PhD in Home academic department (Communication, Computer and Information Technology, or Philosophy) — Interdisciplinary Information Security (INSC) Concentration

Research doctoratePhDConcentrationOn campus

Overview

Interdisciplinary Information Security (INSC) doctoral track at Purdue West Lafayette: 90 credits (60 course credits and 30 research credits) awarded through a home department, with a dissertation defense.

Official program name: Interdisciplinary Information Security (INSC) — Ph.D.
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Home academic department (Communication, Computer and Information Technology, or Philosophy)
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — research doctorate
Cybersecurity focus: Cybersecurity concentration — Interdisciplinary Information Security (INSC)A formal cybersecurity concentration, track or specialization inside a broader degree such as computer science or information technology. The awarded degree is the broader one.
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: Purdue University
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Specializations: Cryptography — core of the degree (“INSC PhD core (two cryptography courses)”)
Required credits: 90 credits: 60 course credits and 30 research credits
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Not verified

Why this program is listed

Formally documented information security concentration for PhD students, dissertation-based.

PhD awarded through the home department with INSC listed as the concentration; INSC core requires four technical courses (two security, two cryptography), ethics and policy courses, and a dissertation.

Source: purdue.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: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

Curriculum

INSC core of 24 credits plus three semesters of CERIAS Seminar.
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Research and doctoral requirements

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

Choosing a supervisor

Applicants should identify and contact potential faculty advisors early; an advisor is not required before applying.
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Dissertation

Dissertation must be defended and deposited.
Source: purdue.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

Programming prerequisite: RequiredPrior background in computing, including ability to program in a modern computing language; others take prerequisite courses
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Statement / essay: RequiredAcademic statement of purpose (300-500 words) including why the applicant chose the interdisciplinary program; personal history statement
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RecommendedC.V. or resume recommended but not required
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Transcripts: RequiredTranscripts
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: RecommendedRecommended but not required for PhD applicants with an MS or MA from an accredited US institution within the last 5 years; follow the partner department's GRE rules.
Source: purdue.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.

Priority deadline
December 31 (fall entry; priority consideration) · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: purdue.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.

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

Faculty-supported funding and departmental teaching assistantships Assistantship
Eligibility: No INSC program funding; PhD students may obtain support from faculty research projects and departmental teaching assistantships.
Source: purdue.edu · verified October 11, 2026

The NCAE-C directory lists Purdue University with a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program; eligibility, service obligation and the programs it covers are set by the school and the federal program. Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

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 Research (CAE-R) · 2010 - 2030Source: 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.

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
purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/oigp/program/insc/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/oigp/program/insc/admissions/ — Official admissions page, verified October 11, 2026
purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/oigp/program/insc/degrees-requirements-and-curriculum/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/oigp/program/insc/faq/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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

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Campus-based study

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