NSA expands contract for compliance curriculum
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (UNG) has received an extension of its contract from the National Security Agency (NSA) to create and market graduate and undergraduate certificates in compliance and ethics.
This latest funding provides tuition waivers for some of the first students in the online certificate programs, which will launch in summer 2023. The NSA has committed $556,126 to the project between the initial contract and the extension.
The compliance and ethics certificate programs focus on preparing professionals to become certified in compliance and to work in the compliance area in government agencies, particularly the NSA. Thanks to the new funding, 25 students will be able to complete the 15-hour graduate certificate free of charge with another 25 able to do the same for the 15-hour undergraduate certificate for each of the next two summers. Current students can apply to the undergraduate certificate program on the UNG website.
Dr. Mary Gowan, dean of UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business, is the principal investigator for the contract. She has assembled a large UNG team to assist in delivering this project.
"The idea behind the certificate programs is to encourage students to think about careers in compliance," Gowan said. "This career field is evolving and most companies are seeking qualified candidates to manage their compliance programs."
The program will be housed in the Department of Accounting and Law. Teams of UNG students will compete to develop a full marketing campaign to help launch the program and introduce the field of compliance to prospective students.
The idea is to encourage students to think about careers in compliance. This career field is evolving and most companies are seeking qualified candidates to manage their compliance programs.
Dr. Mary Gowan
Mike Cottrell College of Business dean
In addition to MCCB faculty from the computer science and information systems, management and marketing, and accounting and law departments, the interdisciplinary project involves faculty and staff from the College of Health Sciences and Professions, College of Education, Information Technology Services, Business and Finance, the TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership, and Human Resources and experts on assessment at UNG.
This NSA contract builds on UNG's already strong relationship with the federal agency.
UNG is designated by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. And in summer 2022, UNG hosted its sixth GenCyber Warrior Academy for high school students and second cyber academy for middle and high school teachers thanks to NSA grants totaling $265,000.
"The compliance curriculum project being executed by the University of North Georgia has achieved a critical, major milestone," NSA Academic Liaison Christopher Locke said. "The university has taken several key steps toward realizing the vision of launching curriculum and certifications for the compliance field. These steps make possible a future pipeline of early-career talent in the compliance field that will respond to needs evident in government and business today. We look forward to the soft launch of these UNG courses and certifications in 2023."
Grads well-prepared for what comes next
UNG students are earning nearly 1,700 degrees and certificates in spring 2025, and more than half of them will take part in commencement ceremonies May 14-15.