Marymount University
Graduate Catalog 2016-17
Information Technology and Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity (M.S.)
Marymount University is designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense (CAE/CD) by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security through 2020. In addition, Marymount students enrolled in this program are eligible for the National Science Foundation’s Cybercorps Scholarship for Service program.
Marymount’s cybersecurity program is designed to prepare working professionals for high-level positions in computer and information security by developing the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities in the technology and management of cybersecurity. Graduates will work in the protection of the digital world for the federal government, state and local governments, nonprofits, and industry.
Because of the university's proximity to federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation, faculty members in the program are involved in and aware of current federal government initiatives and requirements. Further, program leaders are able to call on practitioners in the field as guest speakers.
This 36-credit program is offered in online and face-to-face formats. Courses are rigorous, including readings, collaboration, and practical assignments using inquiry-based learning techniques with online multimedia presentations, online tools, and online simulations and labs. The program is designed primarily for working professionals to prepare them for promotion to a cybersecurity leadership position, and to meet the certification requirements currently imposed on the profession, particularly by the Department of Defense on employees and contractors. While all other coursework may be completed online, the culminating course is completed in residency in order to take advantage of the cybersecurity resources of the Washington, DC, area. Students will gain hands-on practice with equipment and tools, interacting with cybersecurity experts in government and industry.
The program is committed to exhibiting the highest professional and ethical standards addressing the needs of working individuals, full-time students, and business and government organizations. A variety of electives enable individual students to tailor the program to their knowledge base and career aspirations.
Upon successful completion of the cybersecurity program, students will be able to
- identify and solve cybersecurity issues in business and society by managing cybersecurity operations using available tools and techniques;
- review and understand the legal, regulatory, policy, and ethical issues related to securing cyberspace and ensuring the privacy of personally identifiable information (PII);
- communicate effectively with others, including technologists and managers in cybersecurity, IT, and users and managers in the business context;
- use specialized knowledge to continue to update skills and obtain, if applicable, certifications in the cybersecurity field;
- optimize the effectiveness of cybersecurity in an organization by performing vulnerability assessments, risk mitigation, auditing, certification and accreditation of information systems;
- work effectively as a member or as a leader of a cross-disciplinary team in the cybersecurity field where teamwork is essential to the success of a time-critical project; and
- develop the knowledge and skills required to pursue life-long learning in areas relating to cybersecurity and to adapt to an ever-changing global technological and business environment through information literacy activities relevant to a fast-changing discipline.
Admission Requirements: In addition to meeting universitywide requirements and School of Business Administration requirements, applicants for this program must hold certification or demonstrate work experience in computer networking. Those lacking this credential or work experience must take IT 520 Enterprise Infrastructure and Networks before entering the program.
Minimum Grade Requirements: A minimum grade of B- is needed to receive credit for a course in the cybersecurity program. All graduate students in the School of Business Administration must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. The student must bring his or her cumulative GPA to 3.0 or higher within nine graduate credits or be dismissed. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 a second time will be dismissed.
Degree Requirements — Cybersecurity
36 credits
Courses are listed in recommended sequence of enrollment.
IT 530 Computer Security
IT 535 Advanced Computer Security
IT 560 Cryptography
IT 670 Computer Network Defense
IT 570 Cybersecurity: Law, Policy, Ethics, and Compliance
IT 575 Information Security Management
MSC 545 Project Management or MSC 555 Program Management
IT 580 Technology Leadership or IT 585 Managing Technical People
IT 680 IT Master's Project
Three (3) courses from the following: IT 537 Computer Forensics and Incident Response; IT 540 Enterprise Data Management and Analysis; IT 547 Security and Privacy of Electronic Documents; IT 552 Operating Systems; IT 557 Monitoring, Auditing, and Penetration Testing; IT 567 Global Cybersecurity; IT 577 Human Considerations in Cybersecurity; IT 587 Cybersecurity Systems: Certification and Accreditation
Information Technology (M.S.)
Marymount’s information technology program offers advanced study to prepare individuals for leadership roles in the IT industry, whether managing enterprise infrastructure, designing computer systems with current systems life cycle methodologies, creating and maintaining high-quality computer software, engaging in cybersecurity management or technical operations, or managing complex IT projects. A dual degree in information technology and cybersecurity, a variety of electives, a research or project option, and specialized tracks enable individuals to tailor their graduate studies to their career needs in government or industry.
