Security and Risk Analysis

Security and risk analysis is a field that explores the integrated processes conducted to provide decision-makers with the information needed to understand factors that can negatively influence operations and outcomes, and make informed judgments concerning the extent of actions needed to reduce vulnerabilities, protect resources, and optimize investments. Security and risk analysis is a field of practice with two blended concentration areas: 1) security, which seeks to identify, understand, and analyze critical local, national and international security issues, and 2) risk, which includes risk assessment, risk characterization, risk communication, risk management, and the formulation of risk policy. In practice, the issues and processes for conducting of security and risk analytics are neither separate nor sequential. To be effective, the issues of security and risk must be addressed concurrently and synergistically.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SECURITY AND RISK ANALYSIS

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to protect people, information, and assets from manmade and natural threats.
• You want to understand the role of data in protecting individuals, organizations and our nation.
• You are mission oriented, a good critical thinker and wish to put your problem-solving skills to work to make the world a safer place.
• You want to make informed strategic decisions that help to defend critical infrastructures that supports our daily lives.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHY STUDENTS CHOOSE TO STUDY SECURITY AND RISK ANALYSIS

The Bachelor of Science in Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) in the College of Information Sciences and Technology responds to the expanding need for a highly trained analytic workforce to address a wide range of security and risk domains including national/homeland security, emergency and disaster management, law and crime, as well as enterprise risk management.

SRA program prepares students with core competence in four knowledge areas:

1. understanding the fundamentals of security, risk, analytic methods and decision support for the purpose of recognizing, articulating, and addressing analytic needs;
2. understanding the roles of data and analytics in various security domains and organizational contexts;
3. applying data analytics, methods, and tools (structured analytics; data gathering and manipulation; visual analytics; analytic judgements and presentation) to derive and communicate insights and actionable knowledge;
4. the legal, ethical, and professional issues within which analytics of security and risk are conducted.

Students may specialize in risk domains ranging from national security to community emergency preparedness and response. The SRA program positions our students to be future leaders to address the current and emerging security and risk challenges that face individuals, organizations and our nation.

SRA majors will choose one of the following options:

Intelligence Analysis and Modeling Option

Available at the following campuses: University Park

This option focuses on developing a more thorough knowledge of the strategic and tactical levels of intelligence collection, analysis, and decision-making. This includes examining the foundations of decision analysis, economic theory, statistics, data mining, and knowledge management, as well as the security-specific contexts in which such knowledge is applied.

Information and Cyber Security Option

Available at the following campuses: Altoona, Berks, Harrisburg, University Park, World Campus

This option includes a set of courses that provides an understanding of the theories, skills, and technologies associated with network security, cyber threat defense, information warfare, and critical infrastructure protection across multiple venues.

• Understand and apply the interdisciplinary, theoretical knowledge of the information sciences or security sciences
  • Define and explain the core concepts, principles, processes, and theories within the academic majors of IST and/or SRA
  • Apply the core concepts of the academic majors of IST and/or SRA to real-world problems
• Understand, apply and adapt various problem solving strategies, using appropriate technology and methods
  • Identify information problems and/or opportunities in terms of the human, informational and technology dimensions.
  • Analyze issues surrounding the problem and/or opportunity in terms of the human, informational, and technology dimensions; and determine the requirements appropriate to understanding the situation.
  • Design systems, architectures, processes, components, or programs to meet desired needs of the human context at varying levels of analysis (e.g., individual, group,
  • organization, society, and/or world).
  • Deploy up-to-date and appropriate techniques, methodologies, and/or tools necessary for understanding opportunities and constraints and/or the optimal design, implementation and continuance of an information based solution.
  • Evaluate the success of systems, architecture, processes, components, or programs intended to meet desired needs of the human context at varying levels of analysis (e.g.,
  • individual, group, organization, society, and/or world).
• Communicate and work effectively (both individually and in teams) with a range of perspectives and audiences through a variety of media
  • Participate effectively on teams in order to accomplish a common goal.
  • Communicate effectively with a range of audiences, formally or informally, through writing and the spoken word.
  • Seek out, analyze, and incorporate diverse ideas and broader perspectives represented in the diversity of people.
  • Make respectful and inclusive choices in interacting with customers, peers, supervisors, and/or subordinates with a diversity of identity characteristics (e.g., age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, or veteran status).
• Understand professional responsibilities in terms of the ethical, legal, security and social aspects of any given problem and its solution
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the cognitive, social, legal, ethical, diversity, and security perspectives surrounding a given problem.
  • Assess the impact of information, computing and technology on individuals, groups, organizations, society, and the world for the purpose of making informed decisions from a sociological, governmental, legal, and/or security perspective.
• Commit to the continuous acquisition of relevant knowledge for professional development by self teaching and/or on-going education and learning NOW RISK FACTORS
  • Employ information-seeking strategies and self-directed learning in pursuit of current knowledge.
  • Enroll in professional development and tutoring opportunities.

If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:

Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.

Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.

After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.

After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:

All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.

If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:

If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:

• Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
• Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.

The Security and Risk Analysis program responds to the expanding need for a highly trained analytic workforce to address a wide range of security and risk domains including national/homeland security, emergency and disaster management, law and crime, as well as enterprise risk management. The SRA degree prepares students to be future leaders to address the current and emerging security and risk challenges that face individuals, organizations and our nation. IST's Office of Career Solutions helps students navigate internship and career development through coaching, workshops, interview preparation, resume reviews, career fairs, job postings, and networking opportunities.

Security and Risk Analysis students may specialize in risk domains ranging from national security to community emergency preparedness and response. Because our courses blend technical knowledge with skills in communication and business, a Security and Risk Analysis degree allows students to pursue opportunities in intelligence, counterterrorism, computer forensics, and a number of other growing careers. SRA graduates work in a variety of fields, including defense, business, and emergency management; and many graduates go on to work for government intelligence agencies like the CIA, FBI, and NSA.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE SECURITY AND RISK ANALYSIS PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

With a focus on problem solving, critical thinking and the presentation of analytic findings, the SRA program is a great stepping-stone to graduate education and higher learning. Many SRA graduates will go on to pursue graduate degrees in fields like law, cyber security, and data science. The foundational skills obtained in the SRA degree directly apply to graduate education.