ITEM NUMBER:
PhD in Cybersecurity Degree Program Proposal
PURPOSE OF ITEM:
The PhD in Cybersecurity degree program proposal is under consideration by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) for initiation in Fall 2026. The degree program was originally entitled, “PhD in Cyber Security Engineering.” Board action is required to approve the revised name of the degree program.
APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE:
Academic Affairs Committee
BRIEF NARRATIVE:
On September 26, 2024, the Board of Visitors approved George Mason University’s proposal for a PhD degree program in Cyber Security Engineering. The proposal was submitted to SCHEV in August of 2025. Feedback from SCHEV staff included discussion of a name change to the proposal that would eliminate unnecessary confusion between the terms “cybersecurity” and “cyber security engineering.” Faculty determined that a name change would benefit the degree program. The revised name, “PhD in Cybersecurity,” must be approved by the Board of Visitors before consideration of the degree program can resume at SCHEV.
The proposed degree program is built upon the existing bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Cyber Security Engineering offered by the Department of Cyber Security Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing and will create a pathway for doctoral level research and training for students in these degree programs.
The proposed program will train students to solve the next generation of engineering and research problems, educate the future workforce, and lead government agencies and industries in the domain of cybersecurity. The proposed degree program responds to the escalating challenges of an increasingly interconnected and digitized world. The proposed degree program will prepare students for the growing faculty and researcher positions in academia, industry, and government on cyber security education and research. Establishing a PhD program in cybersecurity will address the shortage of experts, foster a robust research community in Virginia, and contribute to the evolution of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in cybersecurity.
REVENUE IMPLICATIONS:
The program at launch will be revenue neutral. The required core courses will be offered by existing faculty, and the program does not require new laboratory or other facilities. It is anticipated that the program to be revenue enhancing as it reaches maturity.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends Board approval.
I. Basic Program Information
Institution (official name) Degree Program Designation Degree Program Name
CIP code
Anticipated Initiation Date Governing Board Approval Date (actual or anticipated)
George Mason University Doctor of Philosophy Cybersecurity
Fall 2026
Anticipated December 4, 2025
STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR VIRGINIA
Program Announcement Form
II. Curriculum Requirements. Address the following using appropriate bolded category headings:
- Core Coursework and total credit hours (include course descriptor/designator, name, and credit hour value). Indicate new courses with an asterisk.
- Sub Areas (e.g., concentrations, emphasis area, tracks) and total credit hours. Include brief description of focus/purpose of sub area and required courses.
- Additional requirements (e.g., internship, practicum, research, electives, thesis, dissertation) and total credit hours
- Total credit hours for the curriculum/degree program.
Core Courses: 18 credits
CYSE 700: Research Methodology and Pedagogy in Cybersecurity (3 credits) CYSE 710: Advanced Networks and Cybersecurity (3 credits)*
CYSE 757: Cyber Law (3 credits)*
CYSE 780: Advanced Hardware and Cyber-Physical Systems Security (3 credits)* CYSE 788: Advanced Systems Engineering for Cybersecurity (3 credits)*
CYSE 789: Advanced Artificial Intelligence Methods for Cybersecurity (3 credits)*
Restricted Electives: 30 credits
Students select 6 credits from the following courses.
CYSE 760: Human Factors in Cyber Security (3 credits)* CYSE 770: Fundamentals of Operating Systems (3 credits)* ECE 646: Applied Cryptography (3 credits)
Students select 24 credits from a list of courses.
CS 530: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (3 credits)
CS 583: Analysis of Algorithms (3 credits)
CYSE 640: Wireless Network Security (3 credits)
CYSE 650: Topics in Cyber Security Engineering (3 credits)
CYSE 698: Independent Study and Research (3 credits)
CYSE 750: Advanced Topics in Cyber Security Engineering (3 credits) CYSE 765: Quantum Information Processing and Security (3 credits)* CYSE 785: Advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems Security (3 credits) ISA 764: Security Experimentation (3 credits)
ISA 862: Models for Computer Security (3 credits)
ISA 863: Advanced Topics in Computer Security (3 credits)
OR 719: Graphical Models for Inference and Decision Making (3 credits)
Program Announcement Form Page 1
Research Requirement: 12 credits
CYSE 998: Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (3-12 credits)*
Dissertation Requirement: 12 credits
CYSE 999: Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)*
Total: 72 credit hours
III. Description of Educational Outcomes. Use bullets to list outcomes. (max. 250 words)
Students will learn to
• Apply foundational knowledge of cybersecurity to engineering applications.
