New York, NY, January 31, 2019—While cyberspace has transformed and enhanced the way individuals move money; communicate, disclose, exchange, and retrieve information; and develop and maintain relationships, these benefits are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation. To understand and thwart these challenges one needs to look beyond the technology alone and take into account the motives of those who commit these crimes—the actors, governments, and powers behind them.
To meet the rising demand for professionals who can address these critical issues, the NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs recently launched the 36-credit MS in Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime, which is currently taking applications for Fall 2019. The degree is designed for individuals who seek cyber-related positions across the private and public sectors, and non-governmental organizations. It addresses critical issues including disinformation, espionage, and terrorists’ use of emerging technologies and media.
“Rather than focusing on the technological aspects of cybercrime, as many of the current masters programs in this area of study do, this new degree is interdisciplinary and attentive to the transnational security issues that arise from cybercrime,” noted Vera Jelinek, divisional dean of the NYUSPS Center for Global Affairs. “We plan to attract a cohort of students from a variety of professional backgrounds who will bring their own knowledge and expertise to tackling the emerging issues in cybercrime and cybersecurity.”
The degree program includes three components: The core curriculum focuses on broad foundational topics such as Cybercriminology, Cyberlaw, and Cyberliberties; National and International Cybercrime Investigation; Political Cybercrime; International Critical Infrastructure Protection; and Cybersecurity.
Five specialization courses can be chosen from among 12 offered, including Terrorism, Technology, and the Internet; Social Media and Terrorism; Organized Cybercrime; Transnational Crime; and Open Source Intelligence and Social Media Forensics.
The goal of the degree is to develop practitioners and experts who can implement real-world solutions to international problems in cybercrime and terrorism. It is structured to meet the needs of working professionals as well as traditional students. It can be completed in one-and-a-half years of full-time study, or in two to five years of part-time study.
Faculty members have been selected on the basis of their expertise and extensive hands-on cybersecurity experience in such areas as government service, the military, private business, and NGOs.
Expert faculty members will include:
Mary Beth Altier, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, NYUSPS Center for Global Affairs
Mary Beth Altier earned a PhD and an MA in politics from Princeton University, as well as a BA in mathematics and history from Drew University. Her research interests include political violence, political behavior, nationalism, and ethnic conflict. She is an associate member of Nuffield College at the University of Oxford, and was previously a post-doctoral fellow at the International Center for the Study of Terrorism at Penn State University. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Peace Research, Terrorism, and Political Violence; the Journal of Strategic Security; and the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.
Christopher Ankersen, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, NYUSPS Center for Global Affairs
Christopher Ankersen earned a PhD and an MS in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In addition, he holds a BA (Honors) in military and strategic studies from Royal Roads Military College (Canada). Ankerson has written on international relations and strategic studies, including two edited volumes: Understanding Global Terror and Civil-Military Cooperation in Post-Conflict Operations. His research interests include civil military relations, post-conflict reconstruction, and risk analysis. Among the positions he has held are: adjunct associate professor of politics and economics at the Royal Military College of Canada, security advisor for the United Nations in Thailand, and chief of security at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He served as deputy chief of security for the UN offices in Geneva and Vienna, and security coordination officer for Iraq at UN HQ in New York. Ankersen has taught at the London School of Economics, the London Centre for International Relations, King’s College London, Carleton University, and the Royal Military College of Canada. He has received awards from the Royal United Services Institute, the Maritime Awards Society of Canada, the US Department of Defense, and the British Army for his writing.
Daniel Rogers, PhD, Adjunct Instructor, NYUSPS Center for Global Affairs
Daniel Rogers is a physicist, an author, and an expert in the fields of cryptography, cybercrime, disinformation, and security. He has published numerous patents, papers, and books on these and other subjects. Prior to co-founding Terbium Labs, a commercial dark web intelligence company, and the Global Disinformation Index, a nonprofit disinformation research organization based in the UK, Rogers managed a portfolio of physics and sensor research projects, which supported the defense and intelligence communities while at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He earned a bachelor’s degree in math and physics from Georgetown University and a doctorate in chemical physics from the University of Maryland. Rogers also is a security fellow at the Truman Project on National Security.
For media inquiries regarding the new MS in Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime, or to speak with one of our experts on a related topic, please contact Michael DeMeo at michael.demeo@nyu.edu or at 212-992-9103.
About the NYUSPS Center for Global Affairs
The NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs facilitates change by educating and inspiring our community members to become global citizens who are capable of identifying and implementing solutions to pressing global challenges. We believe that the development of solutions to global problems must be informed by an understanding that the world’s challenges are not merely challenges for and among states and traditional diplomatic outlets, but also challenges for nonstate actors, urban and rural communities, and regional organizations.
Through rigorous graduate and professional education programs and public events, we prepare global citizens who are at home in all of these environments—and thus, who are effective agents of change.
For more information, visit sps.nyu.edu/cga.
About the NYU School of Professional Studies
Established in 1934, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYUSPS) is one of NYU’s several degree-granting schools and colleges—each with a unique academic profile. The reputation of NYUSPS arises from its place as the NYU home for industry-focused education and applied research that is related to key knowledge-based fields, in which the New York region leads globally. This is manifest in the School’s diverse graduate, undergraduate, and Professional Pathways programs that span a broad range of disciplines including: Accounting, Finance, and Law; Applied Health; Arts, Design, and Film, and TV; Economic and Urban Development; English Language Learning; Entrepreneurship; Fundraising and Grantmaking; Global Affairs; Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime; Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Management; Humanities; Human Resource Management and Development; Languages; Management and Systems; Marketing; Professional Writing; Project Management; Public Relations and Corporate Communication; Publishing; Real Estate, Real Estate Development, and Construction Management; Sports Business; and Translation.
More than 80 distinguished full-time faculty members collaborate with an exceptional cadre of practitioner/adjunct faculty members and lecturers to create a vibrant professional and academic environment that educates nearly 5,400 degree-seeking students from around the globe each year. In addition, the School fulfills the recurrent professional education needs of local, national, and international economies, as evidenced by over 18,000 Professional Pathways enrollments in Career Advancement Courses, Certificates, and Diploma Programs. The School’s community is enriched by nearly 25,000 degree-holding alumni worldwide, many of whom serve as mentors, guest speakers, and advisory board members. For more information about the NYU School of Professional Studies, visit sps.nyu.edu.