Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é

The National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have designated The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. The designation is given to four-year colleges and universities that have extensive coursework in information assurance as a means to increase the number of professionals with computer security experience and to help protect the national information infrastructure.

In January 2009, UTEP established the Center for Information Assurance under the Department of  to promote education and research in computer and information security and other related fields. Later that year, the Committee on National Security Systems certified the center's curriculum as meeting its national standards by using already existing graduate courses and providing research opportunities to students.

The center, directed by Luc Longpré, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science, has applied to offer a graduate certificate in information assurance at UTEP. Upon approval, students pursuing a master's degree in information technology can earn the certification by completing a five-course program.

"Information Assurance issues are gaining critical importance because of network attacks, company insiders' threats and increased availability of information," Longpre said. "The need for information assurance professionals is growing, and UTEP is helping address this need with a graduate certificate in information assurance, and by including information assurance topics in other programs."

With the designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence, students majoring in various information assurance-related fields are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Program and the Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service Program.