National University

What you'll study

The curriculum blends foundation/core coursework, specialization classes, research preparation and dissertation work. Degree elements required for every specialization include eight foundation/core courses, five specialization courses, two research courses (students select one pair of research methods and directed research courses based on their proposal), a pre-candidacy prospectus, and four dissertation courses, totaling at least 60 semester credit hours.

• Network and communications design — network theory, high-level design for reliability, availability and confidentiality, network monitoring, multi-cloud/satellite/5G/6G/quantum communications considerations and related security techniques, third-party data exchange and global access.
• Security foundations and governance — governance, compliance, people risks, mitigation strategies across technology and policy to protect organizational data and systems.
• Risk and contingency planning — foundations of risk, risk assessment measures, incident identification, contingency planning to maintain operations and recovery after losses.
• Cyber threat analysis and response — large-scale event data capture and manipulation, automation and machine learning for sensing and response, data presentation, and addressing data poisoning.
• Risk management and assurance — integrated risk approaches, prioritization of resources, enterprise risk management context, risk strategy composition and use of maturity models.
• Advanced statistics — statistics for technology leaders, advanced analyses used in information systems and technology research, quantitative planning and interpretation, and technical reporting.
• Global threats — study of evolving threats from cybercriminals, nation-states, terrorism and hacktivism, critical infrastructure risks and strategy development to defend organizations and infrastructure.
• Specialization courses — three courses per chosen specialization to tailor research and expertise.
• Research preparation — research methods survey and selection of directed research matched to the student’s proposal, followed by a pre-candidacy prospectus and dissertation sequence.

Entry requirements

The program page lists a $0 application fee and specifies there are no essays or exams required to apply. Other admissions details are referenced on the university’s site but are not specified on the provided page.

Career prospects

The PhD is positioned to prepare graduates for leadership roles protecting organizational networks and systems and for research-oriented positions in both private and public sectors. Emphasis on governance, risk, advanced analytics and strategy prepares students for senior technical, policy, research or executive responsibilities related to cybersecurity and critical infrastructure defense.

Scholarships & funding angle

The program page does not list specific scholarships. Prospective students should review National University’s general financial aid and doctoral funding resources and inquire with admissions about assistantships, grants or other support options.