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Doctor of Computer Science - Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Concentration

Effective February 2019, this program is no longer available for future enrollments at the Denver South campus.

The Doctor of Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (DCS-CIA) program includes a combination of core and elective courses, as well as doctoral symposium and research-related courses. The research element will culminate in a dissertation.

The DCS-CIA program is designed to help students develop leadership skills in managing enterprise information systems with an emphasis on information assurance.

This program does not lead to additional licensure or certification. As such, CTU has made no determination regarding prerequisites for licensure or certification in any state or jurisdiction.

Outcomes

Doctor of Computer Science Outcomes

  1. Assess the evolution of knowledge within the chosen computer science discipline in addressing a technical real-world technical problem.
  2. Contribute to the body of knowledge within the computer science industry through ethical research, scholarly writing, dissemination of research and real-world innovations in evolving, diverse environments.
  3. Develop analytical and critical thinking proficiencies that clearly articulate applying computer science principles and models in solving real-world technical problems.

Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Concentration Outcomes

  1. Assess internal and external security threats and vulnerabilities..
  2. Evaluate security measures and controls for protecting organizational assets.
  3. Determine the social, economic, and ethical impact of malicious attacks.
  4. Contribute to the body of knowledge by integrating security policies and measures to mitigate security threats.

Degree Requirements

Courses: Core

AI870Artificial Intelligence in Real World Problem Solving

4
CS818Current Topics in Computer Science and Information Technology

4
CS861Information Assurance

4
CS875Futuring and Innovation

4
CS880Foundations of Digital Systems Security

4
CS884Enterprise Security Architecture

4
EIS852Governance, Quality, Compliance and Ethics

4
EIS854Security Management

4
RES804Principles of Research Methods and Design

4
RES812Qualitative Research Methods

4
RES814Quantitative Research Methods

4
RES863Doctoral Research III: Dissertation Literature Review

4
RES864Doctoral Research IV: Dissertation Methods

4
RES865Doctoral Research V: Dissertation Introduction

4
RES866Doctoral Research VI: Dissertation Findings

4
RES867Doctoral Research VII: Dissertation Discussion and Conclusion

4
RES868Doctoral Research VIII: Dissertation Conclusion

4
RSCH860Doctoral Research I: Principles of Research and Writing

4
RSCH861Dissertation Process I

4
RSCH862Dissertation Process II

4
DCELE16Select four 4- credit courses from 800-level CS or EM or EIS courses

16
SYMP801Doctoral Symposium I

2
SYMP802Doctoral Symposium II

2

Total Credit Hours: 100-116

Provisional Requirements

Prior to starting the DCS program, all applicants must submit an unofficial or official copy of their college transcripts of their bachelor’s and master’s degrees for review. Applicants who hold a master’s degree in a field other than computer science may be granted provisional enrollment into their program, based on a review by the College of Computer Science, Engineering and Technology. These students must first complete up to four (4) college-level preparatory courses in the following subject areas: discrete mathematics, high-level programming languages, data structures, and algorithms.



Courses: Preparatory
CS219 Python Programming 4
CS233
Fundamentals of Data Structures
 4
CS267 Computer Algorithms
 4
MATH212
Fundamentals of Discrete Mathematics 4


Program Areas of Focus

The DCS program is designed to provide candidates with theoretical, research, and application capabilities in the field. The areas of focus are described below.

Foundations

The program provides a focus on computer science and information systems topics and an orientation to research and writing at the doctoral level. Coursework covers current topics in the disciplines as well as research methods and qualitative techniques. The research component results in a broad overview of the student’s area of concentration in order to put the research into context and inform the student’s selection of a research topic.

Acquisition of Knowledge

Once the foundations are in place, the focus is on student development of an in-depth understanding of the knowledge and research methods in his or her chosen area of study. While most of the focus is on developing a richer understanding of the discipline, the research courses include quantitative methods and the dissertation process.

Leadership and Professional Advancement

The program includes the two remaining concentration courses plus the final six doctoral research courses that are designed to help students to complete the research and dissertation.

Symposium

Doctor of Computer Science (DCS) students are required to attend a symposium event two times during their enrollment in the program. Additional information about CTU's doctoral symposium can be viewed in the Doctoral Symposium section of this catalog.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to the successful completion of the above 100 credits with an acceptable GPA, students must also satisfactorily complete their research proposal and final dissertation. The research proposal must be approved by the student’s Research Supervisor and University Reviewer. The dissertation, which must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee, is an extensive document that includes the research study. In addition, graduation requires presentation of the final dissertation.


Locations

  • Virtual Campus

Area of Study

  • Engineering & Computer Science

Degree Level

  • Doctorate