Academic Relations
Mission: To support and enhance relationships among the faculty and student bodies of colleges and universities with local ISACA chapters, ISACA worldwide and the IS audit and control profession.
Academic Link to ISACA
Universities and colleges are encouraged to establish relationships with ISACA. The Academic Advocate can work to promote student membership in ISACA and any local chapter; awareness of CISA, CISM and CGEIT certifications; COBIT as a teaching tool; the model curriculum; and they can approach their library to carry the ISACA Journal, the publication for control professionals. In return for their efforts, Academic Advocates receive complimentary ISACA membership and COBIT 4.1. At the end of the year, Academic Advocates are requested to report on their progress via a questionnaire. See the Academic Advocate section of this site for more detailed information on the program.
For your university or college to participate in this program, please submit a letter on official university or college letterhead indicating the courses offered in IT governance, audit accounting information systems or security; the name of the full-time faculty member willing to serve as the Academic Advocate; why the individual wishes to serve; and the Academic Advocate's application for ISACA membership (PDF, 109K). Note that one Academic Advocate per functional discipline, such as MIS or accounting, is permitted.
IS Audit and Controls Profession Promotion Piece
A PowerPoint presentation which promotes the IS control and audit profession is available to local chapters in the password-protected chapter area of the ISACA web site.
Colleges and Universities Offering IS Control Subjects
Universities are encouraged to disseminate information about ISACA, network with faculty and students interested in learning more about the IS audit profession, encourage compliance with the ISACA standards and Code of Professional Ethics, and provide a forum for ideas and suggestions from within the academic community. A list of colleges and universities offering courses and degrees in alignment with the ISACA Model Curriculum is posted. Programs have been posted to this list at the request of those universities as a service for students.
IT Governance Using COBIT® and Val IT™
IT Governance Using COBIT® and Val IT™ is a set of educational materials that professors and teachers can use to explain and present COBIT in their curricula and courses of information systems management, information security management, information systems auditing and/or accounting information systems. This educational package was constructed using the advice and counsel of a global group of academics and practitioners. The purpose was to create a more focused approach for teaching and presenting COBIT in the classroom.
IT Governance Using COBIT® and Val IT™ is available to all professors who pledge to share their own COBIT teaching materials. More Information.
Model Curriculum
The ISACA Model Curriculum is available for download. The Academic Relations Committee intends that this be a living program and welcomes all comments and input.
Academic Relations Committee Seeks Your Input
The Academic Relations Committee is dedicated to interfacing with colleges and universities to encourage the adoption of ISACA's standards and Code of Professional Ethics by future IS auditors, to encourage the use of COBIT in the curriculum, to make students and faculty aware of the requirements that prospective employers find most desirable, and to encourage practical research and study of IT audit and control security on the academic level. The curriculum, the Certified IS Auditor designation (CISA) and the ISACA Journal are actively promoted. The committee is looking into new ways of providing information and/or services to students and faculty. If you have any input or ideas you wish to share, please e-mail research@isaca.org.
ISACA Overview
ISACA got its start in 1967, when a small group of individuals with similar jobs-auditing controls in the computer systems that were becoming increasingly critical to the operations of their organizations-sat down to discuss the need for a centralized source of information and guidance in the field. In 1969, the group formalized, incorporating as the EDP Auditors Association. In 1976 the association formed a foundation to undertake large-scale research efforts to expand the knowledge and value of the IT governance and control field. This research activity is continued today under the banner of the IT Governance Institute.
Today, ISACA's membership-more than 86,000 strong worldwide-is characterized by its diversity. Members live and work in more than 160 countries and cover a variety of professional IT-related positions-to name just a few, IS auditor, consultant, educator, IS security professional, regulator, chief information officer and internal auditor. Some are new to the field, others are at middle management levels and still others are in the most senior ranks. They work in nearly all industry categories, including financial and banking, public accounting, government and the public sector, utilities and manufacturing and education. This diversity enables members to learn from each other, and exchange widely divergent viewpoints on a variety of professional topics. It long has been considered one of ISACA's strengths.
Another of ISACA's strengths is its chapter network. ISACA has more than 175 chapters established worldwide, and those chapters provide members education, resource sharing, advocacy, professional networking and a host of other benefits on a local level. Find out if there's a chapter near you.
In the three decades since its inception, ISACA has become a pace-setting global organization for information governance, control, security and audit professionals. Its IS Auditing and IS Control Standards are followed by practitioners worldwide. Its research pinpoints professional issues challenging its constituents. Its Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification is recognized globally and has been earned by more than 70,000 professionals. The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification uniquely targets the information security management audience. The Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) certification is designed for professionals who have management, advisory, or assurance responsibilities as defined by a "job practice" consisting of IT governance related tasks and knowledge. ISACA publishes a leading technical journal in the information control field, the ISACA Journal. It hosts a series of international conferences focusing on both technical and managerial topics pertinent to the IS assurance, control, security and IT governance professions. Together, ISACA and its affiliated IT Governance Institute lead the information technology control community and serve its practitioners by providing the elements needed by IT professionals in an ever-changing worldwide environment.
For further information, e-mail research@isaca.org.
