Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Management
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2024-08-01 | - |
| 2024-01-01 | - |
| 2024-05-01 | - |
Program Overview
Introduction to the Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Management Program
The Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Management program from Nova Southeastern University's College of Computing, AI, and Cybersecurity prepares students to make significant contributions to the field through original research. With a focus on both technical and management skills, students develop the expertise needed to solve complex cybersecurity challenges and lead organizations in the fight against cyber threats.
Program Overview
The Ph.D. programs are uniquely designed for working professionals, allowing students to advance their education without putting their career on hold. With no residency requirements, students can earn their Ph.D. from anywhere, seamlessly integrating their studies into their busy schedule. This flexible approach empowers students to balance work, life, and doctoral studies, providing a pathway to achieve their academic goals without disruption.
Research Areas
Working with world-renowned faculty, students have the opportunity to conduct research on a wide range of topics, including:
- Cybersecurity policy and governance
- Risk assessment and management
- Incident response and recovery
- Security architecture and engineering
- Information security awareness and training
Career Opportunities
With their advanced education and research skills, Ph.D. graduates are well-positioned for prestigious careers in industry, government, and academia. Ph.D. alumni are working in organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, and Google, and various United States government agencies, as well as colleges and universities around the world.
Curriculum
The Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Management is a minimum of 51 total credits with the M.S. track or a minimum of 66 total credits with the B.S. track.
B.S. to Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Pathway
- Core Courses (30 credits)
- Information Systems Project Management (3 credits)
- Ethics in Computing (3 credits)
- Database Systems (3 credits)
- Telecommunication and Computer Networking (3 credits)
- Human Computer Interaction (3 credits)
- Fundamentals of Cybersecurity (3 credits)
- Information Security Operations Management (3 credits)
- Information System Auditing (3 credits)
- Research Seminar in Cybersecurity Management (3 credits)
- Research Methods (3 credits)
- Research Courses (12 credits)
- Doctoral Research (4 credits)
- Dissertation Courses (24 credits)
- Doctoral Dissertation (8 credits)
- Continuing Dissertation (4 credits)
M.S. to Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Pathway
- Core Courses (15 credits)
- Information Systems Operations Management (3 credits)
- Information Security Governance (3 credits)
- Information System Auditing (3 credits)
- Research Seminar in Cybersecurity Management (3 credits)
- Research Methods (3 credits)
- Electives
- Information Systems Project Management (3 credits)
- Ethics in Computing (3 credits)
- Database Systems (3 credits)
- Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (3 credits)
- Data Warehousing (3 credits)
- Data Mining (3 credits)
- UX Strategy for Social Media (3 credits)
- Telecommunication and Computer Networking (3 credits)
- Data Analytics (3 credits)
- Human Computer Interaction (3 credits)
- Interaction Design (3 credits)
- Special Topics in Information Systems (3 credits)
- Data Analytics Project (3 credits)
- Deep Learning (3 credits)
- Fundamentals of Cybersecurity (3 credits)
- Information Security Project (3 credits)
- Research Courses (12 credits)
- Doctoral Research (4 credits)
- Dissertation Courses (24 credits)
- Doctoral Dissertation (8 credits)
- Continuing Dissertation (4 credits)
Admission Requirements
- B.S. or M.S. degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Nonrefundable application fee ($50)
- GPA of 3.2 or higher
Learning Outcomes
A graduate with a Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Management will have the ability to:
- Acquire advanced knowledge and deeper understanding of the field of cybersecurity management
- Communicate professionally and ethically about cybersecurity management research issues
- Identify, analyze, and synthesize scholarly literature related to the field of cybersecurity management
- Generate new knowledge through research/scholarship and disseminate that knowledge to others by demonstrating the necessary technical and intellectual skills to produce a written document that makes an original contribution to the field of cybersecurity management
Qualifier Stage for Admission to Candidacy
Students must maintain a minimum of 3.2 GPA in core courses for the Ph.D. program and a B or higher in each core course. Students must successfully complete the core course requirement before taking doctoral research courses. Each student must defend their research topic concept paper by the end of the second doctoral research course.
Comprehensive Stage Dissertation Proposal
Students must successfully pass the qualifier stage, secure an advisor and dissertation committee, and have an approved Idea Paper before pursuing dissertation course registration. After achieving sufficient depth in a field of study, students prepare a proposal for the Ph.D. dissertation. Upon approval of the written proposal, students must present the proposed work orally to the dissertation committee.
Doctoral Dissertation
The student registers for one year (three terms) of dissertation, at eight credits per term. Students who have not completed the dissertation after one year of dissertation registrations must register for Continuing Dissertation, three terms per year, until they have satisfied the dissertation requirement.
Dissertation Defense
The dissertation defense consists of a presentation given by the candidate on the topic focus of the dissertation. This includes questions from the dissertation committee and others in attendance. The defense is chaired by the Ph.D. advisor.
Time Limitation
Students must have an approved dissertation proposal within six years of the date of their first registration and have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. degree within eight years from the initial term of registration.