Bradley’s Center for Cybersecurity Named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
The National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security have designated the university’s Center for Cybersecurity as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through the 2028 academic year.
Being awarded with the prestigious designation means that Bradley’s curriculum meets the rigorous standards put forth by the NSA and Department of Defense in formulating effective cybersecurity education. Specifically, the Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Cybersecurity at Bradley aligns with, and meets criteria related to knowledge units developed as part of the U.S. government’s focus areas. These knowledge units are derived from or mapped to components of the NICE framework. The institution-wide designation increases scholarship opportunities for students and allows academic programs at Bradley to obtain additional funding to support cybersecurity education.
According to Dr. Jacob Young, director of the Center for Cybersecurity, “Obtaining the CAE designation has been my highest priority since arriving at Bradley in 2015. While Bradley has provided premier cybersecurity education for years, receiving such prestigious recognition from the National Security Agency demonstrates the quality and impact of our innovative cybersecurity education and community outreach efforts. The designation not only provides external validation for prospective students interested in studying cybersecurity at Bradley, but it also elevates the value of our alumni in the workforce.”
Obtaining the CAE designation is the result of a process that began in 2017 with the establishment of the Center for Cybersecurity, followed by the creation of the cybersecurity concentration within the Management Information Systems major in 2018, and the addition of a multidisciplinary Cybersecurity major in 2022. Both programs are offered by the Department of Entrepreneurship, Technology and Law in the Foster College of Business. The initial phase of the designation application process involved having the MIS cybersecurity concentration validated by the National Security Agency, which was completed in April 2023. The Center for Cybersecurity will now offer assistance with the validation process to other cybersecurity related programs available at Bradley.