FORT MEADE, Md. — The National Security Agency and the U.S. Naval Academy celebrated the designation of the Academy's cyber operations program as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) Nov. 10. The ceremony took place at the U.S. Naval Academy, in Hopper Hall, the Naval Academy’s newest building, named for retired computer scientist Real Admiral Grace Hopper. Diane M. Janosek, Commandant of NSA’s National Cryptologic School, which houses the CAE-CO program, presented the award to the Academy in a closed ceremony, NSA reported in a release.
The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program is managed by the National Cryptologic School at NSA. CAE-designated institutions must complete a validated Program of Study which is a series of courses and experiences that a student can reasonably accomplish in the course of attaining a degree or completing a certificate.
Program Highlights:
• In addition to academic coursework, students of a designated NCAE-CO program have the opportunity to participate in a 12-week summer internship at NSA. Selected students receive contextual learning experiences through cyber labs and cyber exercises and receive mentoring by working alongside NSA employees and Technical Directors.
• Students of a designated NCAE-CO program are eligible for scholarships and grants through the DoD Cybersecurity Scholarship Program (CySP) and the Federal Cyber Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program.
For more information on the Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations programs, please see the fact sheet here.