For the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program for retention scholarship candidates, the following list of degree programs/paths are the only options through the DoD CySP.  The DoD CySP does not offer scholarships to attend a school of choice or to pay for degree programs currently in progress. The DoD CySP will not pay for “like” degrees.  Individuals who already hold a degree Cyber, Information Technology, Information Assurance, Computer Science, or any other related technical field may apply but need to apply for the next level higher.  Example:  An applicant currently has a Master’s in Computer Science they would be eligible to apply for a PhD/Doctorate but not another Master’s Program.  Additional information on the programs listed below can be found in follow-on sections of this document.

• PhD:
  • Air Force Institute of Technology: (Full-time / In-Resident ONLY) (January 2023 or August 2023)
    • PhD in Computer Science
    • PhD in Electrical Engineering
    • PhD in Computer Engineering
  • Naval Postgraduate School: (Full-time / In-Resident ONLY) (January 2023 or July 2023)
    • PhD in Computer Science
    • PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering
    • PhD in Information Sciences
    • PhD in Mathematics
• Master’s:
  • Air Force Institute of Technology: (Full-time / In-Resident ONLY) (January 2023 or August 2023)
    • Master of Science in Cyber Operations
    • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
    • Master of Science in Computer Engineering
    • Master of Science in Computer Science
    • Master of Science in System Engineering (Cyber Systems)
  • Naval Postgraduate School: (Full-time / In-Resident ONLY) (January 2023 or July 2023)
    • Master of Science in Computer Science
    • Master of Science in Cyber Systems and Operations
    • Master of Applied Cyber Operations
    • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering / Engineering Science
    • Master of Business Administration in Information Systems Management
    • Professional Master’s of Business Administration
    • Professional Master’s of Business Administration (Part-time / Distributed Learning)
• Graduate Certificates:
  • Naval Postgraduate School (Possible for Part-time / Distributed Learning) (January 2023 or July 2023)
    • See NPS information below for additional guidance.
• Associate’s:
  • Community colleges designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (Both Full-time / Part-time & In-residence / Distance Learning) (January 2023 or August or September 2023)
    • List of designated institutions: https://www.caecommunity.org/cae-institution-map
    • Applicants will be provided a list of eligible institutions shortly after the application due date.
• Other Programs:
  • • Joint Cyber Analysis Course (JCAC) Partner Program (Active-Duty Military ONLY) (August or September 2023)
      • Utilizing pre-established NSA agreements graduates of the JCAC program may transfer credits into an undergraduate or graduate program.
      • JCAC is housed at the Information Warfare Training Command Corry Station, Pensacola, Florida.
      • DoD CySP Program Office cannot assist interested military service members with acceptance to the JCAC Program.

The Naval Postgraduate School offers a range of technical and non-technical programs in support of cybersecurity and cyber operations.  Discipline-specific and interdisciplinary degree programs allow students to study cyber operations in depth and include courses on cyber policy and strategy as well as cyber operations from a military perspective. NPS programs cover cybersecurity from both a developmental and operational perspective through courses that combine theory and practice.  NPS programs allow students to apply adversarial techniques, exploitation, and cyber defense through exploratory, hand-on activities.   Non-technical offerings allow students to prepare for leadership roles in defense business and management.

Details regarding all NPS programs can be found at: https://nps.smartcatalogiq.com/en/Current/Academic-Catalog 

A. Technical Programs

Enlisted service members may only apply for the Master’s Degree programs.

Master’s Degree Programs.  Applicants may apply for the following degree programs:  Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science (CS), MS in Cyber Systems and Operations (CSO), MS in Electrical Engineering (MSEE), MS in Engineering Science (MSES), MBA Information Systems Management, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Information Sciences, or Mathematics.  For most Master’s programs listed, resident classes at the NPS begin in July 2023 and January 2024.

MS in Computer Science (Curriculum 368):

• Full-time, in-residence only.
• Cyber Operations and/or Cybersecurity and Defense specialization
• Requires 8 to 9 academic quarters (24 or 27 months) to complete.
• All MS CS degree students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, complete thesis research, and write a thesis.

MS in Cyber Systems and Operations (Curriculum 326):

• Full-time, in-residence only.
• Requires 7 academic quarters (21 months) to complete.
• All MS CSO degree students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, complete thesis research, and write a thesis.

Master of Applied Cyber Operations (Curriculum 336):

• Full-time, in residence only.
• Eligibility: Enlisted personnel in U.S. military services with the equivalent of Navy Cryptologic Technician Networks (CTN) and Information Systems Technician (IT) ratings.
• Requires 5 academic quarters (15 months) to complete.
• All MS CSO degree students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, complete thesis research, and write a thesis.

