The University of Tulsa Cyber Corps Program is producing skilled information assurance and forensics professionals with strong leadership skills, integrity of character and a deep commitment to service. Through this initiative students are engaging in intense, yet flexible, programs of study to prepare them for careers in intelligence, research and development, operations, project management, enterprise security or law enforcement. All participants spend a summer term as interns with federal agencies and, upon graduation, assume fulltime positions with the federal government.
The program components are carefully designed to train students in the theory and practice of information assurance and forensics; while providing an environment that fosters teamwork, strengthens motivation, and instills the ideals of duty and service. Innovative features of this program include several joint programs that provide an opportunity for students to earn a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, an M.B.A., or a J.D. In addition, students can earn at least five CNSS information assurance certifications. Participants may select from several tracks incorporating courses and program components that prepare them for specialized careers with the federal government. Among the most innovative offering is the "MacGyver Track" that imparts hardware, software and foreign language skills to students intending to join the intelligence community.
The NSF Cyber Corps Program has enabled America's best and brightest computer science and engineering students to heed the call to serve. Hundreds of Cyber Corps graduates are conducting cyber operations, supporting vital e-government operations, helping secure critical infrastructure assets or investigating electronic crimes. Many are actively involved in the war against terrorism. The University of Tulsa's Cyber Corps Initiative supported by NSF Grant DUE 0715472 has made significant contributions to the national effort. The 56 Tulsa Cyber Corps Program graduates are trained professionals with solid backgrounds in computer science, strong specializations in cyber operations, information assurance and digital forensics, and a deep commitment to federal service. All of them have gone on to make a difference in their professional careers. Upon completing their programs of study, the 23 current students will join their colleagues with the federal government and also go on to make a difference. The Tulsa Cyber Corps Initiative has had excellent success recruiting and maintaining a diverse student body. The 81 participants -- drawn from 21 states -- include 25 non-traditional students (30.9% of the total), 23 members of underrepresented groups (28.4%) and eight veterans (9.9%). In addition, 21 participants (25.9% of the total) are former community college students who joined the Cyber Corps Program as a result of NSF ATE supported educational pathways from community colleges through baccalaureate universities to the University of Tulsa for undergraduate or graduate studies in cybersecurity. Finally, NSF support has also contributed to the creation of sophisticated laboratories that support educational, research and public service efforts. Most notable are the collaborative activities with the Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence Community, and Oklahoma state and local agencies, which enhance the educational opportunities available to Tulsa Cyber Corps students while contributing to homeland security efforts.
