After years of research, preparation and planning, two new degree programs in Cybersecurity and Criminal Justice began classes this week at Oklahoma Christian University.
While the programs are located within different colleges, Professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Science Curtis Coleman said many required skills between the two overlap, and students from both majors will soon meet together for classes such as Introduction to Forensics.
“We have a Forensics class, which is the legal part of what do you do with the evidence that you are collecting,” Coleman said. “You are trying to decide how did this crime occur, what evidence do you have and how do you present this evidence to a court of law. That requires some extra work—you can’t just copy the evidence because anybody can change it. You have to learn how to encrypt that evidence, and then back to the criminal justice world, how to use it to prosecute a criminal.”
Coleman said approximately 20 upperclassman students have enrolled in his Introduction to Cybersecurity course. Freshmen and sophomore students who are cybersecurity majors must first build a foundational background in computer science before enrolling in the class, Coleman said.
According to Coleman, a primary goal of his and Director of Computer Science Advancement David North’s is to build a hands-on program which prepares students to take a cybersecurity certification exam by their senior year. Those who graduate with this certification will see increased employment prospects and earning potential as they enter the workforce, he said.
Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice Sid Brown is teaching two courses to an inaugural class of 12 criminal justice majors this semester. Brown worked as a juvenile parole officer, private practice lawyer and district court judge before becoming a Criminal Justice professor at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Similar to the cybersecurity program, Brown said he wants criminal justice students to graduate with real world, hands-on experience, making them competitive as they prepare to enter the job market. With deep connections in courtrooms and private practice offices in Oklahoma, Brown said several of his former students at Central Oklahoma secured competitive internships and post-graduation jobs with his assistance.
“I require internships,” Brown said. “Hopefully, [the College of Liberal Arts] will approve it from optional to mandatory. It gives them a view of the world, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times an agency has liked a person, they have an opening and they’ll tell [graduating seniors], ‘We’ll hire you once you get out.’”
Now transitioning from a secular to faith-based teaching environment, Brown said he is excited to share his faith with students and approach the subject of criminal justice from a Christian worldview.
“It’s an exciting career with many facets to it, especially people in a Christian environment,” Brown said. “I think reading all the stories that happen every day about the police, or corrupt judges, or someone else, I don’t think there’s been a greater point in our history with the need for socially conscious, ethical people.”
Prior to officially entering his current role in April, Coleman served as vice president and chief information security officer for Seagate Technology in Oklahoma City. According to Coleman, he is looking forward to bringing some of the knowledge he gained at Seagate Technology to students at Oklahoma Christian.
“I found out a lot of students who graduate from college did not have the hands-on skills,” Coleman said. “So often times if I hired you, I found I had to go an additional step and train you and get you certified before you’re actually able to do the jobs. David agreed immediately that what we want to build here is a cybersecurity program where it’s not head knowledge, it’s actually getting your hands in there like the engineers do.”
0
0
Be First to Comment