The Business Information Assurance (BIA) certificate program prepares students to perform critical activities needed to properly manage an organization’s assets related to a wide range of information security / privacy threats.  Training related to effective managerial methodologies has become increasingly important in planning for possible breaches of security and handling resulting problems.  The program requires completion of 12 semester credit hours specified for this program.  Current graduate students may pursue this program while also seeking an MSBA or MBA degree.  Current MIS graduate students may be able to count all the certificate courses toward and MSBA degree, if approved by their Masters’ advisor.  Non-degree seeking graduate students must meet the admissions requirements of the University and College. 

Curriculum

The certificate program requires completion of 12 semester credit hours, as follows:

Six hours (two courses) from this group

• MIS 7455 – Cyber Ethics in Information Technology*

• MIS 7670 – Computer and Network Security

• ACCT 6241 – Auditing and Assurance

• ACCT 7241 – Internal Auditing

*COMP 7900 – Cyber Ethics may be substituted for MIS 7455

Six hours (two courses) from this group:

• MIS 7160 – Computer Hardware/System Software

• MIS 7615 – Data Communications Systems/Networking

• ACCT 7420 – Accounting Databases/Systems

• CJUS 6180 – Corporate/White Collar Crime

To obtain the certificate, a student must complete all four of the required courses with an average grade of 3.0 (B) or higher, for a total of 12 credits.

Admission Requirements

The certificate program in Business Information Assurance may be pursued concurrently with other graduate programs at the University of Memphis.  To be approved for the program, students currently admitted to a graduate program at this University must complete an application form and submit it and a current graduate transcript to the Department of Management Information Systems for review. 

 Non-degree seeking graduate students may also pursue this certificate program of study. To be approved for the program, these students must submit evidence of this non-degree-seeking graduate student status, along with the completed application form, to the Department of Management Information Systems for review.  

Admission to this certificate program is not an implied acceptance into any master’s degree program in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics.

Course Description

MIS 7455 - Cyber Ethics in IT (3)

Business ethics and computer ethics issues and concepts in an online environment, including relevant topics such as privacy, freedom of expression, intellectual property, software development and testing, and related IT management decisions. PREREQUISITE: 9 hours of graduate credit or permission of instructor.

MIS 7670 - Comp/Network Security (3)

Ancient and modern cryptology and ciphers; security problems in computing; basic encryption and decryption; public-key cryptography, notions of security in computing environments; encryption, protocols; security from programs, OS's, databases, PC's, networks and communication; legal, ethical, and human factors in computer security. PREREQUISITE: permission of instructor; MATH 2701 recommended.

ACCT 6241 - Auditing and Assurance (3)

(0551). Auditing of computer-based accounting systems; emphasis on audit software and computer auditing techniques used to evaluate accounting system controls and test accounting data integrity; nature and use of expert systems in accounting with emphasis on their use as an audit tool. PREREQUISITE: ACCT 3120; PREREQUISITE OR COREQUISITE: ACCT 4240.

ACCT 7241 - Internal Auditing (3)

Authoritative internal audit standards, ethics of internal auditors, techniques of efficiency and effectiveness audits. PREREQUISITE: ACCT 4240.

MIS 7160 - Comp Hardware/Sys Software (3)

Introduction to the technology of computing; processor operation including fetch/execute, input/output, instruction types, interrupt handling, addressing schemes and multiprocessing; business systems software including operating systems from single-user single-task to multi-user multitask; major current operating systems.

MIS 7615 - Data Communication Systems/Networks (3)

Introduction to concepts and terminology of data communication, network design, and distributed information systems; topics include equipment protocols and architectures, transmission alternatives, the communications environment, regulatory issues, and network pricing and management.

ACCT 7420 - Acct Databases/Systems (3)

Accounting systems analysis and design; emphasis on database information structures; advanced system analysis tools; integrating accounting and computer controls; use of state-of-the-art database package leading to development of working accounting model; on-site practicum.

CJUS 6180 - Corp/White Collar Crime (3)

Organizational and occupational crime in comparison to other types of criminality; emphasis on causes, frequency, control, and social impact.