Doctor of Engineering Engineering with a Concentration in Cybersecurity (DEng)

The College offers an interdisciplinary Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) program to provide the Commonwealth and the nation with exceptionally educated engineering practitioners. These individuals will have developed the highest possible capability to deliver innovative solutions to specialized engineering challenges. The program's graduates will meet the highest standards for advanced engineering and leadership roles in industry and government.

For additional information, please send an email to the Graduate Program Director (ECEGPD@odu.edu).

Program Overview

The Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity requires a minimum of 48 credits beyond a master's degree.  These include 36 credits of coursework and 12 credits of doctoral project (beyond a master's degree).

Additional Information

Additional Graduate Student Resources (Graduate School): The Graduate School has extensive additional resources for graduate students at https://www.odu.edu/graduateschool/graduate-student-resources  

Program Financial Aid: Our programs offer graduate assistantships with stipends, awarded to students following a competitive review process.  The level of award is determined on the basis of previous experience and performance as a graduate assistant and on the student’s academic achievement and potential in the field. In addition, several teaching and research positions are available to support graduate assistants during the summer months (June and July).

Admission Information

Application Process

Summary: Applications for graduate study in the Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Program should be made through the general ODU Application Portal.  Additional materials supporting your application (outlined below) will be required. Once complete, your application package will be reviewed and forwarded to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Program's Graduate Program Director for consideration.  Questions regarding the general application process can be directed to admissions@odu.edu (on-campus) or globaladmissions@odu.edu (online).

Application Deadlines:  The Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Program uses a rolling admission process and does not have a formal application deadline.  Entrance into the program and commencement of studies will be timed to begin with the start of the next academic term following admission.

General ODU Requirements

General ODU Requirements: General requirements for graduate admission to the Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Program can be found on the ODU Graduate Admissions website.   Additional details can be found in the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog.

Additional Program Requirements:

Prior Degrees:  A master of Science degree from an accredited university in the United States or an equivalent foreign institution;

GPA: Regular admission to a doctoral program generally requires a master's degree GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA may be considered for regular or provisional admission based on successful engineering work experience or other credentials that demonstrate potential for success in the doctoral program.

Transcripts: Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended are required.

Prior Experience: Coursework or a minimum of two years' work experience in cybersecurity and/or related areas;

Examination/Test Scores: Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is nominally required.  However, this requirement is waived if the applicant holds an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited institution in the USA.

Language Proficiency Requirements: TOEFL (or IELTS) scores are required for all applicants whose native language is not English, unless their BS degrees are from USA institutions.  These applicants must meet the University's admission requirements (IELTS: 6.5 or TOEFL iBT: 79). Please refer to the website at https://www.odu.edu/admissions/proficiency for additional details.

Résumé: A résumé or CV detailing relevant experience is required.

Personal Statement: Each applicant must submit an essay of 500 words or fewer describing personal and academic goals, professional objectives, preparation for graduate study, and how the chosen program will help the applicant achieve these goals and objectives.

Recommendation Letters: Two letters of recommendation must be submitted.  At least one must be from a former or current professor, and one could alternatively be from an employment supervisor. 

Provisional Admission: Students who do not meet the above requirements may be admitted provisionally.  Only the Graduate Program Director (GPD) can waive an admission requirement.  Please contact the GPD directly if you believe you are eligible for a waiver from a requirement.  The GPD may request additional information, including GRE scores.  Provisionally admitted students may be required to complete additional prerequisites to prepare them for the graduate curriculum in their discipline.

Curriculum Requirements

Curriculum requirements in the Doctor of Engineering (DENG) in Cybersecurity are in accordance with the general requirements for DENG degrees at Old Dominion University as specified in the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.

Progression in the DENG program is governed by a Plan of Study established by the student in conjunction with their advisor and guidance committee .  The Plan of Study will follow the established course requirements (below) unless a substitution to one or more courses is agreed upon between the student and their primary advisor and approved by the Graduate Program Director.

