13.3 Graduate Degree Programs 2017/2018

13.3 Graduate Degree Programs

13.3.1 Master of Arts in Biblical and Christian Studies

The Master of Arts in Biblical and Christian Studies is a program designed to enable students who have an undergraduate degree in the study of Christianity to continue their studies at the master’s level. This program is anchored in Concordia University of Edmonton’s mission to be “a community of learning grounded in scholarship, freedom, and the Christian faith, preparing students to be independent thinkers, ethical leaders, reflective servants in their occupations, and citizens for the common good.” Concordia University of Edmonton values “the importance of providing graduate education that engages students in creative research and that builds on, supports, and enlivens Concordia University of Edmonton’s research and undergraduate learning environments.”

We are looking for students who seek an informed, graduate-level understanding about the textual, historical, and theological issues at stake in Christianity.

A. Educational Objectives

Through graduate work followed by a thesis, students have the opportunity to study such areas in Christian Studies as Hebrew Scriptures, New Testament, Theology, History, and Philosophy. Graduates from this program will have a solid foundation for doctoral studies. They will also be able to pursue a range of career opportunities open to well-educated individuals who have the tools of critical and analytical scholarship. We intend that our graduates become knowledgeable leaders in educational and social institutions, as well as in churches.

The program has the following specific objectives:

• To provide students with advanced instruction in the academic study of Christianity
• To require students to be thoroughly conversant with the major scholarly contributions in their field.
• To develop in students the ability to conduct advanced research.
• To enable students to work independently and cooperatively with their peers and with professional academics in the field.
• To enable students to be skilled and effective communicators of their knowledge and research findings.
• To prepare students with the knowledge base and skills that will qualify them for a PhD program in a field of religion, theology, biblical studies, or Christian studies at universities offering such programs.
• To foster in students the highest ethical and professional standards, and to provide an educational experience that makes possible the transformation and deepening of insight, perspective, values, and direction for the student.

B. Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the Admission and General Admission requirements for the Faculty of Graduate Studies (refer to section 13.1.1), students applying to the Master of Arts in Biblical and Christian Studies program must meet the following requirements:

• An undergraduate degree from a recognised educational institution, normally a four year BA in Religious Studies or similar undergradaute field; applicants with a three-year Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies or other fields may be admitted to the program as Qualifying Graduate Students (see section 13.1.1.D.2).

  [Approved by General Faculties Council on May 12th, 2017]

• Students should complete 36 undergraduate credits in Religious Studies, usually including 6 credits in one of the following concentration areas: 1) Hebrew Scriptures, 2) New Testament, 3) Christian Theology/History.
• A minimum admission grade point average (AGPA) of 3.0 (on Concordia University of Edmonton’s 4-point scale) or equivalent on the most recent 60 credits of undergraduate (or graduate) study.
• Students must have completed six credits of a language other than English. Those students who intend to study Hebrew Scriptures will have completed Biblical Hebrew. Those students who intend to study New Testament will have completed Classical/Koine Greek. Those students who intend to study Historical and Theological aspects of Christianity will have completed one of Latin, French, or German. Students who do not have these requirements upon application to the program will have their cases reviewed by the Master’s Program Committee (MPC). That committee may prescribe placement exams or make-up courses.

Applicants must also submit the following with their applications:

• A recent written sample of work in the area of Biblical or Christian Studies, normally a research paper produced in the last two years of a BA program. Papers specifically prepared for application also will be accepted.
• A statement of interest (approximately 500 words).
• At least two letters of reference from two faculty members of the institution in which they completed most of their work in Religious Studies. One letter from an instructor in fields related to the study of Christianity (History or Philosophy) will be accepted. One letter must be from an instructor who has taught in the area of the student’s proposed graduate concentration (Hebrew Scriptures, New Testament, Christian Theology/History) and who can speak to the student’s competence in that area.

C. General Requirements

The Master of Arts in Biblical and Christian Studies degree will be awarded for the successful completion of 30 credits with a GPA of 3.0 (B) or better.

For further information, please see Academic Schedule, section 2.0, Graduate Admission, section 13.1.1, Student Life, section 8.0, and Academic Regulations, section 9.0.

D. Program Requirements

The requirements of the Master of Arts in Biblical and Christian Studies program are as follows:

Graduate courses can be found in section 14.0, Course Descriptions, under the subject heading Biblical and Christian Studies (BCS).

E. Graduation Requirements

Students graduate on one of the three degree-conferral dates following successful completion of their program requirements. For further information about graduation requirements, see Graduation and Convocation, section 13.0.2.E.

