This program will graduate 30 graduate students specializing in Information Assurance (IA) over a period of four years. The program will be accomplished through the close collaboration of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) and North Carolina A&T State University. UNC Charlotte will offer an NSA-recognized IA curriculum over the North Carolina Education and Research Network (NCREN), a real-time two-way video system designed for distance education in North Carolina. The IA curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, development of teamwork and effective communication skills. Student research and presentation are integral parts of every course. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in on-going research projects. The program is distinguished through its close partnership with industry, program diversity, distinguished faculties, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and expanding IA career opportunities to under represented groups in our society.
Each student is required to complete a qualified industry-sponsored internship. Each internship project must originate from a company or organization focusing on a real-world IA problem; require creative design and/or research that are appropriate for a Master's level student; and has clearly defined deliverables, which typically would include documents and/or prototype software.
