Doctor of Philosophy in Cybersecurity

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOn campus

Overview

A 72-credit research PhD (48 credits of coursework, 24 of research) with a dissertation proposal presentation, advancement to candidacy and a public oral defense; approved to begin in Fall 2026.

Official program name: Doctor of Philosophy in Cybersecurity
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Cybersecurity
Source: catalog.gmu.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: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: George Mason University
Location: Fairfax, VA
Specializations: None mapped from official curriculum evidence
Required credits: 72 credits
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Not verified

Why this program is listed

Dedicated research PhD, newly approved with a Fall 2026 initiation term.

Research doctorate offered by the Department of Cyber Security Engineering; core courses include advanced networks and cybersecurity, cyber law, hardware and cyber-physical systems security, and AI methods for cybersecurity.

Source: catalog.gmu.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: On campus
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

Attendance requirements as published

Dissertation defense Required
Final public oral defense; entire committee present
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

72 credits: 48 coursework, 24 research
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Research and doctoral requirements

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

Choosing a supervisor

Admission depends on alignment with CYSE faculty research expertise
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Research proposal

Written dissertation proposal presented to the committee, then advancement to candidacy
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Dissertation

Dissertation under a Dissertation Director with a final public oral defense
Source: catalog.gmu.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

Mathematics prerequisite: RequiredCalculus, differential equations, linear algebra, discrete structures, probability and statistics
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Prior degree: RequiredUndergraduate degree in engineering, computer science, operations research, mathematics or physical sciences typically required
Source: catalog.gmu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Transfer credit: OptionalUp to 24 prior graduate credits toward electives
Source: catalog.gmu.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.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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

CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service Service scholarship
Undergraduates: two years of full tuition, $6,000 annual professional allowance and $27,000 yearly stipend; graduate students two years; PhD students three years with a $37,000 yearly stipend
Eligibility: U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
Obligation: Work in a cybersecurity role within a government agency after graduation for a duration equivalent to the scholarship support
Source: sfs.cec.gmu.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

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — 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) · 1999 - 2027Validated program(s) of study: BS in Information Technology with concentration in Cyber Security (POS-CD); MS in Applied Information Technology with concentration in Cyber Security program (POS-CD)Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026
CAE in Cyber Research (CAE-R) · 2008 - 2028Validated program(s) of study: BS in Information Technology with concentration in Cyber Security (POS-CD); MS in Applied Information Technology with concentration in Cyber Security program (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

Sources and verification

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

catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/engineering-computing/engineering/cyber-security-engineering/cybers — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
sfs.cec.gmu.edu/program-information/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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