A new partnership with the University of Dallas will provide MBA and Master of Management graduates of UWindsor’s Odette School Business (OSB) an opportunity to gain internationally recognized cybersecurity skills and certification entirely online. 

The Odette School of Business is the first Canadian university to partner with the University of Dallas’s Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business, designated in the U.S. as a national center of academic excellence in cyber defense education by the National Security Agency (NSA), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

Students will develop specialized skills in areas of data protection, compliance and legal issues, and operational cybersecurity management, or network security. 

“We see this as a tremendous value-added opportunity for our MBA and Master of Management grads,” said Odette School of Business Dean Mitch Fields. “Because of our partnership with the University of Dallas, the program offers an exceptional discount, in which our students will have the opportunity to enhance their degree and skill set with U.S. credentials that are both relevant and marketable in today’s world."

UD Gupta College of Business Dean Brett J.L. Landry said the partnership is a win-win for both schools. 

“OSB can offer cutting-edge cybersecurity concentration courses, while we can reach and expand UDs offerings to the Canadian market through such a well-respected and well-known business school.” 

Kent Walker, OSB’s MBA program director, added that the key benefit for Canadian students is that there are very few similar programs offered in Canada, none of which can be completed entirely online. 

“This education gap exists despite the fact that the area of cybersecurity has grown tremendously, with the trend drastically accelerated because of changes related to COVID. Our students will have an opportunity to acquire a piece of their education that is very much in demand, but not available to many other Canadians, so we’re really excited about the possibilities this offers.” 

Associate Dean of UD’s Gupta College of Business, Sri Beldona, noted how the partnership will pave a seamless path for OSB students and alumni to obtain a cybersecurity certificate. 

“Through a short web application, alumni and current students of OSB gain expedited admission to the cybersecurity program at UD. Upon successful completion of the courses, students not only achieve certification, but also a micro-credential digital badge to share on leading professional networking platforms.” 

For more information on the graduate program, click here.