Doctorate in Information Assurance (DIA)
Description
This degree program helps students to advance their Information Assurance careers in government or industry. In this program, students undertake solution-oriented applied field research projects which address relevant industry problems and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the practice of Information Assurance.
Program Objectives
This program fosters the development of students who:
- Are recognized as practitioners with expertise in a specialized field of study relevant to the cybersecurity community
- Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the analysis of information assurance issues
- Utilize an evidence-based approach to solution identification when addressing problems relevant to the cybersecurity community
- Demonstrate competence in conducting solution-focused field research relevant to information assurance practitioners
- Make continuing contributions to knowledge and practice in the field of cybersecurity
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this degree program, graduates will be able to:
- Analyze, assess and critique the applicability of best practices in addressing information assurance issues
- Demonstrate secondary research competencies in the investigation and identification of research topics relevant to information assurance practitioners
- Formulate the rationale and justification for conducting an applied field research project in information assurance
- Develop evidence-based recommendations for solutions which address problems relevant to the cybersecurity community
- Empirically assess the feasibility of a proposed solution for a problem affecting the cybersecurity community
- Articulate a thorough understanding of a specialized field of study relevant to the cybersecurity community
Qualifying Exam
Doctoral students enrolled in the DIA program must pass the Qualifying Exam. This exam is used to evaluate mastery of the concepts and foundations of applied research and is administered at the conclusion of the RM8500 course.
Comprehensive Exams (Level I)
Doctoral students enrolled in the DIA program must pass two Level I Comprehensive Exams completed in CEX8220, CEX8230 or CEX8240. Each Level I Comprehensive Exam consists of a 25-30 page research paper on a specified topic in Information Security and must demonstrate mastery of content and literature-based research skills, while utilizing APA format and citation requirements. If necessary, students may repeat any or all of the Level I Comprehensive Exams.
Credit Requirements
The Doctorate in Information Assurance consists of a minimum of 60 semester credits beyond a Master’s degree, including 57 credits of pre-dissertation courses (consisting of 24 credits of Information Security content taken from core and specialization courses, 18 credits of research methods courses, 6 credits of comprehensive exam courses, 9 credits of research- preparation courses) and 3 credits of dissertation development courses.
To ensure that doctoral students make steady progress towards the completion of their dissertations, the University has developed the Dissertation Project Plan. This plan consists of a series of deliverables students produce in research methods courses and dissertation courses.
Earning Graduate Certificates
DIA students complete the requirements for graduate certificates as they progress through their programs. Upon completion of the required courses, they may elect to receive the applicable graduate certificate(s) listed under the Graduate Certificate Program.