Students have the option of choosing a specialized track to complete their program:
- Cybersecurity
- Health Care Informatics
- Project Management and Technology Leadership
- Software Engineering
The program is designed to provide the academic foundation for those seeking to become a chief information officer (CIO) or attain a similar senior IT position.
The full-time faculty for this program conduct research in information technology, cybersecurity, data management, open source software, technology for health care, and other areas. Adjunct faculty work in the field in areas such as requirements analysis, cybercrime, hardware design, software development, database management, cybersecurity, and operations management.
Upon successful completion of the information technology program, students will be able to
- identify and solve complex problems in business and society using information technology, including the application and management of complex systems of hardware, software, networks, databases, and computer security;
- exercise leadership in analyzing, designing, developing, and integrating IT solutions that meet industry-wide standards using system engineering principles;
- manage enterprise-wide information systems to ensure that an organization is competitive in today's global and high performance environment following strong ethical principles;
- use specialized knowledge to obtain skills and, if applicable, certifications in areas such as software development, database and storage technology, computer security, IT governance, and project management;
- optimize the effectiveness of IT in an organization by effective IT governance, development of IT strategic plans, implementation of IT policies, and assurance of ethical awareness of the enterprise use of information;
- communicate effectively with others, including technologists and managers in the IT field and users and managers in the business context;
- work effectively as a member or as a leader of a cross-disciplinary team in the IT field where teamwork is essential to the success of a time-critical project; and
- develop the knowledge and skills required to pursue life-long learning in areas relating to information technology and to adapt to an ever-changing, global technology and business environment through information literacy relevant to a fast-changing discipline.
Admission Requirements: Applicants for this program must have
- an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in an accredited undergraduate program or 9 recent credits in an accredited graduate program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or a high-level certification, such as PMP, CISSP, or CCNA, or a satisfactory score on the GRE or GMAT. (Applicants to the M.B.A./IT or health care management/IT dual-degree programs must submit a GRE or GMAT score.); and
- interview with the program director or a designee.
If a departmental review reveals deficiencies in the information technology knowledge, the student may be required to complete additional undergraduate courses.
Course Substitution Policy: If a student can exhibit a depth of knowledge gained through prior experience and/or previous coursework, more advanced courses may be substituted for 500-level program requirements.
Minimum Grade Requirements: A minimum grade of C is needed to receive credit for a course in the information technology program. All graduate students in the School of Business Administration must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. The student must bring his or her cumulative GPA to 3.0 or higher within nine graduate credits or be dismissed. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 a second time will be dismissed.
Degree Requirements — Information Technology
36 credits
Courses are listed in recommended sequence of enrollment.
IT 510 Requirements Analysis
IT 515 Decision Making for IT or MSC 515 Research Methods
IT 520 Enterprise Infrastructure and Networks
IT 530 Computer Security
IT 540 Enterprise Data Management and Analysis
IT 550 Ethics, Law, and Policy in the Information Age
IT 610 IT Governance and Strategy
IT 680 IT Master’s Project or IT 670 Computer Network Defense (for those in cybersecurity track)
Four (4) electives or track courses, as follows:
Cybersecurity Track
IT 535 Advanced Computer Security
IT 547 Security and Privacy of Electronic Documents
IT 570 Cybersecurity: Law, Policy, Ethics, and Compliance
One (1) course from the following: IT 537 Computer Forensics and Incident Response, IT 547 Security and Privacy of Electronic Documents, IT 557 Monitoring, Auditing, and Penetration Testing, IT 560 Cryptography, IT 567 Global Cybersecurity, IT 575 Information Security Management. IT 587 Cybersecurity Systems: Certification and Accreditation, IT 590 Topics in Information Technology
(Students who have successfully completed this track may apply for the cybersecurity graduate certificate in addition to the degree.)
Health Care Informatics Track
IT 545 Health Care Informatics
IT 547 Security and Privacy of Electronic Documents
HCM 510 Health Care Management
HCM 520 Health Care Reimbursement Systems
(Students who have successfully completed this track may apply for the health care informatics graduate certificate in addition to the degree.)
Project Management and Technology Leadership Track
MSC 545 Project Management
MSC 555 Program Management
IT 580 Technology Leadership or IT 585 Managing Technical People
One (1) course from the following: MGT 507 Leadership, MGT 515 Leading and Managing Teams, MGT 525 Knowledge Management, MGT 551 Negotiation Skills and Management, MSC 516 Operations Management, MSC 550 Procurement and Contracting
(Students who have successfully completed this track may apply for the IT project management and technology leadership graduate certificate in addition to the degree.)
