Curriculum

This page lists the course requirements leading to the MS degree in Digital Forensic Management as of June, 2011. Courses listed here are subject to change.

Course Name

Total: 36 Credits

Course descriptions:

Integrated and Reflective Practice (MBA 500)

Taught through a required residency experience, this course provides the basis of both the philosophy and the professional development perspective used in all subsequent management courses. Students will complete a thorough, multi-dimensional self-assessment that culminates in a personal learning road map to guide their journey through the entire graduate program. The emphasis of the content will be on the importance of work practice and experience as a basis for management development and on the use of experience for personal and organizational learning. Short case studies will also address the integration of learning through the six Areas of Practice: Global, Organizational & Personal Values-Based Leadership; Innovation through Information; Financial and Economic Resources; Customers, Markets, Sales and Marketing; Human Resources and Organizational Relationships; and Measurement and Process Improvement.

The Practice of Digital Investigations (DIM 500)

The foundation for this program of study, this course introduces the principles that are essential to the management of digital investigations, providing a framework that includes technical, legal and managerial issues. Students will examine the mission of digital investigations from the various perspectives of the public and private sectors, including digital forensics in support of activities ranging from internal corporate investigations, responses to information security incidents, and policy auditing to third-party investigations, criminal investigations, and anti-terrorism information gathering — and discussing the imperatives of each. As relevant, the impact of international and cultural issues, as well as geopolitics, will be an essential part of class discussion. A moral, ethical and legal framework will also be explored and developed, which can be used as a template for future courses. The capacity to make decisions based on organizational and personal values with which to pursue organizational goals will be explored.

Process Improvement and Operations (MBA 525)

This course approaches an organization’s operations and processes from both the initial design and continuous improvement perspectives. Students will develop the ability to define, design and improve business processes; something now considered to be one of the most frequently cited skills for today’s workplace. Special attention will be given to the linkage between operational and process improvement metrics to those based upon financial, economic and accounting information. This linkage cannot be overemphasized, as skills developed in this course provide a foundation for economic modeling and planning. The sum of this will help define models of broad and optimized organizational performance measures such as scorecard-type approaches. Among the areas of practice included are the governance of financial resources, the innovative use of operational data and the economics of improvement programs.

Project Management (MIT 505)

This course is designed to introduce a systematic process for planning, organizing and controlling projects based on a practical methodology for completing projects more quickly with fewer problems. Students will develop and apply a framework within which to better manage projects, exercise both hard and soft project management skills, and affect organizational culture toward acceptance of project management. Areas of emphasis include an array of principles, methods, tools and techniques that can be applied to any type or size of project and in any organization. Course content is aligned with the Project Management Institute (PMI) processes and knowledge areas but will center on the process of project management. The course provides a perspective that is integrative, first through its concept of end-to-end thinking which will be applied to the project management processes and, as well, to the business processes of a project’s clients. Areas of practice addressed include the measurement and improvement of processes, the application to customer and marketing management, and financial decision making.

Financial Decision Making for Management (MIT 525)

This course is an introduction to the basic financial principles and tools required for organizational management. Students will develop the ability to respond to the concerns and motivations of the financial community or financial stakeholders which are important constituencies of any enterprise that ultimately impact the flow of money to every organization. Specific emphasis will be placed on the topics of understanding costs, the time value of money, economic analysis techniques, and methods of evaluating business proposals. The intent is to provide the learner with a “tool box” of practical, useful personal tools that will support the decision-making process when business projects are being assessed. The course integrates well with the areas of practice that include performance measurement, process improvement and the need to be innovative in the application of financial techniques.

IT Security and Management (MIT 530)

The security of information and information systems is inextricably linked to the operation and assets of any organization. Protecting the information network infrastructure is essential to protecting our businesses and organizations. This course provides the essentials of IT security from a management perspective. It examines the processes of security, including information assurance, privacy, backup and recovery, and disaster preparedness. This course provides an overview of information security processes for managers. Students will examine methodologies for implementing security, security policies, best current practices, privacy, backup/recovery, disaster preparedness and incident response. The outcome of this process is a strategic security plan.

Legal Aspects of Digital Investigations (DIM 530)

This course discusses advanced legal issues related to the seizure of digital devices. The course will review such laws as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFA), Electronic Communication Privacy Act (ECPA), and Privacy Protection Act (PPA), with particular attention paid to evolving decisional law surrounding the Fourth Amendment and device devices. Liaison to other agencies, laws of other countries, and international laws will also be examined. Issues related to trial preparation, presentation of digital evidence, use of expert witnesses, and providing testimony will be examined in detail. Special attention will be paid to jurisdictional differences related to digital investigations and cybercrime, particularly as they relate to rules of evidence; e.g., Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) compared with the different state standards based on Frye, Daubert, or other criteria. Students for this course will be expected to have basic familiarity with criminal law and procedure.

Laboratory Operation and Accreditation (DIM 550)

This course discusses practices and issues related to the management of a computer forensics lab for either the public or private sector. Topics will include best practices in lab operation, case management, and evidence management and storage; maintaining proficiency, personnel training and certification; and development of policies and procedures. Accreditation from organizations such as the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) and compliance with standards such as ISO 17025 will be discussed, including the pros and cons, cost, and process of compliance, impact on employees and processes, etc.

Digital Investigation for Civil Litigation (DIM 560)

The course introduces principles of digital investigations that are specific to civil litigation. While litigation support services typically utilize many of the same tools, processes and procedures as public sector criminal investigations, private sector use of computer forensics frequently involves issues that the public sector does not often consider, such as data recovery and restoration, erasure of media and electronic discovery. Students will examine case studies of public sector digital investigations to compare with private sector methodologies.

Research Methodology (DIM 570)

This course provides an overview of the research process from the experimental, developmental and evaluative perspectives. Techniques for planning and designing these different types of projects, as well as the methodologies for data collection, evaluation, and analysis are examined. Students will gain an understanding of related statistical measures. The development of conclusions based on the data analysis in terms of predefined hypotheses and/or project goals and objectives will also be discussed.

Legal Issues for Management (DIM 580)

This course will address the legal — and ethical — issues related to operating public and private sector organizations. Topics will include public and private sector labor law, regulations and policies governing personal information, as well as personnel, medical, financial, and other records (e.g., Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act [FERPA], Gramm-Leach-Bliley, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA], and Sarbanes-Oxley [SOX]), applying for and administering grants from public and private sources, and reporting and neutrality requirements. Human resource issues related to hiring and managing employees and consultants will also be covered.

Integrative Capstone Project (DIM 590)

This course will provide students with the opportunity to integrate all disciplines and competencies that have been learned in this program into a single work-based project, internship experience, or other appropriate activity. The project will be the culmination of a student's studies integrated in their area of specialization or expertise. In cooperation with an advisor, the student will design, research and implement a project that is comprehensive in nature and which addresses, to the extent feasible, all core areas of knowledge around which the program has been built.