Course Descriptions

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to manage a cybersecurity operations center (SOC). Processes, techniques and skills to architect and monitor technology systems, identify risks and potential attacks against these systems are discussed. Students examine current cybersecurity tools and approaches for designing, implementing and maintaining a security architecture. Complex interdependencies are also explored, such as cloud computing, mobile devices and practices to address these scenarios are demonstrated.

An internship allows the student to put theory into practice. The student applies course experiences to the workplace at an off-site placement, where ideas are tested, and competencies and skills are developed. Throughout the internship, the student works regularly with a faculty supervisor, the Office of Experiential Programs and the Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs, and a site supervisor who guide the learning process. The student integrates the collective observations, analyses, and reflections of this experiential team into an internship portfolio that showcases the accomplishments of the experience. The unique portfolio is constructed throughout the internship, and represents the evolutionary and dynamic nature of the learning process.

This first project in the online degree student’s experiential program challenges the student to identify, investigate and analyze a particular topic in the program of study or a concentration. A key objective is to apply skills, methods, and knowledge obtained in prior courses with independent thinking and research; the final product represents the successful and purposeful application of knowledge. The project is undertaken with the close mentorship of a faculty member and may involve a community partner. Projects can involve academic and/or scientific-based research, laboratory experiences, needs analysis or development plans for external organizations, or market studies and business plan proposals.

This course provides students with the design fundamentals of the compliance and management governing of the deployment of cloud services. The technologies and services that enable cloud computing, different types of cloud computing models and the security and legal issues associated with cloud computing are covered.

This course provides an overview of database security concepts and techniques and discusses new directions of database security. Topics covered include database application security models, database and data auditing, XML access control, trust management and privacy protection, encryption methods, virtual private databases, risk assessment and mitigation, vulnerability scanning and user access control. The focus is on the key components of information assurance as it relates to database systems – confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and how these components can be managed and measured. Students conduct security assessments and audits of an existing database.

This course provides students with an understanding of risk assessment models, methodologies, and processes. Students learn how to perform a mission-focused data risk assessment. The results are presented as strategic and tactical recommendations to senior leaders on how to best mitigate risks to the organization’s data.

This course provides students with an awareness of the new and existing cyber threat technologies to understand and mitigate risks to a system. Demonstrates the methodologies used by threat actors to exploit systems and how cybersecurity professionals can architect more secure systems that support business imperatives, while mitigating cyber risks. An overview of applications, networks, mobile devices, wireless security, and tool categories such as firewall, SIEM, and vulnerability management tools are discussed.

This course provides students with an understanding of risk assessment models, methodologies, and processes. Students learn how to perform a mission-focused data risk assessment. The results are presented as strategic and tactical recommendations to senior leaders on how to best mitigate risks to the organization’s data.

This course builds on the Cloud Cybersecurity and Governance course to apply advanced cloud cybersecurity governance, design concepts, and models. Students develop a cloud solution for a mock business. The objective is to implement a cloud solution, with a cloud service provider, to reduce operating costs, and support business growth objectives. The students apply architectural design tradeoffs, cloud security standards, write cloud contracts, and apply information assurance best practices for their cloud solution. Students present their cloud solution to the class and then conducts an asynchronous Q & A session with the other students.

This course provides students with the skills to develop an organization-wide cybersecurity program. Students learn best practice methodologies for managing programs and projects and how to best communicate program objectives, measures and investment needs to senior leadership. Students in the Management and Leadership concentration will complete this course.

This course provides students with the concepts of cybersecurity legal framework and investigations. Students receive an awareness of the legal duties of an organization and individuals as well as the types of investigations needed to support these duties, nationally and internationally.

This course provides students with an understanding of the skills necessary to participate in the development of large scale IT systems. Students demonstrate the techniques, methods, and issues involved across the entire IT systems’ life-cycle, from requirements identification and analysis, through various levels of design, implementation, testing and operation/maintenance. A course project allows students to use course concepts to further understand how System Security Engineering is used in organizations.

This project must be in the student’s program of study or concentration(s). It should demonstrate application of the skills, methods, and knowledge of the cybersecurity discipline to solve a problem or answer a question representative of the type to be encountered in the student’s profession. As with Project I, this is undertaken with the close mentorship of a faculty member and may involve a community partner. The ideal project has a clear purpose that builds directly upon the learning that occurs within the student’s first project.

