by Benjamin Konuch, Student Public Relations Writer
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.”
Cedarville University, a Baptist institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. With 6,384 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by the Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics, and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at 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).