Academic Requirements for Designation as a NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations

Mandatory Program Content: 

       I. Low Level Programming Languages (C and Assembly)
      II. Software Reverse Engineering
     III. Operating System Theory
      IV. Networking
       V. Cellular and Mobile Communications
      VI. Discrete Math and Algorithms
*    VII. Overview of Cyber Defense
*   VIII. Security Fundamental Principles
*     IX. Vulnerabilities
*      X. Legal Issues and Policies

Optional Program Content:

       I. Programmable Logic Languages
      II. FPGA Design
*    III. Wireless Security
      IV. Virtualization
       V. Large Scale Distributed Systems
*     VI. Risk Management of Information Systems
     VII. Computer Architecture
    VIII. Microcontroller Design
*     IX. Software Security Analysis
*      X. Secure Software Development
      XI. Embedded Systems
*    XII. Forensics and Incident Response or Media Exploitation (non-legal)
    XIII. Systems Programming
*    XIV. Applied Cryptography
      XV. SCADA Systems
*    XVI. HCI/Usable Security
*   XVII. Offensive Cyber Operations
   XVIII. Hardware Reverse Engineering

Programmatic Requirements:

   100 percent of Mandatory Knowledge Units
    60 percent of Optional Knowledge Units

* topics which are primarily security oriented,
  4 out of the 10 mandatory areas and 8 out of the 18 optional areas