IS Systems Security Degrees - Accreditation and Curriculum Info

Obtaining an IS systems security degree may lead to a worthwhile career in state, federal, and local government departments, finance and banking, insurance, software publishing, or computer systems design. Aspiring IS experts may earn a degree at any number of schools ranging from business colleges to technical schools to traditional colleges and universities. These degrees are also offered at most levels including associate, bachelors, masters, and first professional. A number of community colleges, career schools, and technical schools also offer certificate programs in IS systems security.

An associate or certificate in IS systems security will prepare students for entry into a bachelor's degree program or for entry-level or support positions in the field. For most IS systems security positions, employer's prefer a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited technical school, college, or university.

To get started on your career, you should enroll in an accredited IS systems security program, computer science or business program with a technology focus. You may choose the traditional format (on campus), blended format (online and on-campus), or you may choose to complete your IS systems security degree entirely online. If you currently work full-time or your current schedule won't allow for commuting and attending classes at set times, the online IS systems security degree is probably the best option.

Before enrolling in any IS systems security degree program, whether traditional, blended, or online, you should check to make sure the program is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.The top accrediting bodies for technical, business and traditional schools include:

-Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
-Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
-Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
-Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
-The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (regional)
-New England Association of Schools and Colleges (regional)
-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (regional)
-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (regional)
-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (regional)
-Western Association of Schools and Colleges (regional)

In addition verifying accreditation, spend some time reviewing curriculum and admissions requirements. IS security degree program curriculum should mirror the curriculum of top accredited traditional programs. If you are considering an online IS systems security program, you should keep in mind that the traditional IS curriculum is still the standard in the academic world. Course listings should be similar to the following:

-Introduction to Programming
-Introduction to Networking
-Information, Technology, and Society
-Introduction to Web Page Development
-Introduction to Database
-Network Installation and Maintenance
-Network Maintenance Laboratory
-Technical and Professional Communication
-Introduction to UNIX/Linux
-Programming II
-Network Administration
-International Field Experience Elective
-Fundamentals of Information Security
-System Analysis
-Fundamentals of Cryptography
-Elementary Statistics with Computer Applications
-Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
-Information Security Policy
-Legal Issues in Information Security Management
-Science, Technology, and Society
-IAS Information Assurance and Security Elective
-IAS Information Assurance and Security Elective
-Organizational Management and Behavior
-Capstone: Secure Systems Administrator
-Capstone: Secure System Auditing
-Risk Analyst Capstone
-Information Security Forensics and Incident Response
-Advanced Topics in Information Assurance and Security