Master of Arts in Public Policy

ITMD 504 Programming and Application Foundations: This course covers creation and deployment of modern, standards-compliant web pages written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in the context of the client-server architecture of the web. Fundamentals of programming in a modern programming language is covered. Basic data modeling concepts are also introduced, including hands-on database design, implementation, and administration of single-user and shared multi-user database applications using a contemporary relational database management system. These topics are taught in an integrated hands-on manner, where students will learn how frontend, backend, and database systems are written and deployed to work together in a full stack web application.

ITMD 513 Open Source Programming: Contemporary open-source programming languages and frameworks are presented. The student considers design and development topics in system, graphical user interface, network and web programming. Dynamic scripting languages are covered using object-oriented, concurrent and functional programming paradigms. Concepts gained throughout the course are reinforced with numerous exercises which will culminate in an open-source programming project.

ITMO 540 Introduction to Data Networks and the Internet: This course covers current and evolving data network technologies, protocols, network components, and the networks that use them, focusing on the Internet and related LANs. The state of worldwide networking and its evolution will be discussed. This course covers the Internet architecture, organization, and protocols including Ethernet, 802.11, routing, the TCP/UDP/IP suite, DNS, SNMP, DHCP, and more. Students will be presented with Internet-specific networking tools for searching, testing, debugging, and configuring networks and network-connected host computers. There will be opportunities for network configuration and hands-on use of tools.

ITMO 556 Introduction to Open Source Software: This course will cover the fundamental concepts and philosophy behind free and open source software (FOSS). The course will discuss open source and free software licensing; open source business strategies and impact; FOSS utilization in the enterprise; and development methodologies. Students will learn to set up and configure an industry-standard open source operating system, including system installation, and basic system administration; system architecture; package management; command–line commands; devices, filesystems, and the filesystem hierarchy standard. Also addressed are applications, shells, scripting and data management; user interfaces and desktops; administrative tasks; essential system services; networking fundamentals; and security, as well as support issues for open source software. Multiple distributions are covered with emphasis on the two leading major distribution forks.

ITMO 554 Operating System Virtualization: This course will cover technologies allowing multiple instances of operating systems to be run on a single physical system. Concepts addressed will include hypervisors, virtual machines, paravirtualization and virtual appliances. Both server and desktop virtualization will be examined in detail, with brief coverage of storage virtualization and application virtualization. Business benefits, business cases and security implications of virtualization will be discussed. Extensive hands-on assignments and a group project will allow students to gain first-hand experience of this technology.

ITMO 544 Cloud Computing Technologies: Computing applications hosted on dynamically-scaled, virtual resources available as services are considered. Collaborative and non-collaborative "cloud-resident" applications are analyzed with respect to cost, device/location independence, scalability, reliability, security, and sustainability. Commercial and local cloud architectures are examined. A group-based integration of course topics will result in a project employing various cloud computing technologies. 

ITMS 564 Cloud Computing Security: You will learn how to effectively secure cloud-based services and infrastructure in an enterprise setting. Areas addressed will include design principles of secure cloud computing, data security, platform and infrastructure security, application security and the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and DevSecOps processes, and security operations. The course will cover the legal, risk, and compliance aspects of cloud computing, all in the context of a set of industry-standard learning domains.

ITMO 563 Software as a Service: Software as a Service (SaaS) allows consumers to use a provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure, accessible from client devices over a network through either a thin client interface, such as a web browser, or a program interface. Students will explore different approaches, techniques, tools and technologies to build, deploy, and manage cloud native applications.

ITMO 564 Platform as a Service: Platform as a Service (PaaS) allows developers to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure developer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the cloud provider. Students learn to develop applications and services using popular platforms and service tools, and to manage deployed applications as well as configuration settings for the application-hosting environment. 

ITMO 565 Infrastructure as a Service: Infrastructure as a Service (SaaS) allows users to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources which then allows them to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. Students will learn how to provision, deploy and manage operating systems, storage, and deployed applications as well as virtual networking components such as switches, routers, and firewalls in a cloud environment accessible remotely through a network.