The two projects in the experiential program challenges students to identify, investigate and analyze a particular topic in the program of study or a concentration and apply it. This Occupational Practicum offers the online degree student an expanded opportunity to delve deeper into their existing project(s) and/or work with a professional practitioner (community partner) to apply previous research, knowledge, and skills to develop a new system, security practices, proposal, cybersecurity service, risk assessment, unit/department launching, or other cybersecurity entity related to the adult student’s career path. The student is expected to transfer theory into extended application and practice. The Occupational Practicum assists the student in the completion of their ePortfolio. It is an alternative to MEBA 365 Internship; the student needs to complete one or the other.

Information networking lays the groundwork for analysis of concepts that form the foundation to study Cybersecurity. The Internet contains a constant flow of information in the form of packets over interconnected network devices. This topic covers protocols, software, hardware, and functions that support networking services, such as switching/routing, virtual networking concepts, domain name services, directory services, and other Internet required protocols.

To understand security architecture, you must first understand architecture in general. At first glance, security and architecture are diametrically opposed. Security is freedom from, or resilience against, potential harm. Architecture is meant to build things up to make them more useful. Security architecture is the design, development, and implementation of resilient networks and systems to protect the information that is stored, transmitted, and processed.

This course provides guidelines for data security utilizing cloud computing by determining the boundaries of the cloud service provider (CSP) responsible for ensuring that customer data is properly secured. Depending on the cloud services (i.e. IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), the security of the data is the responsibility of the Cloud Service Consumer (CSC) themselves. For example, in some cases the CSP may be responsible for restricting access to the data, while the CSC remains responsible for deciding which cloud service users (CSUs) should have access to it, and the behavior of any scripts or applications with which the CSU processes the data. This course identifies the security controls protecting CSC data that can be used in the different stages of the full data lifecycle.

Cybersecurity for applications and software provides the security architecture as it applies to the continuous development and deployment of application and software. This course demonstrates the techniques to improve the organization’s security at every level, including the application and software layer. By combining development operations and security with consideration for cloud services, an integrated approach is used to ensure the cyber protections are implemented at all levels of the infrastructure. This course will provide the skills to implement security at each layer, such as web application, cloud infrastructure, communication, and service delivery. Topics include exploring core security aspects of blocking attacks, fraud detection, cloud forensics, and incident response. Additionally, cybersecurity topics on extending development operations (DevSecOps) security practices, risk assessment, threat modeling, and continuous security monitoring.

In this course, the student will explore leadership and ethical business decision making as related to the use of technology. Ethical obligations have both a professional and a personal dimension. Each are essential to consider; without a sense of personal ethics, one would be indifferent to their effect on the lives of others in circumstances where one’s professional code is silent. Personal leadership helps us to be sure that we take full responsibility for our moral choices and their consequences. This course addresses professional leadership and ethics in information technology as it applies to practical business managers and systems. This course teaches the student how to gain knowledge and understanding of a number of aspects, including: the types of harms the public can suffer as result of misuse of information technology; the importance of an individual privacy of information; legal and constitutional rights to protect information; and obligations of organizations to protect the public and ethical decision making.

The course introduces the student to the interdisciplinary field of cybersecurity. Topics include the evolution of information security into cybersecurity and exploring the relationship of cybersecurity to organizations and society. Analysis of the threats and risks to/in these environments are examined. The ultimate goal of this course is for the student to acquire the advanced knowledge required to develop the skills needed to integrate knowledge from this course into a workplace environment. Cross-listed with CISC 661.

This course integrates cyber risk management into day-to-day operations. Additionally, it enables an enterprise to be prepared to respond to the inevitable cyber incident, restore normal operations and ensure that the enterprise assets and the enterprise’s reputation are protected. This course focuses the student on a broad range of topics relative to the tools used to protect the enterprise from today’s cyber-threats. The intent is to focus on creating risk-based assessment tools for modeling approaches to solve cybersecurity issues, so organizations can build security framework and sustain a healthy security posture. This course analyzes external and internal security threats, failed systems development and system processes, and explores their respective risk mitigation solutions through policies, best practices, operational procedures, and government regulations. Cross-listed with CISC 662.

This course integrates knowledge accumulated from the prerequisites and serves as a capstone for the concentration in Computer Security. Attention is focused on the techniques for protecting critical information infrastructures and the process of identifying the risk to data and information using case studies, application development, and systems assessment. Cross-listed with CISC 663.

