The Cybersecurity associate degree program at Clark State College has been named a Center of Academic Excellence through 2028. The NCAE-CD designation is awarded by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and CyberWatch. The NCAE-CD designation recognizes the quality of Clark State’s Cybersecurity program. 

“Receiving and maintaining this designation takes a tremendous amount of work from our Cybersecurity faculty and from others on campus as this is an institutional wide recognition,” said Dr. Adam Parrillo, dean, school of business and applied technologies at Clark State. “I am particularly proud of our faculty Alisa Van Overstraeten and Matt Klint for the time spent on the process and endeavoring to make this academic program the best it can be for students with goals of employment in the Cybersecurity workforce.”

Prospective schools are designated after meeting stringent NCAE-CD criteria and mapping curricula to a core set of cyber defense knowledge units. Schools may also elect to map their curricula to specialized focus areas. Institutions receive formal recognition from the U.S. government as well as opportunities for prestige and publicity for their role in securing the nation's information systems.

Cyber defense is important to the national security of the United States, as well as business and industry.  Clark State is one of 16 schools with this designation in the state of Ohio, and one of only five community colleges. 

At Clark State cybersecurity is taught throughout the curriculum, not only in information technology, but in other disciplines as well, such as health care and criminal justice. 

The NCAE-CD designation is awarded to community colleges that have established a high-quality cybersecurity program and have mapped their courses to two of the training standards—CNSS 4011 and 4013e—of the Committee on National Security Systems.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense,” said Kierre Brown, assistant dean, school of business and applied technologies at Clark State. “This prestigious designation provides more distinction for the Cybersecurity program at Clark State. Students will have the opportunity to be a part of a nationally recognized cybersecurity program.”