Cyber Defense, Ph.D.

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

A 72-credit PhD in Cyber Defense with coursework entirely online and an annual residency of on-site research seminars in Madison, South Dakota. Students choose a Data Privacy, Managerial or Technical specialization.

Official program name: Cyber Defense, Ph.D.
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Cyber Defense
Source: dsu.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: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: Dakota State University
Location: Madison, SDFor 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 Defense — core of the degreePrivacy & Data Protection — formal concentration / track (“Data Privacy specialization”)
Tracks / concentrations: Data Privacy · Managerial · Technical
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Required credits: 72 credits
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Coursework about 4 years full-time or 5 years part-time; dissertation phase about 1-2 years
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: Fall, Spring
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Research PhD in Cyber Defense; online coursework with an annual on-campus residency.

PhD titled in cyber defense with a specialized cyber defense curriculum and research.

Source: dsu.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: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online delivery: Online with required campus visitsCoursework is online, with required visits, residencies or immersions on campus or at another set location.
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Campus visits (online option): Campus visits required
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Class schedule (online option): Not verified
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

Attendance requirements as published

Residency Required
Annual residency requirement: three on-site research seminars on the Madison, South Dakota campus
annual · Madison, South Dakota
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

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

Dissertation phase of about 1-2 years.
Source: dsu.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”.

Prior degree: RequiredBachelor's (master's preferred) in cyber, data privacy, computer science or a technology-oriented field
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Undergraduate GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay: Required200-300 word purpose statement
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Application fee: Required$40 — $40
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: Not required
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

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 deadline
April 1 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
September 15 · for Spring
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed

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 — Online PhD, per credit (tuition and fees)From the school's online tuition table	$548.75	per credit · 2026-2027Includes feesCalculated tuition$39,510 = 72 credits × $548.75 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: dsu.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

Cyber Service Academy (DoD CSA) Service scholarship
Stipend $29,000 (undergraduate) or $34,000 (graduate) annually; all tuition and fees; computer, books and professional development allowances; summer internships · Renewable for up to 5 years.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens, 18 or older, full-time; undergraduates with 60+ credits; minimum GPA 3.2 (undergraduate) or 3.5 (graduate). Programs include Cyber Operations (BS), Cyber Defense (MS), Cyber Operations and Cyber Defense (PhD). On-campus and online students are eligible.
Obligation: Full-time job within a Department of Defense agency.
Deadline: Set annually by the Department of Defense.
Source: dsu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

School-wide awards are listed because they apply at this degree level; eligibility conditions apply.

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

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — 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) · 2004 - 2028Validated program(s) of study: B.S. in Cyber Operations (POS-CO); Masters of Science in Cyber Defense (POS-CD)Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026
CAE in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) · 2012 - 2028Validated program(s) of study: B.S. in Cyber Operations (POS-CO); Masters of Science in Cyber Defense (POS-CD)Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026
CAE in Cyber Research (CAE-R) · 2012 - 2030Validated program(s) of study: B.S. in Cyber Operations (POS-CO); Masters of Science in Cyber Defense (POS-CD)Source: 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 South Dakota.

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.

dsu.edu/academics/leadership-opportunities/cysp-scholarship.html — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
dsu.edu/admissions/graduate/cost-aid/tuition-fees.html — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 11, 2026
dsu.edu/programs/phdcd/index.html — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
dsu.edu/programs/phdcd/phdcd-timelines-requirements.html — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026

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