Enterprise Architecture Program
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is at the heart of agencies’ ability to achieve performance objectives through optimizing business processes and investing effectively in information systems. Highly skilled EA strategists and practitioners are required to create and maintain the EA. The Enterprise Architecture (EA) Program prepares architects with the leadership, policy, and technical competencies required for the three levels of EA responsibilities recently identified by the Office of Personnel Management. The NDU iCollege’s EA programs consist of three certificates (Architect, Enterprise Architect, and Chief Enterprise Architect) that document increasing levels of technical and leadership competence. EA is also a concentration in the GIL degree program. Government leaders who successfully complete the program are empowered to:
- Lead the development, implementation, and management of an EA to support organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and strategic planning;
- Leverage people, capabilities, and technology to shape an organization’s current and target environments and implement a plan to transition to a successful future; and
- Meet their Clinger-Cohen responsibilities for “developing, maintaining, and facilitating the implementation of a sound and integrated information technology architecture for the executive agency.”
EA Certificate - 8 Courses Required
| Architect Certificate (4) | Course | Course Title |
| Core | ARC | Enterprise Architecture for Leaders (Required) |
| MEA | Modeling for Enterprise Architects (Required) | |
| DAC or FAC | Defense Enterprise Architecture | |
| Federal Enterprise Architecture and Advanced Concepts | ||
| Elective(1) | AII | Information Assurance and Critical Infrastructure |
| CST | Critical Information Systems Technologies | |
| DMS | Data Management Strategies and Technologies | |
| PRI | Protection Strategies for Process Improvement | |
| Enterprise Architect Certificate (4) + Architect Certificate | ||
| Core | PMA | Planning and Managing EA Programs (Required) |
| ASA | Analytics and Simulation for Enterprise Architecture (Required) | |
| MOP | Measuring Results of Organizational Performance (Required) | |
| Elective (1) | ATO | Approval to Operate: Information Systems Certification |
| BBC | Building an Information Technology Business Case | |
| PFM | Capital Planning and Portfolio Management | |
| Chief Architect Certificate (4) + Enterprise Architect Certificate | ||
| Core | ATA | Advanced Strategies for Enterprise Architecture (Required) |
| STA | Solutions Architecture and Transition Planning for Architects (Required) | |
| LDC or SLP | Leadership in the Information Age (or) Strategic Leader Program (AMP students only) (Required) | |
| Elective | MAC OCL | Multi Agency Information-Enabled Collaboration Organizational Culture for Strategic Leaders |
The certificates document increasing levels of technical and leadership competence. The three levels are: Architects focus on the development of architectures based on user requirements and input from subject matter experts. As Architects mature, their experience includes the use of various modeling techniques and tools or enterprise-level architecture development. Enterprise Architects focus on the analysis and management of architectures to analyze architectures for the purposes of integration, interoperability, gap analysis, risk assessment, leveragability, compliance, and business decision making. In addition to the analytics, they manage the architecture program. As Enterprise Architects mature, their experience includes the use of various analysis techniques and programs, or enterprise-level analysis and leading areas within EA programs. Chief Enterprise Architects focus on organizational transformation through the discipline of EA to lead an architecture effort through its entire lifecycle, from initiation to development to execution and implementation. As Chief Enterprise Architects mature, their experience includes strategic analysis, transformation efforts, communication, and leadership of an enterprise-level architecture. Generally, courses may be completed in any order; however, a few courses have prerequisites. Before being awarded the next level certificate, the student must successfully complete the four courses for it and all courses required for any prior level certificates. As each certificate is completed, graduates grow in their knowledge and ability to lead the application of approaches, methods, techniques, and work products such as:
- Department of Defense’s Architecture Framework (DODAF), Global Information Grid (GIG), and the Defense Information Enterprise Architecture;
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the CIO Council’s Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM), Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Reference Models, the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF); and
- Industry-based EA frameworks (e.g., Zachman and TOGAF).
Students enrolled in and graduated from the former EA Certificate Program who wish to earn the new certificates will be advised on a case-by-case basis.
Government Information Leader (GIL) MS Degree
Enterprise Architecture Concentration- 13 Courses Required
| Key Competency Area | Course | Course Title |
| Foundational (3) | ||
| GLS | Global Strategic Landscape | |
| OCL | Organizational Culture for Strategic Leaders | |
| CAP | Capstone Course | |
| Leadership (2) | ||
| ARC | Enterprise Architecture for Leaders (Required) | |
| AII | Information Assurance and Critical Infrastructure Protection | |
| DMG | Decision Making for Government Leaders | |
| LDC | Leadership in the Information Age | |
| MAC | Multi-Agency Information-Enabled Collaboration | |
| SCL | Strategic Communications for Government Leaders | |
| SLP | Strategic Leader Program (AMP students only) | |
| IPL | IT Project Leadership | |
| Management (2) | ||
| MOP | Measuring Results of Organizational Performance (Required) | |
| BCP | Budget and Congressional Relations for Strategic Leaders | |
| COO | Continuity of Operations | |
| ITP | IT Project Management | |
| PRI | Strategies for Process Improvement | |
| Technology (1) | ||
| CST | Critical Information Systems Technologies | |
| DMS | Data Management Strategies and Technologies | |
| Core (5 – 1 in each category) | ||
ATO -or- |
Approval to Operate: Information Systems Certification |
|
| ASA | Analytics and Simulation for Enterprise Architecture | |
| MEA | Modeling for Enterprise Architects | |
| PMA | Planning and Managing EA Programs | |
| DAC -or- FAC |
Defense Enterprise Architecture Federal Enterprise Architecture and Advanced Concepts |
