DNG Education Program JOIN THE GUARD!
By 1LT Deborah L. Welch, Education Services Officer, Delaware National Guard

2006 COLLEGE AND CAREER GUIDE
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Information Assurance Scholarship Program

DoD civilian employees, military officers and enlisted members may apply for IA Scholarships through their Component or Agency channels. There are three DoD Centers of Academic Excellence that sponsor graduate programs in information assurance under the IA Scholarship Program. These three institutions are the Information Resources Management College (IRMC) of the National Defense University (NDU), the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Typically, new students attend IRMC at NDU prior to attending a Partner University to complete remaining degree requirements or they are directly admitted to NPS or AFIT. Students who previously completed IRMC requirements may be directly admitted into a Partner University if they meet the criteria listed below.

Information Resources Management College (IRMC)

Information Assurance Partnership

All IRMC students will complete IRMC's Chief Information Officer Certificate Program and its Information Assurance Certificate which also results in Information Systems Security Instruction (NSTISSI) 4011 Certification (see Option 1 in the IRMC Course Catalog). Full-time IRMC students will complete the CIO and 4011 requirements through the Advanced Management Program, a 14-week resident program at the Ft. McNair , DC campus. Part-time IRMC students will complete their required nine courses through: a) 1-week resident courses at Ft. McNair ; b) 8 to 12-week, web-based distributed learning courses; or c) through a combination of the two. Part-time students have up to two years to complete the IRMC requirements. Nominees may also include candidates who have earned the IRMC CIO and IA certificates in FY02 or later or who have partly completed one or both certificates. See IRMC CIO and IA program specifics for further information. IRMC classes begin in January and September 2005.

IRMC Entrance Requirements

Component and Agency nomination packages must include the following documentation and the appropriate endorsements prior to submission to IRMC. Requirements include:

•  O-5 or above and civilians in the grade of GS-13 and above (O-4s and GS-12s may have the grade requirement waived if recommended by supervisor with a strong justification. The waiver must document the applicant's ability to work at higher-grade levels.)

•  Earned bachelor's with a GPA of 3.0 or above for those pursuing a master's; earned master's with a GPA of 3.2 or above for those pursuing a doctorate.

•  Certified transcripts reflecting undergraduate and/or graduate coursework as appropriate.

•  An IRMC transcript reflecting completion of the IRMC prerequisites (required for prior or pending IRMC graduates).

•  Proof of Secret security clearance.

•  A standard military resume.

•  Supervisor recommendation with the endorsement of the next level superior.

•  Identification of the nominee's preferred Partner University and follow-on degree program.

•  Compliance with identified Partner University 's grade point average and entrance requirements.

•  Component nominee's attendance approved by appropriate Service/Agency personnel channels.

IRMC Partnering Institutions

There are currently 13 CAEs partnering with IRMC to enable IRMC graduates to achieve either a master's or doctorate degree. Although all PhD programs are full-time, some CAEs offer a part-time option for their master's degree programs. Full-time students will complete requirements in-residence; part-time students will complete their master's degree in residence or through distributed learning. Methodologies for distributed learning vary by university. Students entering Partner Universities will receive either 9 or 15 graduate transfer credits toward completing their advanced degrees, dependent on the selected university. The particular degree the participant earns varies by institution, but all degrees focus on information assurance. The current partners are listed below.

IRMC Partner Entrance Requirements

•  Entrance requirements vary by school. Typically application is made to the University's graduate program. Start dates also vary by university. New students or pending graduates of IRMC are expected to commence school at the selected Partner University on the next available start date after IRMC graduation. Previous IRMC graduates may identify desired start date in their application package.

•  Information on the IRMC Partner Universities continues to be added to this website. If there is no information on your university of interest, contact the partnering university directly.