Richland College Digital Forensics Program: Program Development and Improvement

Richland College, the only Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance 2-Year Education and Training (CAE/2Y) in Texas, is expanding its Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree Digital Forensics and Information Assurance (DF/IA) program to address a critical nationwide need for as many as 65,000 new specialists in cybersecurity. More specialists are needed to prevent and investigate threats to the national cyber infrastructure such as theft of data, disabling of networks, and communications disruptions. The project objectives are: to develop a model on ground and online curriculum; to implement a replicable strategy to create awareness of cybersecurity careers among elementary and secondary school teachers, guidance counselors, students, and parents; to shape articulation agreements and other transfer models with universities (especially CAE/IAE institutions); and to create a learning model that helps military veterans earn AAS degrees in DF/IA and advance into technician-level careers and/or further education at universities.