The plan of study is designed to prepare the student to undertake scholarly research in the particular field and specialization of their dissertation. The coursework selected will provide the student with (1) the requisite foundational knowledge of the selected field, and (2) the necessary research skills. A high degree of flexibility is provided to customize the plan of study, taking into account the diversity in the fields of study, the multidisciplinary nature and variety of research that is undertaken, as well as the different levels of preparation that individual students have upon entry to the program.

A minimum of 48 hours of graduate work beyond the master’s degree is required, including:

• 18 credit hours of core courses
• At least 18 credit hours of graduate coursework in the student’s area of specialization, as determined by the department
• At least 12 credit hours of an applied doctoral project (ECE 892)

At least three-fifths of the coursework must be at the 800-level (A minimum of 18 credits courses, excluding ECE 892). Exceptions to the credit-hour distribution requirements at any level must be approved in writing by the graduate program director, the dean or his or her designee, and the provost or his or her designee.

The curriculum for this concentration consists of 18 credit hours of CYSE, ECE, MSIM, or ENMA 600- and 800-level courses as core courses, 18 credit hours of graduate coursework in the area of specialization, and 12 credit hours of an applied doctoral project. The courses need approval of the advisor and the graduate program director. Of the total 36 credit hours of coursework, 18 credit hours must be completed at the 800 level; no more than 6 credit hours may be taken in Independent Study courses; and no more than 15 credit hours may be taken from disciplines other than CYSE, ECE, MSIM, or ENMA. It is required that the written and oral candidacy examinations be taken in the semester preceding completion of the graduate coursework or in the following semester.  Once a student has completed the coursework, passed the candidacy examinations, and gained approval for the research proposal, the student advances to candidacy.  It is a university requirement that students who have advanced to candidacy be enrolled for at least one credit hour every fall, spring, and summer until graduation. 

Additional Requirements

Continuation and Graduation Requirements

The continuation requirements are the same as the continuation requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy programs. The graduation requirements for the Doctor of Engineering degree are as follows:

1. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 48 credit hours of approved graduate work beyond the master’s degree, including the doctoral project.
2. Satisfactory performance on a diagnostic examination at the completion of nine credit hours of coursework. The purpose of this examination is to determine if the student has adequate background to pursue a doctoral degree. The diagnostic examination may only be repeated once.
3. Satisfactory completion of a written and oral candidacy examination before the advisory committee. The student will take the candidacy examination when he/she is within six credit hours of completing all the required coursework. The candidacy examination may only be repeated once. 
4. Prepare and successfully defend a project concept proposal in written and oral formats. The student will be required to prepare and present a concept proposal related to the work that will be undertaken for the doctoral project. The concept proposal will be defended before the doctoral project committee.
5. Submission of progress reports as deemed necessary by the doctoral project committee.
6. Written report of the project results. The doctoral project shall be documented in a manner consistent with advanced, professional work. The project report will follow the standard format for Old Dominion University dissertations and theses.
7. Comprehensive oral defense of the doctoral project before the student’s doctoral project committee and a general audience.

Once a student has completed the coursework, passed the candidacy examinations, and gained approval for the project proposal, the student advances to candidacy.   The applied doctoral project must successfully demonstrate the student’s mastery of the subject area and ability to apply advanced technical knowledge to identify, formulate, and solve novel and complex engineering problems. The project must address a complex but practical problem currently faced by the public, industry, or government, and it must provide a solution that satisfies all the technical, social, political, economic, safety, sustainability, and environmental requirements and/or constraints. The advisory and doctoral project committees need at least three members certified for graduate instruction; two faculty members must be from the ECE department. The committee chair must be an ECE faculty member or a faculty member with an ECE degree from the BCET college. A faculty member who is not in the BCET college but has expertise in Cybersecurity-related areas needs the graduate program director's approval to serve as a project advisor or the committee chair. The committee must also have at least one non-ECE faculty member who is knowledgeable about the project subject area.