NSA Validates the EECS Undergraduate Certificate Degree Program

The Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Program has been validated by NSA National CAE Program in 2022, as a new Program of Study in Cybersecurity under KU’s CAE-CD designation. Sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly, the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Program aims to “reduce vulnerability in national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense (IA/CD)”. The University of Kansas has been designed as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) since 2009. KU also received the CAE in Cyber Defense Research (CAE-R) designation in 2019. It is the only institution in the State of Kansas that holds dual CAE designations.

The Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity at KU is a 12-credit undergraduate-level certificate program designed to provide fundamental knowledge of information security concepts, cryptography, information and network security, and computer systems security, as well as real-world practice with hands-on experiences in cyber defense. The purpose of the program is to provide theoretical and practical cybersecurity training to undergraduate students to produce professionals with expertise in the cybersecurity discipline, in responding to the call for higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace. Since 2019, 32 students have enrolled in the program and five students have successfully graduated with the certificate degree.

Additional details about the certificate program can be found here: Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity