DHS and NSA Designated CAE Cyber Defense Schools Guide by State

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The demand for cyber security professionals is strong, and only expected to increase as the nation battles to protect its information infrastructure. The government has a vital need to protect this infrastructure, and this need produced the National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE). CAE programs are required to meet specific academic and program requirements, improving the depth of cyber operation programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. Because the field is evolving so rapidly, requirements are reviewed each year and strengthened as necessary.

National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)

The NSA and DHS are joint sponsors of the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) program, which promotes higher education in cyber defense, as well as research. The NSA and DHS designed the program to provide cyber defense professionals with the greatest possible expertise when government agencies realized they were falling behind in cyber defense because American universities were not providing high-level programs on the subject. While qualifying institutions receive formal US government recognition, there is no funding for these schools from NSA and DHS, but other funding sources are available.

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Overview of How Programs Get Certified

CAE certification rules are stringent. Applicants are required to meet a particular set of academic requirements, which are subject to annual review and upgraded as the institution’s program matures and technology advances. Such applications must demonstrate how programs meet these requirements and criteria in order for them to receive designation.

Knowledge units (KUs) are “mandatory topics and associated objectives” required for inclusion in the school’s degree or cyber security certificate program. The applicant must provide proof that each topic and KU objective is addressed via a process known as mapping. Although approximately 70 KUs exist, less than 24 are required for four-year institutions, and fewer than 12 are required for community colleges to reach mapping requirements.

KUs fall into three categories:

Two-Year Institutions
Four-Year Institutions
Optional Knowledge Units

At least two faculty members must actively teach cyber security courses. Schools must produce evidence that cyber security courses are currently maintained and offered on a regular basis or at least every 18 months. Cyber operations should be a focus area or specialization for the institution, and the school must provide evidence of cyber-related faculty grants, published papers, and conference presentations. Once the school is accepted for CAE certification, renewals must include at least three faculty members and eight students over the five-year designation time period.

Sample Courses in Approved Cyber Security Programs

Applied Cryptography
Cryptography is the science of data encryption, and applied cryptography focuses on practical methods of securing computer data privacy.
Network Security
This course concentrates on various aspects of maintaining secure networks including detecting intrusions, network auditing, collecting evidence, and developing contingency plans in case of an attack.
Application Security
In this course, students learn about malicious or harmful computer codes, and how to identify such activity and protect a company or organization from attacks.
Mobile Security
In this class, students learn how to protect data on devices ranging from smartphone to tablets.
Information, Security and Privacy
Students in this course are exposed to various methods used to threaten cyber security and privacy including phishing, pharming, ransomware, malware, and social engineering, along with best practices for preventing cyber risks.
Vulnerability Analysis and Penetration Testing
In this course, students learn how to find the vulnerabilities in a system, prioritizing them by critical importance, and then try to hack into the system via penetration testing. While the two terms are often used interchangeably, they refer to two different procedures.

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Designation Program Options from the Centers of Academic Excellence

CAE-2Y

Center for Academic Excellence 2Y is a two-year program offered to eligible community colleges. To qualify, such schools must have a strong Information Assurance (IA) program and their security courses must meet two of the Committee on National Security Systems training standards, that of CNSS 4011 and one other.

CAE-CDE

The formal name is NSA/DHS National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. A CAE in CD Education is awarded in associate, bachelor, masters, and doctoral programs. All regionally accredited two-year, four-year, and graduate level institutions in the US may apply for this designation, but the criteria is strict. Such a designation means the institution is “helping reduce threats to our national infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense as well as providing the nation with a pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals, as per the CAE.”

CAE-R

To receive a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research, institutions must either be a Department of Defense school, a military academy producing PhDs, or a regionally accredited college or university granting PhDs. Such institutions must qualify under the Carnegie Foundation Basic Classification system as either a Doctoral University – Highest Research Activity (R1), Doctoral University – Higher Research Activity (R2), or Doctoral University – Moderate Research Activity (R3).

CAE-CO

This acronym stands for Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations. This program is extremely technical as well as inter-disciplinary. It focuses on computer science and computer engineering, along with electrical engineering. It complements the CAE-CD program, emphasizing cyber operation techniques such as collection, exploitation, and response.

How Much of a Priority is CAE Program Approval in Cyber Security?

The CAE designation assures that you are learning what has been deemed the most important, up-to-date information by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). Since these two departments are some of the largest employers of cyber security professionals in the United States, and their need for new employees is increasing all the time, attending a CAE accredited institution is the best way to ensure that you have the best possible job prospects when you graduate.

However, that doesn’t mean that you HAVE to attend a CAE accredited school by any means. Small companies, large companies, and even city governments are in need of cyber security professionals and continue to hire those who have completed cybersecurity degrees at non-CAE universities, or even those who are self-taught in some cases, though self-taught individuals will likely need to obtain certification before they are truly trusted in their profession. Therefore, CAE accreditation is helpful but not necessary to get you into cyber security.

Approved CAE Cyber Defense Colleges

Currently, there are approximately 270 colleges and universities designated as CAEs in cyber defense across the country. To maintain CAE designation, the program or institution must apply for re-evaluation every five years.