This course explores a topic or collection of topics of special interest that is timely and in response to critical or emerging topics in the broad field of Cybersecurity Operations and Control Management.

This course explores a topic or collection of current topics that are timely and in response to critical or emerging topics in the broad field of Cybersecurity Operations and Control Management.

This course allows the student to pursue an area of interest that is within the broad scope of Cybersecurity Operations and Control Management. A faculty member will supervise this study.

This training will provide an overview of technical writing and how it is often utilized within the food industry. The training provides a basic overview of the guidelines for technical writing, the common types of technical writing such as standard operating procedures, reports, and proposals.

This training will provide an overview of technical writing and how it is often utilized within the food industry. The training provides a basic overview of the guidelines for technical writing, the common types of technical writing products such as standard operating procedures, reports, and proposals.

This training will provide an overview of technical writing and how it is often utilized within the food industry. The training provides a basic overview of the guidelines for technical writing, the common types of technical writing products such as standard operating procedures, reports, and proposals.

This training gives a practical overview of writing SOPs clearly and accurately so that the document states what is done and the user does what he/she says that will do. Creation and implementation of SOPs can effectively reduce the risk of quality failures because they increase the reliability and consistency of the actions performed.

This course is offered as a companion to ENGL 105 for the student that requires improvement of college-level composition skills and serves as an opportunity to develop the foundations necessary to succeed in subsequent courses.

This one credit course is offered in summer and fall semesters to provide students who enter the university without college level composition skills the opportunity to develop the foundations necessary to succeed in subsequent university composition courses. Credits may not be used toward graduation requirements.

This first-year composition course is an introduction to college-level writing strategies. By reading various writing styles and genres, the student will contemplate how purpose and audience guide the writing process. Writing assignments are to be completed according to a deadline with a goal of improving style, grammar, and diction.

This course introduces the student to academic writing expectations and techniques for reading critically, researching effectively, and writing persuasively. The student is shown how to use critical thinking as a tool for composition development. Writing assignments are to be completed according to a deadline with a goal of improving expanded thought and technical writing.

This course introduces the student to technical communication and prepares the student for designing and producing technical documents. Practice strategies are used for effective professional and technical writing to produce documents in various formats with attention to clarity and design.

This course covers original literature written in the English language. The student studies the exemplary works of literary genres, the author(s), elements of the genre, and the historical context within which the genres developed, in order to understand the connection between the works in a genre and that the history of people leads to such a body of work.

In this course the student will study the structure of narrative by exploring how stories take shape in the five art forms of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama, and film. The student examines the unique elements of each of these forms of art and also how the art forms borrow elements from each other. The course also explores how the structure of a narrative both creates and enhances the narrative’s meaning. This exploration includes viewing narratives from five literary perspectives: formalist, historical, psychological, archetypal/mythological, and reader-response. Coursework will include creative as well as analytical writing.

The student is familiarized with professional fiction writing through the short story, with a focus on idea generation, scene setting, characterization and plot. Other forms of fiction writing, appropriate to student needs and interests, such as gaming, screenplays, or works of various lengths, are discussed.

This course covers topics related to composition, literature and language arts. It is an in-depth study of a selected specialized area and the content varies by semester.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are drivers of transformative change. This course introduces the concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship and strategies to take an idea into execution. Moreover, entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems, and innovation within corporations are studied by utilizing case studies of some Silicon Valley companies.

This course introduces the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to successfully navigate through the second stage of the business start-up, which is to gain traction and scale. The student is taught the Lean Method to take their start-up from raising investment to scale. Moreover, this course will provide hands-on training in the technologies and strategies used by small and large corporations in all aspects of running a start-up business.

This course introduces the role of innovation and technological change in business practice and economic growth. It analyzes sources of innovation in science, technology, and commercialization. Among others, the following topics are covered: founding of new industries and new markets, commercialization of new technologies, incentives and organization of science, openness and proprietary/controlled innovation. Moreover, selected public policies toward invention and innovation are considered.

Financial sustainability is the goal of every start-up and new business unit. Starting from a discussion of common business models, the course covers business models, financial projections, and pro forma statements., funding models, institutional venture capital investment, social entrepreneurship, crowdfunding, corporate investment, etc. The course also covers administrative, operations, and legal issues.