13.3.3 Master of Information Systems Assurance Management

In all sectors of the economy, there is an increasing demand for skilled professionals with expertise in information security, assurance, auditing and governance. The Master of Information Systems Assurance Management (MISAM) meets these needs by providing in-depth education in information systems audit, assurance, and governance. Students learn both the theory and practice of information systems auditing and assurance and the role this plays in enterprise and information technology governance. Students are well prepared to enter information systems assurance, audit and governance roles immediately upon graduation as well as write two world-wide industry based certification exams in these areas. The MISAM program is delivered in a continuous learning format, consisting of sixteen thirteen courses and a major research project performed throughout three research focused courses at the end of the program [Approved by Faculty of Management Faculty Council on February 15, 2017]. The program is normally completed over five semesters.

A. Educational Objectives

The central educational objective of Concordia University of Edmonton is consistent with its mission: to provide students with a quality education in a Christian context while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in this way to develop in students a sense of vocation that is enriched by a high standard of morality and of ethical awareness. the program is consistent with the mission of Concordia University of Edmonton: preparing students to be independent thinkers, ethical leaders and citizens for the common good. [Approved by Faculty of Management Faculty Council on February 15, 2017] This first objective is the foundation for the more specific objectives of MISAM, which is designed to enable students to do the following:

• To understand the process of auditing and in-depth knowledge of information systems auditing and general understanding of financial auditing.
• To gain first-hand experience in conducting risk based information systems audits and in communicating the results to the enterprise.
• To identify sources of risk for the loss of enterprise information and to develop methods of the financial resources available to mitigate these risks and provide assurance.
• To gain a deep knowledge and appreciation of the role governance plays in the success of public and private sector organizations.
• To understand the role of information systems security in relation to the other business assurance processes in an enterprise.
• To develop a plan for the enterprise to recover from disasters and to test the plan in order to ensure that the plan is ready to be implemented when needed.
• To investigate information systems security incidents and develop and implement solutions to recover or minimize any loss of information.
• To develop an appropriate information security framework for an enterprise, including plans and policies which reflect recognized international standards from implementing security policy (based on identifying stakeholders, security teams and infrastructure, data resource owners, data custodians, and audit methods used to determine compliance).

B. Admission Requirements

Applications are encouraged from those individuals who possess an undergraduate baccalaureate degree. A four-year degree in business is preferred but a computing science degree is also accepted. All other degrees are given consideration since there may be industry certifications or work experience which might assist the application process. Space is limited and admission is competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. To be considered for admission, applications must present the following requirements:

1. Four-year Bachelor’s degree from a recognized educational institution, preferably in Business/Management, Management of Information Systems or Computing Science. Students entering the program require a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on the 4 point scale, or its equivalent during the last 60 credits of undergraduate (or graduate) study. Students with a three-year degree, for example, Concordia University of Edmonton’s three-year BSc, may be admissible but may be required to take qualifying courses.
2. A resume with a statement of career objectives.
3. A 3.0 GPA on at least two courses in financial accounting (one introductory and one intermediate) and one course in management accounting.
4. A security clearance.
5. Demonstrated fulfillment of Concordia University of Edmonton’s English Language Requirement.

C. General Academic Requirements

1. Students must successfully complete 48 course credits in the program.
2. Students must successfully complete 12 credits in a research project, which may or may not include a practicum (ISAM 580 or ISAM 581). Whether the student chooses a practicum-based research project or a research project only, the research must be presented to an audience comprising of faculty (including the faculty advisor), peers, and persons actively involved in the security industry.
3. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 with no course grade less than 2.3 (C+). Students who do not maintain satisfactory standing may be placed on academic probation, required to withdraw from the program, or asked to retake the course.

For further information, please see Academic Schedule, section 2.0, Graduate Admission, section 13.1.1, Student Life, section 8.0, and Academic Regulations, section 9.0.

D. Program Requirements

E. Graduation Requirements

Students graduate on one of the three degree-conferral dates following successful completion of their program requirements. For further information about graduation requirements, see Graduation and Convocation, section 13.0.2.E.

13.3.4 Master of Information Systems Security Management

In all sectors of the economy, there is an increasing demand for skilled professionals with expertise in information security. The Master of Information Systems Security Management (MISSM) meets these needs by providing in-depth education in security protocols, design, software, and management. Students explore protection strategies, including the planning, design, implementation, and management of complete network security solutions in multiple operating-system environments and configurations. Graduates will be able to assess and implement necessary safeguards to ensure the security of information systems. Program content includes network security policies, standards, and management; building and maintaining security firewalls; cryptography; international and national information security laws; ethics; disaster and recovery planning; risk management and analysis; and digital forensics.

The MISSM program is delivered in a continuous learning format, consisting of sixteen courses including a research component. The program is normally completed over five semesters. The intensity of the program (a) allows students to meet their educational goals in an efficient and timely manner and (b) enables students who possess a more general degree to focus on the specific knowledge and skills required in the emerging field of information systems security. The program is open to both full- and part-time students.

