Michigan Tech designated as cybersecurity school

What’s happening: Michigan Technological University has been recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA). The designation lasts throughout the 2027-28 academic year, giving Michigan Tech students and faculty members five years of dedicated recognition to help improve American cybersecurity defense.

What qualifies as CAE-CD school: A lot of standards have to be met to be a CAE-CD learning institution, including: establishing cybersecurity curriculum; practicing cyber security within the institution and across academic disciplines; and actively engaging in solutions for challenges impacting cybersecurity education. The goal is that if these criteria are met, the school will be able to teach a new class of students key cyber-defense strategies. 

What they’re saying: “CAE-CD designated institutions are recognized as leaders in cybersecurity education and research, and graduates of CAE-CD programs are highly sought after by employers in the cybersecurity field,” said Michigan Tech Professor Yu Cai, an expert in applied computing and computational science and engineering who led the CAE-CD effort. “This recognition can help to attract students and faculty members, as well as funding and collaboration with government agencies and industry partners.”

What’s next: Michigan Tech will have a number of additional resources like workshop facilitation, marketing efforts and communication tools. Students and faculty can also get direct access to government representatives, workshops and funding.