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Computer and Information Security
The Computer and Information Security specialization is designed to improve your ability to lead, manage and direct diverse and challenging security projects throughout the global marketplace. You will explore best practices in forensic investigations and evidence handling, federal and state privacy, intellectual property, search and seizure process, and cyber-crime laws. You will also study current techniques in data preservation, identification and extraction, and perform forensic analysis of systems using popular examination tool-kits.
General Degree Requirements
Admission to the DBA program requires a master's degree from an accredited institution.
The DBA program may be completed in 54 credits. The University may accept a maximum of 9 semester credit hours in transfer toward the doctoral degree for graduate coursework completed at an accredited college or university with a grade of "B" or better.
Completion Period for Doctoral Degrees
Northcentral University allows 7 years to complete all doctoral programs of 60 credits or less. Normal time to complete varies depending upon course take rate and credits transferred in.
Foundational Competencies for DBA Programs
- Graduate-Level Research Methods Competency - DBA students are required to complete BTM7102 and BTM7103, BTM7109 and either BTM7108 or BTM7106 at Northcentral.
- Graduate-Level Statistics Competency - DBA students are required to complete BTM7104 Business Statistics at Northcentral.
- Computer Competency - Doctoral students are required to have computer skills necessary for completing a dissertation. Students must be able to prepare documents using advanced word processing skills (e.g., creation of tables and figures, headers and footers, page breaks, tables of contents, hanging indents). Students must use computer programs for the statistical analysis of data (e.g., SAS). Students must produce a computer-based presentation (e.g., PowerPoint) for their dissertation oral presentation.
Course Length
All new students enrolling in the Doctor of Business Administration program are automatically enrolled in courses that are eight weeks in length. All eight-week courses are indicated by a "-8" (dash eight) at the end of the course code.
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
Specialization Course 1 | ||
BTM7102, BTM7102-8 | Business Research Methodology | This Doctoral level course provides students with an overview of the research process, and an opportunity to learn about business research methodology and the components of a dissertation. The course will also provide the student with the opportunity to identify and develop a research topic, define a research problem, describe the purpose of the research study, and establish associated research question(s). The student will prepare a Topic Paper and a preliminary annotated bibliography for the dissertation topic in the Signature Assignment. |
Specialization Course 2 | ||
BTM7103, BTM7103-8 | Research Design | In this course, the Student acquires the basic skills necessary for the interpretation and application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. The student will examine the formal research process carefully, with an emphasis on practical applications and skill development. Critical concepts and principles intrinsic to research paradigms, study designs, and methods of inquiry are presented to empower the students ability to formulate and respond to research questions. The resources listed below from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center are critical resources throughout the whole research process students are highly encouraged to become deeply familiar with the resources from the Northcentral University Dissertation Center. |
Specialization Course 3 | ||
Specialization Course 4 | ||
BTM7106, BTM7106-8 | Quantitative Research Design | Quantitative Research Design - Prerequisites :BTM7102, BTM7104 A few months prior to this course, students must consult with their Academic Advisors to consider whether the alternate course on Qualitative Research Design (BTM7108/BTM7108-8) might better suit their plans for a dissertation. This course is an examination of qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, mixed methods, and case studies. |
Specialization Course 5 | ||
BTM7109, BTM7109-8 | Planning Dissertation Research in Business | Students in this course will begin the process of writing a dissertation for a research or professional doctorate. The course will address the University dissertation process and aids to successfully complete a dissertation, including self-care and time management. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
BTM7101, BTM7101-8 | Foundations for Doctoral Study In Business | This course is an orientation to Northcentral University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a doctoral degree in Business. Doctoral level skills, such as academic integrity, time management, effective use of the Northcentral Library, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and APA form and style in professional communication are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a better understanding of personal goals, strengths, and challenges, and a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations. |
MGT7019, MGT7019-8 | Ethics in Business | No longer are ethics and social responsibility, including the green movement, something organizations can ignore or do "if they have funding left over at the end of the year. Ethics are required by local, state and federal legislation and today, more than ever, stakeholders at organizations are being held accountable for their actions and societal harm. Doctoral students in this course, through a series of essays and papers, will learn about current laws and their application to business; and how to maintain an ethical perspective within the context of a global framework. |
SKS7000, SKS7000-8 | Doctoral Comprehensive Strategic Knowledge Studies | Students will analyze and apply knowledge in 12 business areas necessary to address a wide variety of business-related situations. The focus of the course is demonstrating core proficiencies in the following business areas: Marketing, Business Finance, Accounting, Management, Legal Environment of Business, Economics, Business Ethics, Global Dimensions of Business, Information Systems, Quantitative Techniques and Statistics, Leadership, and Business Applications. The intent is not to introduce these core business concepts, but rather to verify a graduate-level threshold competency within each. The course includes a comprehensive case study that will allow students to demonstrate their competency within all 12 professional component areas. |
BTM7104, BTM7104-8 | Statistics I | This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the doctoral student. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the Student understand statistical methodology used in education, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
