Honoring a Decade of Impact, Securing the Next Decade of AI-driven Innovation
We recently released our annual report, 10th year anniversary edition, Honoring a Decade of Impact, Securing the Next Decade of AI-driven Innovation. It covers Academic Year 2025-2026 and stories from our early years as a new School.
This document demonstrates the institutional growth and academic distinction we have achieved over the past decade and highlights our programs, experiential learning opportunities, scholarships, research, publications, outreach activities, awards, etc.
We look forward to advancing the School's core mission through targeted strategic initiatives designed to elevate curricula, expand research capabilities, and enrich public engagement.
Over the past decade, we have transformed from a pioneering academic initiative to a nationally recognized leader in cyber education, research, and workforce development. We started with a cohort of 11 students in 2015 and have grown to almost 1700 students and over 1500 alumni.
We have earned national designations for excellence, expanded interdisciplinary programs, and built strong partnerships with industry and government to prepare students for critical roles in securing the digital world.
We are proudly part of an exclusive group of elite universities that have received all three Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) designations from NSA. We are also one of the first universities in the nation to have received Program of Study (PoS) Validation for our AI for Cybersecurity (AICyber) and Security of AI (SecureAI) programs.
To celebrate 10 years of excellence, we announced a number of initiatives and events throughout the academic year 2025-2026.
New Programs
-
We introduced a new major in our B.S. program, Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity (AICyber)
-
We introduced a new Concentration in our M.S. program, Concentration in AI for Cybersecurity
-
We redesigned our M.S. program, Concentration in AI Security to integrate new advances in generative AI into the curriculum
-
We introduced two new Online Graduate Certificates, AI in Cyber Defense Certificate and Trustworthy AI
-
We expanded our Bridge to M.S. in Cybersecurity program.
-
We launched the first PhD in Cybersecurity program at a public university in Virginia
Partnerships
-
We signed and Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the U.S. Cyber Command and joined their Academic Engagement Network. This will enable close collaboration with the U.S. Cyber Command to engage the future workforce and increase cyber applied research and innovation.
-
We joined the Amazon AWS University Partnership that will provide a path to internship and certificates for our students.
-
We partnered with ODU’s University Information Security Office (UISO) to run a student led Security Operations Center (SOC). This will allow the students to get hands-on experience in a real SOC environment.