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Contact us at 515-294-7256 or polsci@iastate.edu
FAX: 515-294-1003
James McCormick
Chair
Department of Political Science
503 Ross Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
Alex Tuckness
Director
Public Policy and Administration Program
Graduate Education
503 Ross Hall
515-294-8910
Dana Schumacher
Academic Advisor
557 Ross
|
MS in Information Assurance
The Masters of Science in Information Assurance (listed as "INFAS"
in the Iowa State catalog) is a multidisciplinary degree supported
by six departments from three Iowa State colleges. These are:
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Computer Science
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Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Logistics
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Operations and Management Information Systems
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Mathematics
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Because the Masters of Science in Information Assurance is a multidisciplinary
degree program and not a department, all students in the degree program
undertake their studies from a home department. If you choose Political
Science as your home department you will need to meet the listed MA
admission requirements found on the Political
Science MA page.
MS in InfAs
The Master of Science in Information Assurance (InfAs) degree program
is designed to provide students with diverse backgrounds and interests
the opportunity to obtain professional training in the emerging field
of information assurance. The core of the InfAs program is built around
a series of courses taught in Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Mathematics, and Computer Science that introduce students to software
and hardware aspects of cryptography and computer security.
The program also recognizes, however, that information assurance (defined
in terms of security, privacy, access, and reliability) is not simply
a technical problem but also involves important societal dimensions,
including policy, education, ethics, and management. Recognizing that
political science offers many potential intersections with information
assurance (e.g., public sector management of information technology;
forensics and computer crime; information technology policy and law;
information technology and international relations; information warfare;
etc.), students with interests in these areas are encouraged to select
the Department of Political Science as their home department.
Students opting to pursue a Master's degree in Information Assurance
through the Department of Political Science can expect to acquire
skills and background knowledge relevant to a career in public policy
or public sector management of information assurance technologies.
The InfAs degree can also help prepare students who wish to go on
to pursue a PhD in information politics and policy. Students interested
in the InfAs degree program should consider Political Science as a
home department if their future career and/or educational interests
lie in such areas as:
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constitutional issues related to the internet
and information technologies
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information technology, international security,
and information warfare
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information technology policy and law
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public administration and public sector management
of information technology
Students may choose from a variety of options in planning their program
of study depending on their specific goals. Courses are available
in the fields of American government, international relations, comparative
politics, political theory, constitutional law, public administration,
and public policy. Any of these courses might be relevant for a particular
student's program of study, depending on his or her specific academic
and career goals. Courses should be chosen in consultation with a
student's advisor, the course instructor, and the contact person for
the Political Science InfAs program. Not all political science courses
are offered every year. Students should take care to ensure that courses
relevant to their desired goals will be taught during their matriculation
at ISU.
Faculty
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Departmental Contact
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Affiliated Faculty and their areas of expertise
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James McCormick - International relations
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Steffen Schmidt - Politics of information
society; electronic democracy
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Alex Tuckness - Constitutional interpretation;
public law; ethics and public policy
Admission Requirements
for students with Political Science as their home department
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All relevant university, graduate college, and
InfAs entrance requirements
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Verbal and quantitative GRE scores (generally
waived for those with previous graduate degrees or with 5 years
of relevant professional experience)
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At least three letters of recommendation
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A 250-500 word statement outlining applicant's
reasons and plans for graduate study
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In addition to these requirements, a computer
TOEFL score of at least 230 is highly recommended.
Applications are normally processed on a year-round basis. Decisions
will be made as quickly as feasible once the applicant has submitted
all relevant materials. Decisions for financial assistance are generally
made in April for the following academic year.
Admission materials should be sent to the Graduate College. They will
be evaluated for approval by both the InfAs program and the Department
of Political Science.
Degree Requirements
for Students with Political Science as their home department
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All relevant university and graduate college
requirements.
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Consonant with the InfAs degree program, students
must take CprE 531 Computer Security (3 credits) and CprE 534X Ethical
and Legal Issues in Computer Security (3 credits).
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Students must take two of the following: InfAs
530 Advanced Computer Networking (3 credits); MIS 538 Business Processes
and Systems (3 credits); INFAS533 Cryptography (3 credits), and
one of the following: Political Science 487 Electronic Democracy
(3 credits) or Pol S 532X Managing IT in the Public Sector (3 credits).
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Students taking the thesis option must complete
6 credits of thesis research with their thesis advisor. Students
taking the non-thesis option must complete 3 credits of creative
component with their advisor.
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Students must complete 12 (thesis option) or
15 (non-thesis option) elective credits. Students in the Political
Science InfAs program will be expected to develop an appropriate
course of study, in consultation with their advisor, to achieve
their own particular academic and career goals in information assurance
and policy with these electives. This program must include two courses
in Political Science in addition to Pol S 487 or Pol S 532. One
of these courses may be an independent study. The total program
of study, including required courses, should total 30 credits.
Graduation Requirements
for Students with Political Science as their home department
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Core Requirements (6 credits)
InfAs 531 Computer Security (3 credits) -- Fall
InfAs 534 Ethical and Legal Issues in Computer Security (3 credits)
-- Spring
Note: Students need to know some basic programming (e.g., C,
C++) in many core, supplemental, and elective courses. Therefore,
they are strongly encouraged to take the following courses BEFORE
they start the program:
Com S 207 Programming I (strongly recommended)
Com S 208 Programming II (recommended)
Students are also recommended to take MIS 535 Data Telecommunication
or InfAs 530 Advanced Computer Networking before taking Cpr E 531.
Supplemental Core Requirements (9 credits)
Two of the following (6 credits):
InfAs 530 Advanced Computer Networking (3 credits,
strongly recommended)
MIS 538 Business Processes and Systems (3 credits)
InfAs 533 Cryptography (3 credits)
One of the following (3 credits):
Pol S 487X Cyber-politics (3 Credits)
Pol S 536X Managing IT in the Public Sector (3 credits)
Creative Component / Thesis (3 / 6 credits)
One of the following (3 or 6 credits):
Pol S 599 Creative component (3 credits)
Pol S 699 Thesis (6 credits)
Elective Requirements
(12 credits if a student writes a thesis, 15 credits if a student
does a creative component project.)
Students with Public IT Management Focus:
InfAs 532 Information Warfare (highly recommended)
Pol S 533X E-Government and Information Policy (highly recommended)
Pol S 536X Managing IT in the Public Sector (highly recommended)
Pol S 571 Organizational Theory
Pol S 575 Management in the Public Sector
Pol S 586 Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Pol S 580 Ethics and Public Policy
MIS 535 Data Telecommunication
MIS 533 Data Management for Decision Makers
MIS 534 Electronic Commerce
CprE 537 Wireless Network Security
CprE 592 Steganography and Watermarking
Students with Cyber-Policies / International Affairs Focus:
Pol S 453 International Organization
Pol S 504 Proseminar in International Politics
Pol S 552 Comparative Foreign Policy
Pol S 559 International Relations Theory
Pol S 581 International Political Economy
Pol S 590 Special Topic
Pol S 581 International Political Economy
Pol S 590E Special Topics
Pol S 610E Graduate Seminar in International Relations |
