the integrative course MGS 650* Information Assurance,  students must take:  
- MGS 651 Network Management
- MGS 659 Seminar in E-Commerce.  

The remaining two or more courses could be taken from the list of  approved electives to make up the total of 14-15 credit hours. 

For course description, refer to the respective departmental  webpages.  This Certificate program is open to currently enrolled M.S.  and MBA students who like to specialize in Information Assurance.  Such students can obtain a Certificate by properly choosing courses  to meet the Certificate requirements as well as their own program  core requirements in a way that doesn't unduly extend their stay  beyond the normal four semesters of study. Candidates who already  have an M.S. or MBA or applicants from industries who may just  want to obtain this certificate could subscribe to this program  through University's normal admission process. The admission  mechanism is currently being put in place and will be advertised  soon. The basic admission requirement is a Bachelors degree in  Computer Science and Engineering, or Mathematics, or Business  Administration or a related field with a minimum GPA of 3.0.  The Certificate will also satisfy the IA concentration for  DoDs Information Assurance Scholarship Program participants. 

* Should have MGS 602 (Information Technology/ Data Communications) or equivalent as a prerequisite (or co-requisite)