NSA Recognizes Virginia Tech, U of Nebraska at Omaha for Security Education
The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly selected the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) and Virginia Tech to join the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE-CD) program, which is dedicated to designing more interdisciplinary knowledge and hands-on technical skills in cyber operations.
To be selected for a CAE-CD designation, universities must meet rigorous criteria set by the NSA, ranging from academic content to teaching methodologies.
Virginia Tech’s designation will enhance its existing efforts to develop a cyber-aware workforce through various education initiatives. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe commented, “This very technical, interdisciplinary, higher education program is firmly grounded in computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering disciplines and offers students an opportunity to attain the highest level of cyber credentialing in the commonwealth,” in a university statement.
Meanwhile, the NSA specifically awarded UNO’s undergraduate degree in cybersecurity. “This elite program complements the numerous centers for cyber defense overseen by NSA and focuses on emerging technology areas with rigorous hands-on training,” said Abhishek Parakh, associate professor and program committee chair for the undergraduate cybersecurity degree, in a university statement.
To view the complete list of Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, visit the NSA site.