Software Engineering Track
IT 500 Programming Language Selection and Design
IT 505 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
IT 565 Human Computer Interaction
IT 552 Operating Systems
Information Technology/Cybersecurity Dual Degree (M.S./M.S.)
The M.S. in information technology and M.S. in cybersecurity dual-degree program is designed to meet the needs of those students desiring a broad information technology background with a very strong cybersecurity emphasis. The dual degree will educate students for cybersecurity technical and management positions where they need to be responsible for the security of a variety of technologies.
Upon successful completion of all dual-degree requirements, students will receive both an M.S. in information technology and an M.S. in cybersecurity. Students successfully completing both degrees will achieve the outcomes of each of these two programs. See the M.S in information technology for student outcomes. See the M.S. in cybersecurity for student outcomes.
Admission Requirements: Students in the dual-degree program must meet the requirements of the M.S. in information technology program.
Minimum Grade Requirements: A minimum grade of C is needed to receive credit for a course in dual-degree program. All graduate students in the School of Business Administration must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. The student must bring his or her cumulative GPA to 3.0 or higher within nine graduate credits or be dismissed. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 a second time will be dismissed.
Dual-Degree Requirements — Information Technology/Cybersecurity
54 credits
Courses are listed in recommended sequence of enrollment.
IT 510 Requirements Analysis
IT 515 Decision Making for IT
MSC 545 Project Management
IT 520 Enterprise Infrastructure and Networks
IT 530 Computer Security
IT 540 Enterprise Data Management and Analysis
IT 535 Advanced Computer Security
IT 570 Cybersecurity: Law, Policy, Ethics, and Compliance
IT 547 Security and Privacy of Electronic Documents
IT 580 Technology Leadership or IT 585 Managing Technical People
IT 560 Cryptography
IT 537 Computer Forensics and Incident Response
IT 575 Information Security Management
IT 610 IT Governance and Strategy
IT 557 Monitoring, Auditing, and Penetration Testing
IT 587 Cybersecurity Systems: Certification and Accreditation
IT 670 Computer Network Defense
IT 680 IT Master’s Project
Business Administration/Information Technology Dual Degree (M.B.A./M.S.)
See dual-degree program under business administration.
Health Care Management/Information Technology Dual Degree (M.S./M.S.)
See dual-degree program under health care management.
Cybersecurity (Graduate Certificate)
This certificate program prepares students for the cybersecurity field in business and government, which is expanding locally and globally. The field is predicted to foster job growth, especially in the Washington metropolitan area. Students cover the body of knowledge required for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. Title IV federal financial aid is available for this certificate program.
Admission Requirements: Students interested in earning this certificate must be enrolled in the M.S. in information technology program.
Program Completion Requirement: All coursework must be completed at Marymount within five years of the date of matriculation. Students completing the cybersecurity track within the M.S. in information technology degree will be eligible for the certificate. The certificate will be awarded at the same time as the master's degree.
Health Care Informatics (Graduate Certificate)
This certificate program is designed for those who wish to pursue an information technology career in a health care organization. Title IV federal financial aid is available for this certificate program.
Admission Requirements: Students interested in earning this certificate must be enrolled in the M.S. in information technology program.
Program Completion Requirement: All coursework must be completed at Marymount within five years of the date of matriculation. Students completing the health care informatics track within the M.S. in information technology program will be eligible for the certificate. The certificate will be awarded at the same time as the master's degree.
IT Project Management and Technology Leadership (Graduate Certificate)
This certificate prepares students for the IT project management field in business and government, which is expanding both locally and globally. Individuals with project management qualifications are increasingly sought by government agencies, government contractors, and other industries. Title IV federal financial aid is available for this certificate program.
Admission Requirements: Students interested in earning this certificate must be enrolled in the M.S. in information technology degree program.
Program Completion Requirement: All coursework must be completed at Marymount within five years of the date of matriculation. Students completing the project management and technology leadership track within the M.S. In information technology program will be eligible for the certificate. The certificate will be awarded at the same time as the master's degree.
Catalog Contents
Academic Information and Policies
Academic Integrity Policy Summary
Dual Academic Programs or Degrees
Students Called to Military Duty
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