This course allows the student to pursue an area of interest that is within the broad scope of Techpreneurship. A faculty member will supervise this study.

This introductory seminar class will serve to orient the student with both the Environmental Science and Sustainability program offerings as well as possible career paths accessible to the student graduating with a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability. Additionally, this course will highlight the importance of communication, teamwork, collaboration, and civic engagement in promoting environmental stewardship.

Environmental science is the study of natural ecosystems, human impacts on the environment, and sustainable management of the Earth’s resources. Processes of the physical and biological environment are used as a basis for consideration of current environmental topics. Other areas covered include: energy consumption and global warming, water and air pollution, waste management, impacts of deforestation on biodiversity and other environmental changes occurring on a global scale.

This course investigates the historical, geological, physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the ocean environment. The basic language of marine science, and its underlying principles, are explored. The student pursues an understanding of the underwater history of the planet and the importance of the sciences, including the scientific method of research.

This course presents an introduction to the environmental and economic benefits of controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) as well as the relevant scientific principles as the apply to the CEA field, including the areas of aquaponics, hydroponics, vertical farming, etc. The business and management of running a CEA facility will also be introduced.

This course is designed to give the student a tour through the planet Earth; from the inside to the outside and from the past to the present. The large-scale structure of the Earth, formation of mountains, explosive processes like volcanoes, earthquakes, and how water, glaciers, and other weather processes can shape the landscape are covered.

This course presents: photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, green building, fuel-cells, hydrogen, wind power, waste heat, biofuels, wave power, tidal power and hydroelectric. Discussions of environment and social policy are integral components of the course.

This course covers the hydrologic cycle in great depth and will also examine how humans utilize their water resources. It also delves into the properties of water, physical and chemical, and subsurface flow. Field methods, regional hydrogeology, and subsurface contamination investigations are all covered.

This course centers on the overlap of soil science, environmental science, and geology. Our goal is to explain the fundamental principles in soil sciences and introduce the concept of the “Critical Zone,” where water, rock, biology, and atmosphere interact as a system.

This first project in the student’s experiential program challenges the student to identify, investigate, and analyze a particular topic in the program of study or a concentration. A key objective is to apply skills, methods, and knowledge obtained in prior courses with independent thinking and research; the final product represents the successful and purposeful application of knowledge. The project is undertaken with the close mentorship of a faculty member and may involve a community partner. Projects can involve scientific-based research or laboratory experiences, needs analysis or development plans for external organizations, or market studies and business plan proposals.

This course examines the physical processes and the potential human impact of global climate change. The physical, chemical and biological cycles contributing to global environment are covered with the study of the recent explosive growth of the human population, and the impacts on land, air, and water resources and on biological diversity produced by human advances in technology and society.

This course covers the fundamental approaches of managing, land, air and water resources for environmental protection and pollution control. The course also covers compliance with environmental laws, regulations and policies currently in effect.

The effects of human activities on the surrounding environment and water supplies are discussed from the perspective of pollutants entering water systems. A rational solution to the water supply problem may become an economic and environmental priority in the next 20 to 30 years.

The student is introduced to ecosystem management through both lecture and field studies, with introductions to impacted, restored and managed areas. This course investigates ideas and concerns of ecosystems through basic theories to discussions of case studies. Local areas of consideration and concern will be visited and assessed using techniques introduced through course materials. The student is expected to be well-versed to argue for or against various corrective actions, depending on different views and interests. Several protection groups and their goals, both inside and outside of government are discussed. Successful ecosystem restoration requires a balance between site conditions and needs, as well as human impact and use necessities. The course also includes the “human factors” of economics, politics and tradition in finding working solutions for management.

An internship allows the student to put theory into practice. The student applies classroom experiences to the workplace at an off-site placement, where ideas are tested and competencies and skills are developed. Throughout the internship, the student works regularly with a faculty supervisor, the Office of Experiential Programs, and a site supervisor who guide the learning process. The student integrates the collective observations, analyses, and reflections of this experiential team into an internship portfolio that showcases the accomplishments of the experience. The unique portfolio is constructed throughout the internship and represents the evolutionary and dynamic nature of the learning process.

This course covers topics in environmental science and renewable energy. It is an in-depth study of a selected specialized area and the content varies by semester.