Purdue University Global earns National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education designation

INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue University Global has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education through academic year 2025 for its Bachelor of Science degree in cybersecurity.

The Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence program. The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and expertise in cyber defense.

All regionally accredited two-year, four-year and graduate-level institutions in the U.S. are eligible to apply to become a CAE-CD school. Institutions are designated based on their robust degree programs and close alignment to specific cybersecurity-related knowledge units, validated by top subject matter experts in the field. Applications are reviewed by a team of government personnel and peer reviewers.

“We are honored to become a part of the CAE-CD community,” said Tina Burton, associate dean for the School of Business and Information Technology. “I am very proud of our program and how it changes students’ lives while they are prepared for a successful career in cybersecurity.”

Purdue Global’s cybersecurity bachelor’s degree helps students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to protect companies from a wide range of cyber threats. The degree provides rigorous training designed to help students master the fundamentals of cybersecurity, recognize best practices, and identify IT security threats and products.

Furthermore, the Purdue Global Cybersecurity Center is a resource for current and prospective IT and cybersecurity students to learn more about training programs and become more engaged in the cybersecurity community.

Zeke Terryberry, from Leesburg, Virginia, will complete his bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity on Tuesday (Aug. 18). He spoke in glowing terms about his experience with the program and plans to begin pursuit of a Master of Science degree in cybersecurity management in September.

“Purdue Global provided me an opportunity to build a foundation of knowledge about the cybersecurity career path,” Terryberry said. “The assignments in classes were relevant to my current job in the information technology field and allowed me to explore more technical aspects. The pace of classes was manageable with a full-time job, and expectations were clearly outlined in each unit objectives. When I struggled with understanding topics, professors were helpful in providing clarity or feedback.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analysts in the U.S. is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2018 to 2028.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global is the extreme personalization online university, providing students the competitive edge to advance in their chosen careers. It offers a hyper-tailored path for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global serves more than 31,000 students (as of June 2020), most of whom earn their degree online. It also operates several regional locations nationwide. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates two regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest, Indiana, as well as serving close to 6,000 science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, please visit purdueglobal.edu.

Writer, Media contact: Tom Schott, 765-427-1721, tschott@purdue.edu

Sources: Tina Burton, TBurton@purdueglobal.edu

Ezekiel Terryberry