The National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has renewed the designation of Southeast Missouri State University as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). The designation will last through the 2029 academic year.
The CAE-CD designation is held by only regionally accredited higher education institutions and is maintained with ongoing professional development. Southeast Missouri State University is one of only five four-year comprehensive universities in Missouri to receive the cyber defense designation.
“Cybersecurity education is crucial for protecting our information and systems in our increasingly digital world,” said SEMO President Dr. Carlos Vargas. “Our faculty work diligently to maintain the quality of SEMO’s cybersecurity degrees, and we are honored to be recognized for excellence by the NSA and Department of Homeland Security.”
The CAE-CD designation comes after a rigorous application process, divided into two phases: first, to demonstrate that all cybersecurity coursework in the master’s degree in cybersecurity meets NSA requirements, and second, to verify that the ongoing training requirements to maintain the designation have significant support from upper-level administration from several departments.
The CAE-CD designation will make SEMO students eligible for scholarships, internships, and job opportunities through the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE). The designation also includes training in the most up-to-date cybersecurity courses for faculty and offers opportunities for federal grants to further develop cybersecurity education at SEMO.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 32% increase in job growth for cybersecurity positions from 2022-2032. The CAE-CD designation and the upcoming cyber command center make SEMO one of the premier cybersecurity education schools in the Midwest. Not to mention, Southeast’s Cyber Defense team has won the Missouri Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition 11 times.