These institutions of higher learning include:

University of Arizona in Sierra Vista, AZ offers a bachelor of science (BS) in cyber operations.
Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, offers a BS degree in Computer Network and System Administration, a minor in cybersecurity and a master’s degree in cybersecurity.
New York University Tandon School of Engineering in New York, New York, offers a master’s degree in cybersecurity, along with a cyber security specialization.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a major technology hub, offers a master of science in information security.
Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, offers a BS in computer science or computer engineering, along with a minor in cybersecurity.

Alabama

Auburn University
Calhoun Community College
Jacksonville State University
Snead State Community College
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
Tuskegee University
University of South Alabama

Arizona

Arizona State University
The University of Arizona, Tucson
University of Advancing Technology

Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

California

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, San Bernardino
Cypress College
Long Beach City College
National University
Naval Postgraduate School
University of California, Davis

Colorado

Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University – Pueblo
Colorado Technical University
Pikes Peak Community College
Pueblo Community College
Red Rocks Community College
Regis University
United States Air Force Academy
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
University of Denver

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Connecticut

University of New Haven

Delaware

University of Delaware
Wilmington University

D.C.

Georgetown University
The George Washington University

Florida

Daytona State College
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach Campus
Florida A&M University
Florida International University
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State University
Indian River State College
Nova Southeastern University
Saint Leo University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of West Florida
Valencia College

Georgia

Augusta Technical College
Augusta University
Columbus State University
Georgia Southern University – Armstrong Campus
Kennesaw State University
Middle Georgia State University
University of Georgia
University of North Georgia

Hawaii

Honolulu Community College
Leeward Community College
University of Hawaii – West Oahu

Idaho

Idaho State University
North Idaho College
University of Idaho

Illinois

College of DuPage
DePaul University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois State University
John A Logan College
Lewis University
Lincoln Land Community College
Moraine Valley Community College
Roosevelt University
University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Indiana

Indiana University
Ivy Tech Community College

Iowa

Iowa State University

Kansas

Fort Hays State University
University of Kansas

Kentucky

University of the Cumberlands

Louisiana

Bossier Parish Community College
Louisiana Tech University

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Maine

Maryland

Anne Arundel Community College
Bowie State University
Capitol Technology University
College of Southern Maryland
Hagerstown Community College
Harford Community College
Howard Community College
Morgan State University
Prince George’s Community College
The Community College of Baltimore County
The Johns Hopkins University
Towson University
United States Naval Academy
University of Maryland University College
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Massachusetts

Boston University
Northeastern University
University of Massachusetts Lowell

Michigan

Davenport University
Eastern Michigan University
Ferris State University
Grand Rapids Community College
Henry Ford College
Oakland University
University of Detroit Mercy
Walsh College

Minnesota

Capella University
Lake Superior College
Metropolitan State University
St. Cloud State University

Mississippi

Mississippi State University

Missouri

Metropolitan Community College – Kansas City
St. Louis Community College
University of Missouri – St. Louis

Montana

Missoula College

Nebraska

Bellevue University
Metropolitan Community College
Northeast Community College
University of Nebraska, Omaha

Nevada

College of Southern Nevada

New Jersey

County College of Morris
Fairleigh Dickinson University
New Jersey City University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Stevens Institute of Technology

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New Mexico

Central New Mexico Community College
University of New Mexico

New York

Fordham University
Mercy College
Mohawk Valley Community College
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Pace University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rockland Community College
Syracuse University
University at Albany, the State University of New York
University at Buffalo, the State University of New York
New York University Tandon School of Engineering

North Carolina

East Carolina University
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Montreat College
North Carolina A&T State University
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Ohio

Clark State Community College
Sinclair Community College
Terra State Community College
The Ohio State University
University of Cincinnati

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma State University
Rose State College
University of Tulsa

Oregon

Portland Community College

Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Drexel University
East Stroudsburg University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Pennsylvania State University
University of Pittsburgh
Valley Forge Military College
West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Community College of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island

South Carolina

Clemson University
The Citadel
University of South Carolina

South Dakota

Dakota State University

Tennessee

Fountainhead College of Technology
Jackson State Community College
Tennessee Tech University
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Memphis

Texas

El Paso Community College
Houston Community College
Laredo College
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio College
South Texas College
Southern Methodist University
St. Phillip’s College
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University, San Antonio
Texas State College in Harlingen
The University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Dallas
University of Houston
University of North Texas
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at San Antonio

Utah

Brigham Young University
Southern Utah University

Vermont

Champlain College
Norwich University

Virginia

Danville Community College
ECPI University
George Mason University
Hampton University
James Madison University
Liberty University
Lord Fairfax Community College
Marymount University
Norfolk State University
Northern Virginia Community College
Radford University
Regent University
Thomas Nelson Community College
Tidewater Community College
University of Virginia
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Washington

Columbia Basin College
Edmonds Community College
Green River College
Highline College
University of Washington
Whatcom Community College

DHS and NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense State College Guide