Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD)
The University of South Alabama School of Computing has been re-designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As noted on nsa.gov, the “NCAE-C program aims to create and manage a collaborative cybersecurity educational program with community colleges, colleges, and universities that:
- Establishes standards for cybersecurity curriculum and academic excellence,
- Includes competency development among students and faculty,
- Values community outreach and leadership in professional development,
- Integrates cybersecurity practice within the institution across academic disciplines,
- Actively engages in solutions to challenges facing cybersecurity education.”
The designation was first awarded to the University of South Alabama in 2011 as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Systems Security Education. The University of South Alabama was re-designated as a National Center of Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) in 2022. CAE-CD designated institutions focus on preparing graduates to help reduce threats to our national infrastructure through higher education and research in cyber defense. The NCAE designation allows institutions to be able to compete for grants including the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Scholarship for Service program. This prestigious national designation covers the academic years 2022-2027.
Students wishing to complete the approved cybersecurity program must declare as a BS in Information Technology major with Networking concentration. Information regarding the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree program is posted at USA ITE Program Objectives and Outcomes and ITE Program Requirements.
Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research (CAE-R)
The University of South Alabama School of Computing was awarded a designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security in 2024, valid through 2029.
According to the National Security Agency, the purpose of the designation program is to support and further build the cadre of experts to address challenges resulting from the onslaught of ever-evolving cyberattacks as well as allow the U.S. government to engage research experts to solve the most challenging cybersecurity problems confronting our nation.
The selection criteria for the award includes administrative support and institutional commitment, strength of doctoral programs, research productivity in cybersecurity publications and professional and scholarly service in the cybersecurity research community.
“The designation places the School of Computing in an elite pool of just over 80 institutions across the nation that are CAE-R designated,” said Dr. Todd McDonald, director of the Center for Forensics, Information Technology and Security in the School of Computing. “The recognition shows how our Ph.D. in computing provides tremendous opportunities for students and faculty to explore many cybersecurity topics. It also helps show our maturity and growth over the last decade, especially as the University is currently considering ways in which we can reach Carnegie R1 status.”