• Analyze cyber-physical systems, networks, software, and hardware for vulnerabilities
to various attack scenarios.
• Integrate security fundamentals in building secure and resilient cyber infrastructure,
including large-scale cyber-physical systems and networks.
• Apply quantitative and qualitative methods to cybersecurity.
• Construct approaches for predicting, detecting, and responding to cyber threats
utilizing artificial intelligence.
• Evaluate the principles of cyber law and how they impact cybersecurity occurrences. • Design curriculum and pedagogical experiences for training the next generation of
cyber security engineers.
• Lead innovative research that contributes to the cyber security engineering knowledge
base.
IV. Description of Workplace Competencies/Skills. Use bullets to list outcomes. (max. 250 words)
V. Duplication. Provide information for each existing degree program at a Virginia public institution at the same degree level. Use SCHEV’s degree/certificate inventory and institutions’ websites.
Institution Program degree designation, name, and Degrees granted (most
CIP code recent 5-yr average)
*ODU is currently developing a stand-alone PhD degree program in Cybersecurity.
Graduate will be able to
- Conduct fundamental research to push the frontiers of cybersecurity defense andmitigation techniques.
- Train and educate undergraduate and graduate students and the population in computersecurity fundamentals.
- Analyze cyber security problems in critical infrastructure and design effective solutions.
Old Dominion University* | Doctor of Engineering (DEng)/Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Engineering, concentration in Cybersecurity, CIP code: 140101 | 31 (unable to aggregate by concentration) |
Program Announcement Form Page 2
VI. Labor Market Information. Fill in the tables below with relevant information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). Insert correct years (2023 and 2033) to reflect the most recent 10-year projections. Add rows as necessary.
Labor Market Information: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022 -2032 (10-Yr)
Occupation Base Year Projected Total % Change Typical Entry Employment Employment and #s Level Education
Computer science teachers, postsecondary | 42000 | 44300 | 5.3 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 45500 | 49700 | 9.3 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Computer and Information Research Scientists | 36500 | 44800 | 22.7 | Master’s Degree |
Labor Market Information: Virginia Employment Commission, 2020 -2030 (10-Yr)
Occupation | Base Year Employment | Projected Employment | Total % Change and #s | Annual Change # | Education |
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1523 | 1595 | 4.73 | 7 | N/A |
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 1249 | 1357 | 8.65 | 11 | N/A |
Computer and Information Systems Managers | 14659 | 16636 | 13.48 | 198 | Bachelor’s degree |
Program Announcement Form Page 3
VII. Projected Resource Needs
Cost and Funding Sources to Initiate and Operate the Program
Program Initiation Year 2026 – 2027 | Program Full Enrollment Year 2030-2031 |
Informational Category
- 1 Projected Enrollment (Headcount)
- 2 Projected Enrollment (FTE)
8 22 6 16
Projected Revenue Total from Tuition and E&G Fees Due to the Proposed Program
3
VIII. Virginia Needs. Briefly indicate state needs for the degree program. (max. 250 words)
$228,072 $622,152
State Needs. This proposed program will further the State’s effort in developing a sustainable Cybersecurity industry in the Commonwealth. Although there are bachelor’s and master’s degree programs available in cybersecurity, there is no existing doctoral-level Cyber Security Engineering degree program in Virginia. This is a unique but timely program that will address the gap in producing academic doctoral-level academic and researchers in cybersecurity.
Employer Needs. The program will prepare students for international, national, and local employment in academia, government, contractors, think tanks, and non-government organizations. The program will provide rigorous academic training in cybersecurity required by the employers. Given the location of George Mason, the program has the potential to contribute to the Government needs in cybersecurity researchers. In addition, the program will address the growing need of academics in cybersecurity for academic roles, i.e., faculties and research scientists, opening throughout the country.
Student Needs. The success of the BS and MS in Cyber Security Engineering at George Mason underlines student participation and interest in higher education in cybersecurity. As noted from the BLS data there is significant growth is expected in cybersecurity related jobs, such as 31.5% growth in Information Security analysts over the next ten years. To rigorously train the workforce and continued innovation in cyber, students will need doctoral-level education and research experience. This program will address this unmet student demand.
