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The Graduate Certificate Program in Information Security Management
The G.C.P. in Infosec Management is a six course program of study designed for
managers and policy makers. It is offered through the Engineering
Management and Systems Engineering (EMSE) Department in the School
of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) at The
George Washington University.
- It is different from the G.C.P.
in Computer Security and Information Assurance offered by the Computer
Science Department both in length and in content. Courses are NOT
interchangeable between the programs.
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If you are interested in the technical details of how computer security
is instantiated in systems and networks, you should take the Computer Science
Department's program.
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If you are interested in understanding the operational, managerial, legal,
and systems engineering implications of information security in modern
enterprises, this may be the program you have been looking for.
This program is offered both on-campus
(at Foggy Bottom) and off-campus (at the Graduate
Education Center in Alexandria). It is not offered at any other
locations at this time, although it may be in the future. Not all
classes are offered at each location every semester.
What is it and what courses are in it?
6 graduate level classes focused on infosec: The Graduate Certificate Program in Information Security Management
is a six course program of master's level classes designed to give managers
a comprehensive understanding of how to architect and manage the security
of information in their enterprise environment.
It is not a course in computer security, network security, or cryptography,
although it contains elements of each of those disciplines.
It is a disciplined approach to understanding the management, technical,
and legal issues associated with the security of information from a multi-phased
approach, resulting in optimal security within risk tolerances. The
focus is education rather than training, teaching students how to think
about information security challenges in a structured framework.
Topics covered include elements of computer security but also include elements
of personnel security, physical security, facilities security, and operational
security.
The six classes in the program are:
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EMSE 218 Management of Information and Systems Security
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EMSE 315 Legal Issues for Information Security Managers
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EMSE 312 Protection of Information Assets and Systems
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EMSE 313 Managing Cryptographic Systems
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EMSE 314 Auditing, Monitoring, and Intrusion Detection for Information
Security Managers
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EMSE 316 Crisis Management and Business Continuity for Information
Security Managers
The people who would most benefit from this program are those with management
duties or aspirations. The focus on the program is Engineering Management
-- it is technical, but not overwhelmingly so. Students would benefit from
a technical undergraduate degree before joining this program.
How do I apply to join the program?
In a nutshell, what you do is fill out an application and send it in. I highly
recommend you do this online.
Once you are accepted into the program, you register
for classes and take them.
GRE scores are only required for those applying to the Doctoral program and those applying for Department financial assistance.
The admissions requirements are as follows:
"The Department requires that the applicant have a suitable bachelor’s degree in an area such as engineering, a physical science, or mathematics from a recognized university with a B or better average for the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants with different academic backgrounds may be considered for admission; additional course work or other requirements may be a condition of admission in such cases."
Math is required! "A grade of C or better in Math 32 or its equivalent is prerequisite to all graduate programs offered by the Department." You can take care of this requirement through your local community college or at any other accredited institution.
Once I'm in, what do I do now?
The first thing to know is that you need to be continually registered,
either in a class or on a Leave of Absence, throughout your program of
study. If you do not register, the University assumes you have dropped
out. See 4 paragraphs below about procedures for taking a semester
or two off.
You must register for classes at the campus to which you are assigned. Look on your admissions letter: it will tell you to which campus you have requested admissions. You must take your classes at that campus.
If you are an off-campus student and have problems with any process elements, such as registrations not being
accepted, contact Dr. Robin Meader, who is the Director of Off-Campus Programs.
Her phone number is 202-994-1024 and her email is rmeader@gwu.edu.
She will either be able to tell you the correct procedures or refer you to the
person within the University System who will be able to give you assistance.
If you are an on-campus student and have problems with any process elements, contact Ms. Winnie Carr. Her phone number is 202-994-7541 and her email is wcarr@gwu.edu.
INCOMPLETES: Sometimes, life gets the better of us. If this
happens to you and you need to take an incomplete in a course, the University
has procedures to accommodate such a request. What you must do is:
- Request an incomplete from your professor. This does not mean that
you verbally ask him or her for an incomplete; it means that you fill out
a form called "Request for an Incomplete Grade." This form may be obtained
in Tompkins Hall or through the mail if you send a request to Dr.
Julie Ryan. When you fill out this form, you and the professor agree
what you must do to complete the course and receive a grade.
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You must complete the work within one year or the grade will be changed
to an "F". This "F" will be a permanent grade on your transcript
EVEN if you take the course over again.
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While completing your work to satisfy the requirements of the Incomplete
Course, you MUST be continuously enrolled. This can be accomplished
in one of three ways: first, through taking other classes at the
University; second, by registering for Continuous Enrollment; or third,
by registering for a Leave of Absence. The important thing to remember
is that you have to be active within the University System one way or another.
-
When you have completed the course requirements for the Incomplete Course,
the professor will submit a grade change request. It takes approximately
one month for a grade change request to work its way through the University
System, so don't expect the grade to be posted over night. For obvious
reasons, there are many controls and checks on grade change requests, which
makes it a necessarily slow system.
CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION; Taking a Leave of Absence:
You must complete the Program within two and one half (2.5) years of beginning
it. You must be registered for something (a course, a leave of absence,
etc) during the Fall and Spring semester. It is not necessary to register
for anything for the Summer semester. If you somehow miss a semester, you
must apply for readmission to the Program. The form you must use can be
obtained in Tompkins Hall or through the mail if you send a request to Dr.
Julie Ryan.
I need to skip a semester -- What do I do?
If you need to skip either Fall or Spring semesters, you must fill out
a Leave of Absence request and register for the Leave of Absence.
If you do not do this, the database will think you have dropped out of school.
If you need to skip Summer semester, you don't need to do anything special.
Summer is an optional semester, so the database will not blink if you do
not register for a class.
You can get the forms you need in the Department -- please note that you
need two forms and that both need to be signed by you.
How do I graduate?
You must apply for graduation. In order to qualify for graduation,
you must have:
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Completed all six classes in the Program
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Maintained an overall "B" average in the Program
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Received no more than two grades below a B-.
Until you graduate, you must be continuously enrolled. This can be
accomplished in one of three ways: first, through taking other classes
at the University; second, by registering for Continuous Enrollment; or
third, by registering for a Leave of Absence. The important thing
to remember is that you have to be active within the University System
one way or another.
For off-campus students: In order to apply for graduation, you must fill out an application to graduate.
This form must be provided to Dr. Robin Meader, who is the Director of Off-Campus
Programs. Her phone number is 202-994-1024 and her email is rmeader@gwu.edu.
For on-campus students: check with the Department Front Office to get a form and instructions. 202-994-7541.
The Master's Degree Program.
You can get information about the M.S. program from the MS
FAQ and at the EMSE
web site.
In order to apply your certificate program classes towards the MS in EMSE with
a concentration in Information Security Management, what you must do is:
- Complete the Certificate Program
- Apply for Graduation
- Apply for acceptance into the Masters Degree Program.
Please note that when you apply for the MS program after completing the
Certificate Program, you need not submit another application fee nor resubmit
transcripts.
The purpose of submitting a new application is to generate a new record
in the system so your transcript will accurately reflect the fact that
you will have taken two programs: the Certificate Program and the MS program.
If you do not submit a new application, there is no way of reflecting that
dual program on your transcripts.
Other questions....
Other information will be added here as questions are asked and answers
provided.
If you have more questions, please send me an email