St. Ambrose University has completed Phase I of a two-phase process to earn a National Security Agency (NSA) program designation. The National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) designation recognizes institutions whose cybersecurity program meets rigorous national standards for cybersecurity education.
“This is an exciting step for our program,” said Travis Eygaboard, EdD, Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Department Chair. “It gives prospective students and families an additional recognized benchmark when comparing cybersecurity programs.”
One of the standards evaluated programs must meet includes industry involvement. St. Ambrose University meets this requirement through its Computer and Information Sciences Alumni Advisory Council which works with industry representatives to provide feedback on SAU’s curriculum, ensuring cybersecurity laboratory resources, scripting, and programming languages are up to industry standards. It also provides students with networking opportunities, connecting them with industry leaders from companies like John Deere and Dell Technologies. The advisory council also evaluates the technical preparation of graduates to ensure students are getting an education that meets current industry standards.
“These relationships provide opportunities for industry professionals to offer input regarding changing workforce expectations, and the technical skills employers are seeking from cybersecurity graduates,” Eygabroad said.
The CAE-CD designation expands SAU’s connections with the broader national cybersecurity education community through a program sponsored by the NSA. This helps students connect to valuable nation-wide resources like workforce development and cybersecurity education.
Final approval of the CAE-CD designation is expected in October 2026.