CIS7002-8 | Organizations Corporate Computer and Network Security | This course will introduce the Doctoral student to critical security concepts that organizational executives need to understand. It will examine vulnerabilities such as sabotage, financial fraud, electronic attacks, blended attacks, and other malicious activity that must be understood, with policy being developed to minimize these attacks. In addition, this course will give students the opportunity to review countermeasures, such as access controls and biometrics, and finally to develop a security plan to protect the organization. |
CIS7003-8 | Cyber Forensics | In this doctoral level course, Learners will be introduced to the field of advanced cyber forensics. Learners will have the opportunity to review various tools, techniques and steps needed for a successful forensic investigation. In addition, Learners will examine various legal regulations that impact the collection of data, the importance of federal rules of evidence, and the critical requirement of evidence admissibility in a court of law. |
CIS7004-8 | Foundations of Systems Certification and Accreditation | This course examines the guidelines for understanding, building and evaluating a successful organizational certification and accreditation program. This course examines several aspects of the certification and accreditation processes which include the necessary phases, system security plans, risk assessment, security procedures, certification testing, and documentation of accreditation decisions. The coordination of security for interconnected systems will also be examined to assist in applying best practices in the system certification and accreditation processes. |
CIS7005-8 | Critical Infrastructure Protection, Information Warfare, and Cyber Terrorism | This course will examine critical infrastructure protection of Information warfare and its impacts and in the evolving U.S. policy response to attacks. Analyze Cyber terrorism which is an emerging new mode of information warfare underscoring the perpetrators' deliberate exploitation of civilian and military systems' inherent vulnerabilities, thereby affecting national and global security. |
CIS7006-8 | Foundations of Computer Network Auditing | This Doctoral level course will enable students to analyze the foundations of Information Technology (IT) auditing and control. Students will evaluate the role of IT governance and how it may apply to new and existing systems. This course will help students to understand application system life cycle risks, analyze auditing of global IT operations, and assess the legal environment and how organizations conduct due care and follow best practices when auditing IT systems. |
CIS7007-8 | Information Security and Outsourcing Computer Systems | This doctoral course evaluates the risks related to information technology (IT) outsourcing, exploring how to recognize, examine, minimize, and manage these risks. The costs and benefits in the areas of IT today, namely outsourcing and security will be examined. The students will be able to successfully analyze the tangible and intangible costs and benefits associated with outsourcing and off shoring IT and information security functions, which will in turn assist in making business and technical decisions. |
CIS7008-8 | Advanced Risk Management in Information Assurance and Security | The challenges associated with assessing and implementing computer security are a global issue. In this course, an overview of the subject of information technology system security will be presented including further understanding the nature of risk and its application to information system security, threats, and vulnerabilities. |
CIS7010-8 | Disaster Recovery and Contingency Planning for the Security Professional | The attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 (9/11), brought organizational disaster recovery strategy into the spotlight. In this Doctoral level course, a thorough strategy to guide students with the background knowledge and skills they need to develop effective disaster prevention and recovery capabilities in various organizations will be examined. Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the principles of disaster recovery planning for physical security consideration, host applications, and network security measures. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
DIS9401B | Doctoral Dissertation Research I | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the professional doctorate degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral presentation. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least once a month. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9402B | Doctoral Dissertation Research II | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the professional doctorate degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral presentation. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least once a month. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9403B | Doctoral Dissertation Research III | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the professional doctorate degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral presentation. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least once a month. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9404B | Doctoral Dissertation Research IV | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the professional doctorate degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral presentation. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least once a month. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
At Northcentral University, we pride ourselves in being completely transparent when it comes to tuition and fees. We have adopted an all-inclusive tuition model that gives you the cost of your Doctor of Business Administration tuition and fees in one flat program rate*. The only additional cost above your DBA program rate is books. Learn more about the NCU’s DBA costs below:
- Per credit cost: $829
- Per 3 credit course cost: $2,487
- Program cost: $44,766
- Average book cost per course: $150
- Application Fee: $0
- Technology Fee: $0
- Registration Fee: $0
Click here to learn more about payment and financing options.
*Program rates are subject to change and generally increase at the start of each calendar year.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about our students, it’s that they are motivated and ambitious—but they are also busy! At Northcentral University, we’ve designed our education experience to work with you, not against you, so you can achieve your academic goals without sacrificing the quality, flexibility and support you need to be successful.
- Regionally Accredited
- No Physical Residency Requirements
- One-to-One Teaching
- 100% Doctoral Faculty
- Flexibility of Online Learning
- University Resources
To learn more, request information or call 1-866-776-0331 or start a live chat to speak with an enrollment advisor today. We offer new courses every Monday of the year so you can get started when it’s best for you.
