RICHARDSON, Texas (July 25, 2006) — In response to a growing industry demand for highly skilled workers trained in security and data protection, the Computer Science Department in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) this fall will begin offering a minor and certificate in the field of information assurance.

Courses in the new minor and the certificate program will complement curriculum in the Jonsson School’s CyberSecurity and Emergency Preparedness Institute.  The institute was created to deal with cyber crime, information assurance and emergency preparedness. 

The minor will require the completion of 33 credit hours in such courses as computer science, data structures, operating systems, databases, computer networks, network security and digital forensics, among others.

The certificate program will allow those who already have a degree or related work experience in computer science to gain additional training about issues concerning computer security and information assurance.  Earning the certificate requires the completion of three courses — as well as any required prerequisites — in data and applications security, computer and network security and digital forensics. 

“Given the wired world in which we live, there is an increasing — and always evolving — need for workers trained in the area of information protection and integrity,” said Dr. D.T. Huynh, a professor and head of the Jonsson School’s Computer Science Department.  “We are excited to offer these new curriculum choices to our existing students, as well as to those already working in the data security industry.”

UTD computer science classes offer students opportunities to prepare for an industrial, business or governmental career in a rapidly changing profession.  The university has expanded course offerings not only in information assurance, but also in the areas of cryptography, biometrics, intrusion detection, cyber security, network security, data mining and multimedia and emergency response information systems. 

For more information about the new minor or certificate, please visit the computer science course catalog at http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/ugcurrent/ugprograms/ecs-cs.html.

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls nearly 14,500 students.  The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores.  The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs.  For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.