Academic Program Proposal

Date Proposal Activated	Institution and Proposal	Degree Awarded	Academic Program Name	Objection Deadline	MHEC Final Action	Final Decision Date
	SANS Technology Institute Proposal	Master of Science (M.S.)	Substantial Modification to Information Security Engineering	9/29/2018	Recommended	10/16/2018
Substantial Modification to Information Security Engineering Program Description
This proposal of substantial modification is the result of minor program modifications which have occurred over time since 2014, which have been collectively assessed by STI, MHEC, and MSCHE during our recent self-study and reaffirmation of accreditation, and which have, in the estimation of both STI and MHEC, reached the cumulative threshold of substantive change. <br> <br>The program leading to a Master of Science in Information Security Engineering (MSISE) is a 36-credit hour, graduate level program comprised of an integrated mix of technical and management courses which include faculty instruction, research, projects, assessments, and simulations that progressively develop the capabilities required by a technically proficient leader in information security engineering.  It was initially established and approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission in 2005. The program is designed to be completed in three years by full-time, working professionals who have at least a year or more of experience in information technology, information security, or audit.  It is not meant as an introduction to the information security field, but as a program that will advance the capabilities and careers of individuals who are already employed in the field. Students are often supported in the program by their employer and most expect to stay employed by their current employer after graduation.  While the program cannot be completed entirely at-a- distance, most of the courses are offered in multiple formats, allowing an individual student the option to take more than 50% of the program at-a-distance using one or more of our online modalities, or, conversely, to take 50% or more of the program in-classroom at our residential institute events that are comprised of 36-47 hours of intensive instruction by our faculty over five to six days. There are formal ‘focus areas’ available, whereby students may make elective choices that coincide with the areas of  Blue Team Operations, Penetration Testing, Digital Forensics and Incident Response, Enterprise Security Management, and Industrial Control Systems. <br>