Virginia’s Centers of Academic Excellence

The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) program. The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise.  

NSA also sponsors a CAE in Cyber Operations program. The CAE-CO program is a deeply technical, interdisciplinary, higher education program firmly grounded in computer science, computer engineering, and/or electrical engineering disciplines, with extensive opportunities for hands-on applications via labs and exercises.

Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense - baccalaureate/graduate education

• ECPI University
• George Mason University
• James Madison University
• Liberty University
• Marymount University
• Norfolk State University
• Old Dominion University
• Radford University
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Commonwealth University

Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense - two-year education

• Danville Community College
• Germanna Community College
• Lord Fairfax Community College
• Northern Virginia Community College
• Thomas Nelson Community College
• Tidewater Community College
• Southwest Virginia Community College
• Virginia Western Community College

Centers of Academic Excellence in Research

• George Mason University
• Old Dominion University
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Tech
• Virginia Commonwealth

Centers of Academic Excellence National Resource Center

• Northern Virginia Community College

Centers of Academic Excellence for Cyber Operations.  

• Old Dominion University
• Virginia Tech