Overview

Georgia Tech is the only university of its class that is NSA-Certified and offers a true Master of Science in Information Security (MS InfoSec) in an online distance-learning format.

The College of Computing offers the degree in collaboration with the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs in the College of Liberal Arts. The 18 month program operates in conjunction with the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC). Students must apply to the program through the College of Computing.

Georgia Tech has been selected by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance. Today, there are only about 88 college institutions with this accreditation.

Working professionals and others who may not be able to attend the full-time program offered at our Georgia Tech Atlanta campus may now apply for the MS InfoSec distance learning program, which begins fall 2010.  Students enrolled will be able to access the same course content and hands on projects of their on-campus Atlanta counterparts, deepening their understanding of subdisciplines including:

• Cryptography
• Systems
• Software and network security
• Security policies and strategies.
  

Access to a dedicated information security laboratory will allow students to complete projects that help master underlying concepts and develop practical skills in secure information systems.

All students will receive a common grounding by taking courses in a fixed core. These courses will provide the students with a foundational knowledge of current information security theory and practice. Subsequent focused concentrations will then allow students to pursue either a primarily technical path or a policy path.

Technical or Policy Concentrations

The MS Information Security degree provides students with background and insight into important elements before concentrating on either the technical specifics or policy issues of information security. These unique, interdisciplinary strengths of computing and policy are at the core of our Information Security program. The general knowledge aspects of the program touch on the impact of information security on our lives, private citizens' concern for privacy, information security risks to business and government, and the impact of laws and public policy.

The technical concentration examines the dimensions of providing security for information processing systems, including secure operating systems and applications, network security, cryptography, and security protocols.

The policy concentration focuses on the many non-technical possibilities of information processing and security, including domestic and international policy processes, organizational routines and innovation, risk perception, industry-government relations, and the constitutional framework for governmental actions.