May 16, 2019

Joe Garvey, News@ODU

The National Security Agency (NSA) has designated Old Dominion University a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations Fundamental for 2019-2024.

ODU gained the designation by demonstrating the faculty research grants and publications related to the field of cyber operations and the capability to provide undergraduate curricula that satisfy the necessary academic requirements (100% of the mandatory knowledge units and a minimum of 10 of the 17 optional knowledge units).

Specifically cited was ODU’s Bachelor of Science in Cyber Operations.

“It has been a long journey,” said Hongyi “Michael” Wu, Batten Chair of Cybersecurity and director of the Center for Cybersecurity Education and Research. “The hard, persistent teamwork of the interdisciplinary cyber faculty finally paid off.”

Only 12 bachelor’s programs across the country have this designation, said Brian Payne, vice provost for academic affairs. Of those 12, just one other is a bachelor’s in cybersecurity. The others are bachelor’s in computer science or cyber science.

The only other Virginia institution with a cyber operations designation is Virginia Tech. Its degree is in computer science.

“This means we are the only one in Virginia to have an NSA cyber ops designation specifically in a cybersecurity program,” Payne said.

Payne added that he believes ODU’s program is the only one that is truly interdisciplinary.

“In fact, when meeting with the NSA reviewers, they specifically applauded this aspect of our program,” he said.

ODU will receive its official certificate during an awards ceremony at the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education on June 11 in Las Vegas.

Use this link to see the list of current NSA CAE-Cyber Operations designated schools.