Certificate in Information Technology, Data Analytics and Cybersecurity
In addition to the M.S. in Information Technology (MSIT) degree, we offer IT certificate programs that can be acquired separately from the Master’s program. The Certificate in IT Management, Certificate in Data Analytics, and Certificate in Cybersecurity are 4-course, affordable options for professionals looking to build specialized skills in these specific areas.
Students who wish to transfer these courses into the MSIT program may do so, subject to academic limits as outlined in the University's Graduate Academic Policies. Students must first apply and be admitted to the MSIT program and then formally request the transfer.
Admission Requirements
Candidates for admission to the IT Management, Data Analytics, or Cybersecurity certificate programs should submit a complete application portfolio at least 45 days prior to the start of the term. Admission decisions are based on a review of the following materials in the candidate’s file:
- Completed Admission Application and non-refundable application fee
- Official Transcript(s) from a regionally accredited college or university verifying the applicant’s bachelor’s degree with an acceptable GPA if the degree was not earned at California Lutheran University
- Graduate Program Advisement with an admission counselor
At a minimum, all students entering the certificate programs need to have completed the following courses which are pre-requisites into the program:
- Java/Object Oriented Programming
- Business Statistics
- Enterprise Management, Organization, and Strategy (IT Management Certificate only)
These courses are offered at Cal Lutheran (and are not part of the certificate program). Relevant work experience in the IT field will also be considered.
An undergraduate degree in information systems, business, computer science, engineering, math, physics, and other natural sciences or related fields is required for admission to the program. Students with other backgrounds will be considered based on their work experience and/or completion of pre-requisite courses as noted above.
International students (who have completed a degree outside of the US) need to submit English proficiency requirements such as TOEFL of minimum 88 or IELTS of minimum 6.5.
Program Completion Time
The certificate can be completed in as little as six months, and is based on a sequence of four 3-unit graduate courses for a total of twelve credits. This requires enrollment for at least two terms, based on 11-week term schedules. The completion time does not account for any pre-requisite courses a student may need.
Certificate in IT Management
The Certificate in IT Management focuses on the managerial aspects of information technology and is suitable for students who would like to become IT Managers, IT Project Managers, IT Consultants, IT Strategists, Chief Information Officers (CIO), or Chief Technology Officers (CTO), among others.
You will be prepared to create IT strategies that support the business, innovate with IT, and manage projects, as well as develop and maintain the IT architecture and infrastructure of an organization.
Specifically, by completing the certificate program in IT Management, students will be able to:
- Understand the methods used to design and implement IT solutions in modern organizations
- Learn how to manage IT strategically in order to gain or sustain competitive advantage and business value
- Design the IT governance, architecture and infrastructure in modern organizations
- Learn about project management phases, knowledge areas, tools and techniques and their applications
- Strategically manage emergent technologies in modern organizations
| Take these two required courses: | ||
| IT 508 | Information Technology Management | 3 |
| IT 512 | Project Management | 3 |
| Take two elective courses from the following: | ||
| IT 509 | Data Management | 3 |
| IT 510 | Software Planning and Development | 3 |
| IT 511 | Data Communications and Networking | 3 |
| IT 513 | Information Security | 3 |
| IT 514 | Distributed Systems | 3 |
| IT 520 | IT Strategy and Business Value | 3 |
| IT 521 | Healthcare Information Technologies | 3 |
| IT 522 | Enterprise Systems | 3 |
| IT 523 | IT Architecture and Infrastructure | 3 |
| IT 524 | Emergent Technologies and Issues | 3 |
| IT 582 | Special Topic | 3 |
| IT 599 | IT Project | 3 |
Certificate in Data Analytics
Data analytics is the systematic analysis and interpretation of data using various computational and statistical tools in order to support decision-making based on the scientific method.
This program will prepare you to create, develop and implement data models as well as work with big data sets using a real-world data cluster managed in-house to derive insights and make recommendations.
Specifically, by completing the certificate program in Data Analytics, students will be able to:
- Understand the general framework surrounding data management, analytics and big data
- Assess organizational data and information requirements and construct data models
- Develop an ability to effectively clean, manipulate and visualize large volumes of data
- Apply machine learning and statistical tools to big data sets
- Make data-driven decisions based on analytics techniques
- Write professional reports and present findings to target audiences
| Take this required course: | ||
| IT 509 | Data Management | 3 |
| Take three courses from the following: | ||
| IT 530 | Principles of Data Analytics | 3 |
| IT 531 | Data Analytics | 3 |
| IT 532 | Data Warehouse/Bus Intelligence | 3 |
| IT 533 | Big Data Technologies | 3 |
| IT 582 | Special Topic | 3 |
| IT 599 | IT Project | 3 |
Certificate in Cybersecurity
The Certificate in Cybersecurity will prepare students to devise strategies and protect organizational assets from cyberattacks.
This program is suitable for students who would like to become Cybersecurity Analysts, Threat Analysts, Cybersecurity Auditors, Cybersecurity Risk Managers, or Cyber Forensics Analysts, among others.
After completing the certificate program in Cybersecurity, students will be able to assess information security risks and develop and implement solutions to protect organizational systems from cyber threats through offensive and defensive planning and incident response.
| Take this required course: | ||
| IT 513 | Information Security | 3 |
| Take three courses from the following: | ||
| IT 540 | Digital Forensics | 3 |
| IT 542 | Ethical Hacking | 3 |
| IT 544 | Cloud Security | 3 |
| IT 546 | Cybersecurity Risk Management | 3 |
| IT 582 | Special Topic | 3 |
| IT 599 | IT Project | 3 |