The designation is only considered for institutions with a CAE program of study validated by the National Security Agency, in partnership with CAE. This year, Quinnipiac’s first application for CAE-CD (Cyber Defense) program validation was approved for the university’s Master of Science in Cybersecurity, said Frederick Scholl, Quinnipiac’s cybersecurity program director. 

“It really is the government’s ‘seal of approval’ that our program and university meet what they think are best practices for teaching cybersecurity, and also practicing it at the university level,” Scholl said.

Quinnipiac is among the first of Connecticut’s educational institutions to receive the CAE-CD designation and join the community of National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.

“We’re part of a community of best practices. It’s going to help us continue to grow and expand our program quality,” Scholl said.

The designation allows the university to apply for government grants and scholarships offered by the National Security Agency and other federal agencies. Applications for the first group of scholarships are underway.

“There are lot of these programs where the government wants to help more students get into the cybersecurity field, and they also want people to work for the government; but I think that’s also an exciting opportunity for people who are interested in government service and keeping the country secure,” said Scholl.

The process leading up to CAE-CD program validation requires three years of program implementation prior to applying for validation review. The ensuing review process takes nearly three more years, said Scholl.

Quinnipiac’s CAE-CD program designation is valid through the 2027 academic year. The program of study will then be reviewed for redesignation based on curriculum aspects as well as the management of a continuous improvement structure for the program.

“I think the federal government has done a really good job of coming up with best practices that educational institutions should adhere to, so I think it’s an excellent program for us to demonstrate the quality that we have, and also to continue to maintain it,” Scholl said.