Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Offensive Cyber Engineering

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

An online PhD in Offensive Cyber Engineering for experienced professionals in cybersecurity, intelligence or computer science. It requires a minimum of 60 credit hours and a defended doctoral dissertation.

Official program name: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Offensive Cyber Engineering
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Offensive Cyber Engineering
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — research doctorate
Cybersecurity focus: Dedicated cybersecurity degreeThe degree itself is in cybersecurity or a closely related security field (information security, information assurance, cyber operations, digital forensics…).
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: Capitol Technology University
Location: Laurel, MDFor the online option this is where the school is located — not a residency requirement, and not a guarantee that you may enroll from your state.
Specializations: Cyber Operations — core of the degree (“Offensive Cyber Engineering”)
Required credits: minimum of 60 credit hours
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Not verified

Why this program is listed

Research PhD in a cyber operations field, offered 100% online with a dissertation.

PhD titled in offensive cyber engineering; the program explores offensive cyber tactics, techniques and procedures.

Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We list cybersecurity bachelor's, master's and research doctorates at institutionally accredited US schools — dedicated degrees and formal concentrations, never certificates or electives-only degrees. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.

Formats offered: Online
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online delivery: Fully onlineAll coursework is online and the institution states no required campus attendance for the online option.
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Campus visits (online option): Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option): Not verified
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

The program page does not say whether the online option requires campus visits. Ask the school before you apply — missing information is not “no requirement”.

Curriculum

Curriculum details: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Research and doctoral requirements

Research areas, supervision, examinations and residency as the school publishes them.

Dissertation

Students produce, present and defend a doctoral dissertation.
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Technical preparation

Work experience: RequiredResume showing 3-5 years of directly related work experience
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Prior degree: RequiredMaster's degree in a relevant field
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required2 letters — 2 completed recommendation forms
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Doctoral students, per creditFrom the school-wide rate table for this level	$980	per credit · 2026-2027Calculated tuition$58,800 = 60 credits × $980 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Other published fees

Information Technology Fee: $55 per credit
Source: captechu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Scholarships & funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation, ABET and CAE

Three different things: the school's institutional accreditation, ABET accreditation of this exact program, and the school's NSA CAE designation.

Institutional accreditation

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

ABET program accreditation

This program does not appear in ABET's accredited-program database. ABET accreditation is program-specific and optional; the school's other programs or its institutional accreditation do not imply it.

NSA CAE designation (school)

CAE in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) · 2003 - 2028Validated program(s) of study: BS in Cybersecurity (POS-CD); Master of Science (MS) in CybersecuritySource: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

A CAE designation belongs to the institution and its validated program of study; it is not accreditation and does not certify every degree. Accreditation & CAE explained

State authorization (online students)

Not verified — check the school's state authorization page before applying from outside Maryland.

International applicants

Not verified for the online option.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 11, 2026.

NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
captechu.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/doctoral — Official admissions page, verified October 11, 2026
captechu.edu/degrees-and-programs/doctoral-degrees/offensive-cyber-engineering-phd/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

Dakota State University

Cyber Operations, Ph.D.

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeDoctor of Philosophy

Online + campus visits

Madison, SDSchool location, not a residency requirement

Campus visits required

Coursework 2-3 years full-time or 3-4 years part-time; dissertation phase at least 1.5 years · 61 credits

$548.75 per credit · All students — Online PhD, per credit (tuition and fees) · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

School designated CAE-CD, CAE-CO, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation

Cyber Operations

View program

Cybersecurity Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Capitol Technology University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.