A. Educational Objectives

The central educational objective of Concordia University of Edmonton is consistent with its mission: to provide students with a quality education in a Christian context while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in this way to develop in students a sense of vocation that is enriched by a high standard of morality and of ethical awareness. the program is consistent with the mission of Concordia University of Edmonton: preparing students to be independent thinkers, ethical leaders and citizens for the common good. [Approved by Faculty of Management Faculty Council on February 15, 2017]

This first objective is the foundation for the more specific objectives of MISSM, which is designed to enable students to do the following:

• To identify sources of risk for the loss of enterprise information and to develop methods of minimizing the identified risks based on the priorities established by senior management and the financial resources available to mitigate these risks.
• To understand the role of information systems security in relation to the other business processes in an enterprise.
• To develop a plan for the enterprise to recover from disasters where information ceases to be available to users. They will also have the skills to test the plan and to ensure that the plan is ready to be implemented when needed.
• To investigate information systems security incidents and develop and implement solutions to recover or minimize the loss of information.
• To securely install operating system software and to use this software to build login servers and application servers which are highly resistant to penetration by unauthorized users (both internal and external).
• To securely install servers on different operating environments.
• To develop an appropriate information security framework for an enterprise, including plans and policies which reflect recognized standards for implementing security policy (based on identifying stakeholders, security teams and infrastructure, data resource owners, and auditing used to ensure compliance).
• To determine legal issues involved in information systems security policy and architecture, and to know when to seek advanced legal help and/or help from law enforcement authorities.
• To manage projects involving cryptographic architectures for security and to implement a variety of solutions involving cryptography.
• To develop strategies for all methods of access control to an organization’s information systems and media containing organizational information (physical methods and network methods).
• To ensure that an organization meets the appropriate federal or provincial privacy legislation.

B. Admission Requirements

Applications are encouraged from those individuals who possess an undergraduate baccalaureate degree. A four-year degree in computing science, science, or business is preferred, but all degrees are given consideration. Space is limited and admission is competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission.

To be considered for admission, applicants must present the following requirements:

1. An undergraduate degree from a recognized educational institution: normally a four-year Bachelor’s degree (preferably in business, engineering or computing science); students with a three-year degree (for example, Concordia University of Edmonton’s three-year BSc) may be admissible but may be required to take qualifying courses; students with an applied degree plus three years of work experience (in addition to the work experience which was part of the applied degree) may also be considered for admission [Approved by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies on May 29, 2017].
2. An admission grade point average (AGPA) of at least 3.0 (on Concordia University of Edmonton’s 4-point scale) or equivalent on the most recently completed 60 credits.
3. A security clearance.
4. Demonstrated fulfilment of Concordia University of Edmonton’s English Language Requirement, section 13.1.1.C.
5. A minimum grade of 3.0 on a general Network Technology course and 3.0 on an Operating Systems course or equivalent knowledge. Concordia University of Edmonton reserves the right to assess equivalent courses from other institutions. A student may also challenge that he or she has obtained the knowledge from this course as a result of course work, work experience, or other experience. In these cases, the student will be allowed to write a qualifying exam for one or both of these courses (a fee is charged for this service). If successful in this entrance exam (a mark not less than 3.0), the student would be admitted to the program provided he or she meets all other requirements.
6. Students who graduated from the After-Degree Diploma in Information Systems Security (ADDISS) Program may apply and request advanced standing in the courses they took in the program, provided they have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the ADDISS program with no mark less than C+. Concordia University of Edmonton reserves the right to assess and determine admissibility. Students must demonstrate that they have worked in and remain current in the field. ADDISS graduates from 2004 or earlier will not necessarily be given advanced standing in all previously completed courses.

All grades used in calculating the AGPA are adjusted according to Concordia University of Edmonton’s grade conversion scale.

C. General Academic Requirements

1. Students must successfully complete 48 course credits in the program.
2. Students must successfully complete 9 credits in a research project, which may or may not include a practicum (ISSM 580 or ISSM 581), and culminating in a formal report of the student’s research evaluated by an internal committee.
3. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 with no course grade less than “C+”. Students who do not maintain satisfactory standing may be placed on academic probation, required to withdraw from the program, or asked to retake the course.

For further information, please see Academic Schedule, section 2.0, Graduate Admission, section 13.1.1, Student Life, section 8.0, and Academic Regulations, section 9.0.

D. Program Requirements

E. Graduation Requirements

Students graduate on one of three degree-conferral dates following successful completion of their program requirements. For further information about graduation requirements, see Graduation and Convocation, section 13.0.2.E.