The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, managed
by the National Security Administration, provides a designation in Cyber
Operations that is held by only 22 universities in the United States.
Cedarville University, a private Christian university in Ohio, stands among the
many prestigious institutions on that list.
In
August, Cedarville received their re-designated in Cyber Operations by the
National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program through 2029.
This redesignation marks the first extension of the prestigious designation
since Cedarville first earned the designation in 2018.
The Cyber Operations designation is a deeply technical, interdisciplinary designation that is firmly grounded in the computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering disciplines. Cedarville’s program is in a group alongside the US service academies including the Air Force Academy, West Point, and the Naval Academy, as well as large institutions such as Carnegie Mellon and Texas A&M. Cedarville is the lone Christian university on the list.
Cybersecurity
students who graduate with the skillset associated with the cyber operations
designation are among the most sought-after in their field.
"We are teaching cyber operations according to the high standards set by the National Centers of Academic Excellence program. That means something to prospective employers and attracts outstanding young men and women to our program,” said Dr.
Seth Hamman, director and professor of cyber operations and computer science. “If NSA or its federal partners want to hire your students in specialized roles, it is likely many other employers will be interested in them, too.”
This distinction is
different from academic accreditation, as it provides guidelines for content,
skills, programs, and facilities the National Centers for Academic Excellence
program deems essential for quality cyber
professionals. Since Cedarville first received the distinction in 2018, it has
continued to enhance its academic offerings and created a stand-alone cyber
operations degree program within the School of Engineering and Computer
Science. Transitioning the former computer science specialization to a major
was a step towards helping to pioneer cybersecurity education in the US. The
major provided more program resources, including additional faculty, as well as
curriculum space for more specific coursework in computer engineering and
valuable electives such as international relations, warfare, business and
criminal.
“By God’s grace, we have continued to strengthen our program every year since we were initially designated,” said Hamman. “Our redesignation application was much stronger than our first application. Our faculty has developed more expertise, the number of students in our program has more than doubled, and our extracurricular culture has blossomed creating excellence in cyber competitions and opportunities for cyber outreach.”
This cyber operations degree is the first of its kind in the state of Ohio and demonstrates Cedarville’s commitment to shaping the future of cyber operations education. Although Cedarville is not as well-known as many of the other CO designated schools, its impact is felt nationwide. This focus extends beyond the classroom to extracurricular programs designed to shape leaders in cyber operations, such as the cyber
team,
and even community engagement programs designed to promote cyber awareness in
society.
“We have created a culture around cybersecurity education at Cedarville that provides amazing opportunities and blessings to our students.,” said Hamman. “Being redesignated is an honor and will continue to drive us towards excellence in all we do.”
Located in southwest
Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in arts,
sciences, and professional programs including the bachelor
of science in cyber operations and graduate programs. With an
enrollment of 6,384 students in 175 areas of study, Cedarville is one of the
largest private universities in Ohio and is recognized nationally for its
authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, and high graduation
and retention rates. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.
The National Centers
of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program is managed by the National
Security Agency (NSA). NSA administrates the NCAE-C program in
collaboration with its federal partners: Department of Defense Office of the
Chief Information Officer (DoD-CIO), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency
(CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST)/National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE),
the National Science Foundation (NSF), and U.S. Cyber Command
(USCYBERCOM).