MS in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) or in Engineering Science EE (MSES (EE) ): (Curriculum 590):

• Full-time, in-residence only.
• MSEE is ABET accredited. BSEE from ABET accredited program required.
• Cyber Systems specialization
• Requires 8 academic quarters (24 months) to complete.
• All MSEE and MSES(EE) degree students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, complete thesis research, and write a thesis.

MBA in Information Systems Management (Curriculum 870):

• Full-time, in-residence only.
• Requires 6 academic quarters (18 months) to complete.
• It is expected that students will enroll in cyber security or cyber operations elective courses.
• All MBA in Information Systems degree students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, complete an MBA Project, and write an MBA Project report.

PhD Programs. NPS offers PhD programs in cyber-related fields: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Sciences, and Mathematics.

• Full-time, in-residence only.
• Requires three years to complete.
• All PhD students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, and complete both written and oral qualifying examinations as specified by the department awarding the degree.  Upon completion of required examinations, students must complete dissertation research.
• Students must successfully defend their dissertation before a dissertation committee.

In addition to the Academic Catalog, department-specific details for NPS PhD programs can be found at the websites listed below.

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Graduate Certificates. All NPS graduate certificates in cyber-related topics are available to resident (Res) students. Certain certificates are available to distributed learning (DL) students. Any single course can be applied to only one certificate. A cohort of at least 20 students is required for each DL certificate. Send inquiries regarding active cohorts to cyberapps@nps.edu with CySP in the subject line.

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B. NPS Graduate School of Defense Management (GSDM) Programs

Professional Master’s of Business Administration (Curriculum 860 Resident):

• Full-time, in residence.
• Cyber electives.
• Requires 4 academic quarters (12-months) to complete.
• All PMBA resident students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports, complete a thesis or project, and write a thesis or project report.

Professional Master’s of Business Administration (Curriculum 865 DL):

• Part-time, distributed learning (DL).
• Cyber electives.
• Requires up to 20 quarters to complete (at 1 course per quarter), less with a heavier course load.
• May be completed by stacking several graduate-level certificates together.
• All PMBA DL students must submit quarterly transcripts/progress reports; complete a thesis, project, or capstone course sequence; and complete required written thesis or project reports.

Both the resident and DL PMBA programs deliver a core of defense-focused management courses to equip students with essential skills and knowledge to lead effectively in defense business and management. The programs’ flexible design provides sponsoring agencies and students opportunities to to achieve their particular professional goals by selecting a combination of courses and/or certificates that meet their specific needs. The PMBA programs provides students with a solid background in management fundamentals; financial management; economic analysis; operations and logistics, and acquisition management. In a cyber-focused program, the required core GSDM courses are accompanied by a cyber-related certificate program or a set of cyber-related electives.

A notional set of certificates for the PMBA DL program is illustrated below.

The program is completed with an acceptable project, thesis, or capstone course sequence.

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GSDM certificates.  Selected GSDM certificates are listed below. Each certificate requires the completion of four courses and consists of 12 or more credits.

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NPS Requirements.  The minimum eligibility requirements for participation in the CySP through NPS are listed below.  These requirements will not be waived.

• GS-9 grade level or higher (or equivalent); E-4 through E-9; WO-1 through WO-4; O-1 or higher (typical student is an O-3).
• MS or MBA degree program, or graduate certificate program:  bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent.
• PhD program requirements are determined individually based on colleges/universities the applicant attended, years since the applicant’s last degree, work-related accomplishments, and other factors.  Generally, NPS requires PhD candidates to be in the upper half of their MS program peers.
• A copy of GRE or GMAT scores.
• Students must have, or be eligible to apply for and receive, a Secret clearance upon acceptance. For certain programs, students must have a TS/SCI clearance upon acceptance.

Questions regarding specific offerings should be addressed to cyberapps@nps.edu with CySP in the subject line.  General questions may be addressed to Dr. Cynthia Irvine, irvine@nps.edu.

AFIT offers Masters of Science (MS) degrees with majors in Cyber Operations, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science.  The Cyber Operations major provides an in-depth study of defensive and offensive theory, tools, and techniques associated with protection and exploitation of information-based systems.  The other majors stated above allow for specialization in information assurance (IA) through a subset of courses from the Cyber Operations degree program.  More information about these majors can be found at https://www.afit.edu/ENG/programs.cfm.  Doctoral degree opportunities in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science are also available.

AFIT also offers an MS degree in Systems Engineering with a domain specialization in Cyber Systems which provides students with the prerequisite capabilities necessary to efficiently design, analyze, deploy, protect, and exploit cyber systems (e.g., the combination of people, processes, and technology).  Focus areas include database development, cyber security, network defense, data analytics, and risk management.

All students are expected to start in the Fall quarter (August 2023) due to course sequencing.  Other start dates are possible, but are handled on a case-by-case basis and would require a waiver.

