Cyber Defense, Ph.D.
Program Quick Facts
Credits
72
Start Terms
Fall
|Spring
Available
Online
Tuition
$3,365.10
estimated cost per semester
With a Doctor of Philosophy in Cyber Defense from Dakota State University, you will become the essential security expert that businesses need, leading the way at the intersection of innovation and cybersecurity. You will be equipped to address the increasing cyber threats and implement effective defense strategies through a specialized cyber defense curriculum. By exploring risk management strategies and engaging in research on relevant topics, you will develop skills to validate authenticity and confidentiality. This preparation will enable you to create recovery plans for future IT infrastructures based on established design and security policies.
Unsolicited threats pose significant risks to organizations, ranging from government agencies to corporations. Therefore, having experts like you to protect these entities is more crucial than ever.
Curriculum and experience highlights
Select your specialization
This program offers you the chance to customize your degree to an area of interest that fit your career goals. Either enhance your knowledge in topics from your master's program or choose a new specialization in:
- Data privacy
- Management
- Technical fields
100% online courses
The Ph.D. in cyber defense coursework is offered entirely online, allowing you to continue working while earning your doctoral degree.
The annual residency requirement includes three on-site research seminars held on the Madison, South Dakota campus.
“The past three years have been challenging. We welcomed a baby following multiple miscarriages and a difficult pregnancy journey. During this time, I was also diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy. Despite these challenges, I completed my courses without taking a semester break, thanks to the flexibility of the program, the support of the faculty, and the affordability of the coursework as the sole earner for my family.”
Student, PHDCD '27
Why choose DSU for your PhD in cyber defense?
Recognized standards of excellence
At DSU, we take pride in our prestigious designation in academic excellence, particularly in the field of cyber operations. This achievement underscores our commitment to recognized excellence in cybersecurity education and research, which is central to our mission.
Affordable education from experts
We prioritize making accessible and affordable services available to our graduate students, because pursuing your degree is a significant investment of both your time and money. You can complete your Ph.D. in just three years or opt for a part-time path that stretches to seven years, all for approximately $3,365 per semester.
Notable courses
Information technology holds the potential to create strategic, operational, financial, and reputational issues for an organization. Information technology risk management science provides decision-makers with the information needed to determine information security risk so decisions can be made regarding risk mitigation. This course is a study of the existing risk management frameworks, models, processes and tools to equip students with the theory, science and practical knowledge to operationalize risk management in an organization or government agency. Topics include outsourcing and offshoring risks, and their mitigation through third party risk management programs. Students will examine cutting-edge risk management science to understand the future of information technology risk management.
This course provides theoretical and practical aspects of network and web application penetration testing. The course includes in-depth details and hands-on labs for each phase of an ethical hack including, but not limited to: reconnaissance, vulnerability assessment, exploitation, maintaining access, and covering tracks. An applied approach with a focus on current tools and methodologies will be stressed.
Ethics and Information Technology concerns the ethical dilemmas that exist where human beings, information objects, and social computing technologies interact. The course explores emerging ethical models from historical and cross-cultural perspectives and then applies these models to a variety of new and emerging technologies that are inherently social in their construction and use. The course challenges students to explore ethics by using a case-study format in which technologists and information custodians must decide what to do.
Students will learn threat hunting and detection techniques through the use of cyber threat intelligence and popular intrusion detection and data collection platforms. Topics will include signature, anomaly, and emerging detection methods on a network and host level, as well as threat intelligence collection, classification, and sharing, and the creation of indicators of compromise.
Faculty
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Expand your potential with a PhD in cyber defense
Choosing to expand your skill set with a doctorate in cyber defense will enhance your career opportunities. DSU graduates of this program have found employment with a variety of highly recognized organizations including Metra, Amazon, Hudl, Mandiant, and National Security Agency.
Your future at DSU begins today.
- A bachelor's and master's degree from an accredited institution in cyber, data privacy, computer science, or a technology-oriented degree.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Transcripts showing areas of knowledge in cyber, data privacy, computer science, or technology.
- If you don’t meet all requirements, you may still be accepted but might need to take additional courses.
- No GRE is required.
Next steps
-
April 1 for admission to the following fall semester
-
September 15 for admission to the following spring semester
