Certificates

Rogers State University’s Certificate in Career, Technology & Education (CTE) certificate prepares learners to enter this workforce with additional technology and in-demand soft skills.

The CTE Certificate is embedded in RSU’s Bachelor of Technology in Applied Technology, as such all credits earned as part of the CTE Certificate transfer into the bachelor's and associates degrees should a learner wish to return to RSU to further their education. Additionally, once the CTE Certificate is conferred by RSU, students will receive preferential hiring status by MidAmerica Industrial Park (MAIP) industry Eligible Educational and Training Provider (EELP).

Why Choose this Certificate?

The CTE certificate is designed to meet educational and career goals in business principles, skilled trades, applied sciences, and modern technologies. These careers are some of the most difficult to fill in the United States with recent Department of Labor (DOL) data citing more than 1 million jobs open in these sectors and 315,000 jobs open in manufacturing.

Middle-skills employment that require education and training beyond high school but less than a bachelor’s degree are a significant part of overall economic growth. The Labor Department estimates that of the 55 million job openings created by 2020, 30 percent will require some college or a two-year associate degree.

Fast Facts

The Certificate in Career, Technology, & Education from Rogers State University is designed for those who want additional technology, soft-skills, and internships prior to entering workforce without enrolling in a college degree plan.

• Designed for high school sophomores about to enter their junior year.
• Most internships during senior year are paid.
• MidAmerica Industrial Park has generously provided$15,000 annually in scholarships for this program, making it free to all concurrently enrolled students.
• Jobs at the MidAmerica Industrial Park pay a living wage to graduates with this certificate.

Program Requirements

• Admission to RSU as either a concurrently enrolled or traditional student.
• Interview and acceptance by at least one (1) designated MAIP EELP.
• 18 years of age before or at start of IT 2500 Cooperative Education in Information Technology and/or TECH 2090 Field Internship.
• Must complete 21 credit hours with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
• Complete program of study within two (2) years of acceptance.

Certificate Degree Planner

Curriculum Pathway

• Fall Semester I
  • CS 1113 Microcomputer Applications (Basic Computer Proficiency)
  • ENGL 1113 Composition I (Fundamental Communication Skills – Written and Verbal)
• Spring Semester I
  • BADM 3113 Business Communications (Soft Skills)
  • TECH 3013 Leadership and Decision-Making Skills (Critical Thinking)
• Fall Semester II
  • OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Cert. via RSUworks (General Safety)
  • TECH 2060 Special Projects (Advanced work place skills related to a learner’s career goals)
• Spring Semester II
  • MGMT 3013 Principles of Management (Business and Ethics Principles)
  • TECH 2090 Field Internship or IT 2500 Cooperative Education in Information Tech (Internship)

RSU’s Certificate in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance❖ allows students to compete for some of the nation’s most in-demand jobs, while providing a well-rounded education.

The cybersecurity and information assurance industry stands on the front line to protect computer networks for government offices and private industry alike.

Why Choose this Certificate?

The U.S. Department of Labor reports the median annual wage for information security practitioners was $90,120 in May 2015. Employment in the sector is projected to grow 18% from 2014 to 2024, which is substantially faster than the average for all occupations. (Source: Department of Labor, 2015)

The college coursework as part of RSU’s Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Certificate can transfer into RSU’s bachelor degree programs in Applied Technology, Business Information Technology and more for those who want to pursue a college degree.

Fast Facts

• Cyber risks continue to grow at alarming rates, especially in an environment where more and more devices and products are connected to the outside world. By 2020, there are expected to be more than 200 billion connected devices.
• A recent study showed that a hacker attack on computers with Internet access occurs every 39 seconds.
• Nearly 60 million Americans have been affected by identity theft, with more than 15 million of those occurring last year.
• There currently are more than 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the U.S., with more than 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions around the world expected by 2021.

Stringent Standards

Instructional courses are part of the Information Systems Security & Assurance Curriculum (ISSA series) as confirmed by the Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation (IACE) Program at the National Security Agency (NSA). IACE approval requires that courses meet all of the elements of the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) National Training Standard. RSU’s courses presented in this certificate via ISSA series have been validated for two specific standards:

• Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professionals, NSTISSI No. 4011, and
• System Administrators, CNSSI No. 4013 Advanced Level

These standards are based on the CNSS course certifications and designation of Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IA) sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Additionally, upon successful program completion, students will be prepared to take the CompTIA Security+ that meets the ISO 17024 standard and is approved by U.S. Department of Defense to fulfill Directive 8570.01-M requirements.

Program Requirements

Certificate  Degree Planner 

Curriculum Pathway

• IT 1411 – Orientation to Computer Technology (1 credit hour)
  The student will be introduced to such varied topics as common IT terminology, career planning, basic programming logic, ethics, and other IT issues. The Business Information Technology portfolio project will also be discussed.
• IT 2143 – Introduction to Networking (3 credit hours)
  Explores the theory and terminology of both local and wide area computer networks and their proper application to business and industry problems.
• IT 2153 – Network Operating Systems 1 (3 credit hours)
  A popular operating system will be covered in detail. A study of components, functions, and relationships of computer operating systems and their interactions with user programs will be offered.
• IT 3333 – Cybersecurity Investigation (3 credit hours)
  Hand-on laboratory based application of Cybersecurity investigation utilizing common techniques and methods, hardware and software applications, in digital evidence collection, extraction, and recovery in accordance with legal standards of evidence as well as ethical implications of forensics methods.
• IT 4353 – Information Assurance & Security Management (3 credit hours)
  An investigation of information assurance and security with an emphasis on the identification, assessment, and management of risks and threats to information security and privacy in the digital business environment. Mitigating measures are also explored.
• IT 4373 – Information Assurance Regulation & Ethics (3 credit hours)
  An investigation into the law, policy, standards, and ethics concerning the digital resources of the business environment.
• IT 4443 – Fundamentals of Information Security (3 credit hours)
  This course will introduce students to computing systems, which rely on networking and cybersecurity best practices for organizational network defenses. In so doing, students will learn how to use Nessus and other software to configure a scan policy and identify targets to scan as well as gain unauthorized file system access on a Windows Server, create a destructive virus with the potential to destroy or cripple an operating system and deliver and launch a Trojan on another system. In today’s technologically advanced business organizations, these abilities are required in order to construct solid defenses to protect against such attacks.

❖ This degree is offered online.