MS in Cyber Operations, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Systems Engineering (Cyber Systems):

• Full-time, in-residence only.  MS students must complete thesis research and a written thesis.
• Requires 18 months for completion; an individual student’s program may need to begin earlier (June) if prerequisite knowledge is needed.

PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Engineering:

• Full-time, in-residence only. PhD students must complete a doctoral dissertation.
• Requires three years to complete; an individual student’s program may be extended if prerequisite knowledge is needed.

AFIT Requirements. Listed below are the minimum eligibility requirements for participation in the CySP through AFIT.  These requirements will not be waived.

• Civilian and military applicants may be of any grade.
• Applicants pursuing an MS degree must have an appropriate bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA.  Applicants pursuing a PhD must have an appropriate master’s degree and a 3.5 GPA.
• Required GRE scores:

• MS degree applicants: at or above 153 verbal/148 quantitative (for tests taken on or after August 1, 2011) or at or above 500 verbal/600 quantitative (for tests taken prior to August 1, 2011).
• PhD applicants: at or above 156 verbal/151 quantitative (for tests taken on or after August 1, 2011) or 550 verbal/650 quantitative (for tests taken prior to August 1, 2011).

Questions concerning AFIT programs should be addressed to Dr. Barry Mullins at (937) 255-3636, ext. 7979; DSN 785-3636, ext. 7979, or via email at barry.mullins@afit.edu.  Alternate contact is Dr. Scott Graham at (937) 255-3636, ext. 4581; DSN 785-3636 ext. 4581, or via email at scott.graham@afit.edu.

The Joint Cyber Analysis Course (JCAC) is an intensive 126-day (26 week) Course of Instruction (COI) designed to prepare service members for the Cyberspace Mission.  The course covers a wide variety of topics from basic computer fundamentals to advanced cyber operations (CO) topics.  JCAC utilizes virtualized systems and networks to provide students with a hands-on experience that closely mimics CO scenarios that would occur in the mission.  JCAC graduates support Cyber Mission Force work roles

Uniformed military members who will graduate from JCAC or who have graduated in the past 4 years may apply to the DoD CySP and transfer JCAC credits to one of the following partner programs.

Capitol Technology University:  POC:  Dr. William Butler, whbutler@captechu.edu

• BS – Cyber and Information Security
• BS – Cyber Analytics
• BS – Management of Cyber and Information Technology
• MS – Cyber and Information Technology
• MS – Cyber Analytics
• DS – Cybersecurity

Dakota State University:  POC:  Dr. Josh Pauli, josh.pauli@dsu.edu

• BS – Cyber Operations
• MS – Applied Computer Science with Specialization in Cyber Operations

University of Maryland Global Campus:  POC:  Dr. Loyce Pailen, loyce.pailen@umgc.edu

• BS – Cybersecurity
• BS – Computer Science
• MS – Cybersecurity Technology

University of Texas at San Antonio:  POC:  Prof. Glenn Dietrich, Glenn.Dietrich@utsa.edu

• BBA – Cybersecurity
• BS – Computer Science – concentration in computer security
• BS – Computer Science – concentration in cyber operations
• MS – IT concentration in Cybersecurity
• MS – Management of Technology
• PhD – Cyber Security (resident only)

University of West Florida:  POC:  Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, eelsheikh@uwf.edu

• BS – Computing and Information Science – concentration in Cybersecurity

The DoD CySP is utilizing a partnership program between specific National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-Cs) and the JCAC program.  The DoD CySP cannot assist interested military service members with acceptance to the JCAC program.  Additional NCAE-Cs may be added in the future.

The Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 115-91) required the DoD to establish a community college scholarship program within the CySP.  Permanent DoD civilian and uniformed employees seeking to enhance their cyber skills and knowledge may pursue an Associate degree at a community college or college/university offering 2-year degrees designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security (NCAE-C).

The following NCAE-C community college has elected to participate in this year’s DoD CySP retention program:

Eastern New Mexico University, Ruidoso Campus; Associate of Applied Science – Information Systems Cybersecurity

While it is possible that an applicant may be geographically co-located with a participating institution, it is more likely that academic studies will be completed via distance learning.

Students participating in this program will have up to four years to complete an Associate degree.  Ideal candidates will have earned previous academic credits that can be applied toward completing their degree.  Most programs offer experienced-based credits.  In addition, schools may offer credit for specific technical training received.  An excellent resource is the Military Occupational Specialty Crosswalk maintained by CyberWatch West: http://cyberwatchwest.org/index.php/faculty-141/mos-pathways.

All applicants are encouraged to discuss their specific interests and qualifications with the NCAE-C to determine the best fit for their academic needs.

The DoD CySP Program Office can assist the applicant with identifying an institution’s point of contact.

Any questions? Email AskCySP@nsa.gov