NATIONAL CENTERS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN CYBERSECURITY

Orientation to Program of Study Requirements

National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

• Academic Program of Study: a defined series of elements that leads to the completion of a degree, a certificate or other defined set of outcomes by the institution.
• Curriculum: Courses and education elements aligned to NCAE-C Knowledge Units & NCWF/DCWF
• Students: enrollment & completion of PoS, examples of work, extracurricular activity
• Faculty: Full and part-time, adjunct qualifications, research, publication, etc
• Continuous Improvement: evaluation plan & process

Step One: Academic Validation

Step Two: Institution Designation

• Must be a U.S. institution of higher education and hold current regional accreditation
• Institutional Commitment: President’s letter
• Cybersecurity Center: support to the institution
• Sound cybersecurity posture and plan
• Sustainability (resources, capacity for success)
• Faculty professional development
• Outreach to the community
• Credit transfer/Articulation agreements

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Add another PoS

OR

PoS only,

re-validate every 5 years

• A Knowledge Area (KA) is a broad topic area that may have multiple KUs developed
• A Knowledge Unit (KU) is a thematic grouping that encompass multiple related learning outcomes and learning topics.
• A Knowledge Unit (KU) outcome is a specific assessment of a concept associated with a particular KU.
• Course outcomes are the expectations that the academic institution is anticipating students will be able to demonstrate when completing a course in the context of the Program of Study (PoS).
• KU Alignment: the process of documenting how the KUs and KU outcomes are aligned to the relevant courses in the PoS and/or associated work roles.

National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

KU Development Process & Timeline

• Feb email to NCAE-C schools
• Written input before Workshop 1
• Virtual Workshop 1 after in-person Workshop 1
• Distribute updates after each workshop, ask for input
• Virtual workshop after Workshop 2
• Virtual workshop after Workshop 3
• Schools have input through July

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• March Workshop 1
• Condense and refine
• April Workshop 2: CAE Program focus
• Condense and refine
• June Workshop 3
• Condense and refine
• Produce final draft in June
• Coordinate through July
• Finalize & publish in August

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Virtual/Email/Google docs (PMO)

In Person (Towson/MITRE)

NCAE-C Designation Requirements

NCAE-C Research designation does not have KU requirements

Bachelors/Masters

Questions/Discussion

Questions for April 15 Workshop at Louisville:

• Use NCAE-C Cybersecurity Foundational and Core requirements for AI PoS? CD or CO? Do both count? Non-Technical Core?
• CAE-R participation?
• Do we need specific KUs for Security of AI and AI for Cybersecurity?
• Foundational KUs for all AI in Cybersecurity with Core for each of those functions (Security of AI and AI for Cybersecurity) ?
• How many optional KUs?
• Degree requirements?

440 Unique Designated Institutions 

41 Validated Programs of Study* (PoS)

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153 Cyber Defense (Associates)

248 Cyber Defense (BA-PhD)

80 Research

20 Cyber Operations (BA-PhD)

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*These schools hold Validation only, have not yet received designation

As of 17 Jan 2024

NCAE-C Designated Institutions Distribution Nationwide

440 Unique Designated Institutions 

41 Validated Programs of Study* (PoS)

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153 Cyber Defense (Associates)

248 Cyber Defense (BA-PhD)

80 Research

20 Cyber Operations (BA-PhD)

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*These schools hold Validation only, have not yet received designation

As of 17 Jan 2024

NCAE-C Designated Institutions Distribution Nationwide

Most of the 41 Validated-only programs will become designated; this is just the first step

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Collectively, schools hold 501 discreet designations; many hold multiple designations

Program of Study

Course outcomes align with Knowledge Unit outcomes

Candidate’s choice (depends on degree)

Optional KUs

Consolidated KU Outcomes

PoS Outcomes

NCWF/DCWF

Work Roles

Knowledge & Tasks

Learning Outcomes

NCAE-CD/CO KUs - Work Roles & Competencies

All-Source Analyst

Target Network Analyst

Cyber Policy and Strategy Planner

Information Sys Security Manager

Security Control Assessor

Systems Requirements Planner

Documented Competencies

Evidence of ability to perform a task in the context of a work role

Student can use online tools to identify jobs

Knowledge and tasks matching PoS

Knowledge and tasks matching PoS

Knolwedge and tasks matching PoS

NCAE-C Knowledge Units

Knowledge Unit Template

Title

The intent of this KU is to provide students …..

KU Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

1.

2.

3.

Topics

1.

2.

3.

Notes/Prerequisites

Special instructions or explanations

KU student outcomes outline the core attributes of PoS graduates

No fixed requirements for the number of core hours or semester weeks needed to cover content; defined by learning outcomes

Topics are deliberately broad to allow schools to apply discretion and expertise to make unique programs

A KU may be covered by one or more courses

PoS must include hands-on activities such as configuring/deploying tools, writing/executing programs and scripts, conducting tasks associated with associated work roles

KUs may require prerequisites not included in the PoS (math, computer science, data structure and management, etc)

NCAE-C Knowledge Units, CAE-CD

Foundational CD Knowledge Units

Cybersecurity Foundations

Cybersecurity Principles

IT Systems Components

Core Technical CD Knowledge Units

Basic Cryptography

Basic Networking

Basic Scripting and Programming

Network Defense

Operating Systems Concepts

Core Non-Tech CD Knowledge Units

Cyber Threats

Cybersecurity Planning & Management

Policy, Legal, Ethics and Compliance

Security Program Management

Security Risk Analysis

Optional CD Knowledge Units

Advanced Algorithms

Advanced Cryptography

Advanced Network Tech & Protocols

Algorithms

Analog Telecommunications

Basic Cyber Operations

Cloud Computing

Cyber Crime

Cybersecurity Ethics

Data Administration

Data Structures

Database Management Systems

Databases

Device forensics

Digital Communications

Digital Forensics

Embedded Systems

Forensic Accounting

Formal Methods

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Fraud Prevention & Management

Hardware Reverse Engineering

Host Forensics

IA Architectures

IA Coompliance

IA Standards

Independent Directed Study/Research

Industrial Control Systems

Introduction to Theory of Computation

Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems

Life-Cycle Security

Low Level programming

Media Forensics

Mobile Technologies

Network Forensics

Network Security Administration

Network Technology and Protocols

Operating Systems Administration

+18

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