National Defense University's iCollege Awarded Degree-Granting Authority

Washington, DC -- On December 1, 2010, the National Defense University (NDU) President, Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, USN, and the Information Resources Management College’s (NDU iCollege’s) Senior Director, Dr. Robert Childs, appeared before the 18-member National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and the Department of Education to request degree-granting approval for the NDU iCollege. NACIQI is the federal advisory body to the Secretary of Education that provides recommendations on the recognition of federal academic institutions to award advanced degrees. The Committee unanimously recommended that the NDU iCollege be awarded degree-granting authority and that the current class be eligible to receive degrees once they complete educational requirements. NACIQI members who visited the College in November praised the high quality of the program, faculty, and students.

The NDU iCollege is one of five colleges at the university and the last college to request and receive degree-granting authority. The degree, the Government Information Leader (GIL) Master of Science Degree, will offer a core curriculum of eight courses focusing on the national security context and imperatives, leading change through understanding organizational culture, and Information Age management and leadership. Students must choose one of seven concentrations that mirror the NDU iCollege’s certificate programs (Chief Information Officer, IT Program Management, Enterprise Architecture, Information Operations, Chief Financial Officer Leadership, and two new concentrations for FY2011, Chief Technology Officer, and Cyber).

By gaining authority to grant this degree at the NDU iCollege, the university now offers graduate education in all four elements of national power (diplomatic, information, military, and economic), commonly referred to as DIME. The NDU iCollege GIL Master of Science is the only Master's Degree at NDU focusing exclusively on the information component. NDU’s National War College and Joint Forces Staff College focus on the diplomatic and military elements, while the College of International Security Affairs focuses on the diplomatic element. The Industrial College of the Armed Forces focuses on the economic element of national power.

About the College - The NDU iCollege, a U.S. Department of Defense educational institution, prepares leaders to direct the information component of national power by leveraging information and information technology for strategic advantage. Although most students come from DoD (military and civilians), the school also accepts federal agency, private sector, and international students into its graduate programs. Education is focused around CIO, CFO, Information Assurance/Cyber, Enterprise Architecture, IT Project Management, and other information leadership competencies. The NDU iCollege is also currently working with the U.S. Department of Education to obtain approval for its new Government Information Leader Master of Science Degree. Courses are completed on campus and/or online. For more information about the NDU iCollege’s programs, please contact: Jolly Sienda at jolly.sienda.ctr@ndu.edu ; or for general information about the college, visit www.ndu.edu/icollege.

The National Defense University is the nation’s premier center for joint professional military education. The university is an accredited graduate-level institution that provides an educational and research environment to prepare future leaders of the armed forces and other civilian agencies for high-level policy, command, and staff responsibilities. For more information about the National Defense University, please contact: Dave Thomas, Public Affairs Officer, at 202-685-3140 or ThomasD2@ndu.edu; or visit www.ndu.edu.