Naval Academy’s cybersecurity program receives accreditation

By

Brian Witte, The Associated Press

U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Walter E. “Ted” Carter observes a team of midshipmen on April 15, 2015, during the 15th annual Cyber Defense Exercise hosted by the National Security Agency. The Naval Academy team won first place. (MC2 Tyler Caswell/Navy)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The U.S. Naval Academy’s cyber operations program has been formally accredited.

The academy said Friday the program was accredited recently by ABET, a leading nonprofit accrediting agency. Three other universities also were accredited under the new cybersecurity criteria: the U.S. Air Force Academy, Towson University and Southeast Missouri State University.

A cyber operations major was established in 2013 at the academy. The academy also requires all midshipmen to take a cyber course in both their freshmen and junior years — the first undergraduate school to have mandatory cyber classes. There were 27 midshipmen who majored in cyber operations in the class of 2016. That has grown to 110 in the class of 2021.

The academy is building a $106 million cybersecurity building.