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DSU Receives Designation from National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security

Dakota State University has been re-designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Security Agency (NSA). The designation is for five years, from 2007-2012.

The goal of the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education Program is to reduce vulnerabilities in the national information infrastructure by promoting higher education in information assurance and producing a growing number of professionals with information assurance expertise in various disciplines.

Universities designated as Centers are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through both the federal government and the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Programs.

DSU also received a designation from the Committee on National Security Systems and the National Security Agency certifying that the university offers a set of coursework that has been reviewed by a group of national level information assurance subject matter experts and determined to meet the national training strategy for information systems security professionals.

The NSA selects their schools through a competition of top universities meeting rigid requirements for their curriculum and research abilities. Other universities receiving Center of Excellence re-designations included Boston University, Drexel University,  Georgia Institute of Technology, Indiana University, Mississippi State University, Pace University, Syracuse University, University of Alabama at Huntsville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Washington, and the U.S. Military Academy, West Point.