Graduate Certificate in Insider Risk Management and Mitigation

Graduate Programs in Security and Terrorism Studies are housed in the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. The programs investigate questions related to terrorism, counterterrorism, and community resilience.

Mentoring and advising are an essential part of the program. Students meet with faculty and the academic program director to ensure that educational goals and career learning and development goals are met. Students should contact the education team, via email: education-start@umd.edu.

The Graduate Certificate in Insider Risk Management and Mitigation, Online (Z172) has a 12-credit, 4-course curriculum that provides workforce development and professionalization for those already or looking to counter and respond to insider risk (and insider threat).

• A collaboration between The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START’s) and the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS).
• Appropriate for individuals interested in (and/or currently) working in fields related to countering and responding to insider risk and insider threat issues.
• An opportunity for students to gain a thorough understanding of insider risk and insider threat.
• Possible to complete in nine months of continuous enrollment. See Designation of Full-time/Part-time Status.

Registration Overview

• See the sample plan of study, below. Students should use this as a guide to develop a plan with the academic program director. 
• Actual course offerings are determined by the program and may vary semester to semester. Students should note if a course has a pre-requisite or co-requisite. 
• Specific class meeting information (days and time) is posted on UMD’s interactive web service services, Testudo. Once on that site, select “Schedule of Classes,” then the term/year. Courses are listed by academic unit. 
• The program uses specific section codes for registration, which are listed on the sample plan of study.

Sample Plan of Study

Courses

For a listing of program courses, see the Graduate School Catalog program requirements for Z172. For course descriptions that includes pre-requisites or co-requisites, see BSST.

Overall

• Uses the semester academic calendar with classes held in fall and spring semester (16 weeks each).
• Instruction provided by University of Maryland faculty and professionals in the field. 

Online Learning

• Features 100% online instruction with engaging and interactive learning.
• Using advanced audio and video technology, UMD’s online learning environment delivers dynamic and interactive content.
• Featuring convenience and flexibility, online instruction permits asynchronous or synchronous participation.
• Lectures are video archived. Students who are unable to attend in real time can review the session through asynchronous participation.

Upon successful completion, graduates will have mastered the following competencies:

• Demonstrate a theoretical understanding of how Social and Behavioral Sciences informs the policies and practices of insider risk management and mitigation (including Countering Insider Threat).
• Understand multidisciplinary perspectives on intentional, malicious insider threat behavior.
• Assess risk posed by trusted insiders and specific psychological factors that contribute to risk.
• Evaluate the historical context for insider threat and the impact of pollical and socioeconomic factors on threat behavior and incident response.
• Critique current policies and programs designed to counter the insider threat and relate multi-disciplinary risk mitigation actions to their field of study.
• Differentiate government and private sector insider threat response.
• Evaluate specific problem sets related to privacy and civil liberties concerns, cyber insider threat, and acts of violence.
• Demonstrate knowledge of different strategies for interviewing, investigating, detecting, monitoring, mitigating, and preventing insider threat and preceding behaviors.
• Understand and explain the importance of investigative thinking and its role in insider risk management and mitigation programs.
• Appraise the current state of social and behavioral science research into insider threat and propose further areas of research to address insider threats.