Online Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Analytics

We are now accepting applications for our January 2027 cohort. The deadline to submit your application and have your official transcripts received is November 30, 2026.

Program Description 

The Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Analytics provides students with expertise in cutting-edge cybersecurity techniques, intelligent defense architectures, as well as AI-driven cyber defense and adversarial machine learning, and their real-world applications.  

Graduates of this program are well-equipped to conduct applied research, architect resilient AI-enabled security systems, and lead interdisciplinary cybersecurity initiatives across sectors including defense, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. They are trained to effectively communicate complex cybersecurity concepts and strategies to diverse audiences, making them well-suited for leadership positions and academic teaching roles.

The George Washington University is federally designated as a National Center of Excellence for Cyber Defense Research. The GW Cyber Security and Privacy Research Institute (CSPRI) is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation, reflecting the university’s national leadership in advancing secure, trustworthy, and resilient AI-enabled cyber systems.

Curriculum

The degree requires completion of six graduate-level courses (listed below) and a minimum of 24 credit hours of Praxis Research (SEAS 8188). During the research phase, the student writes and defends a research praxis on a topic related to Cybersecurity Analytics. The topic is selected by the student and approved by the research advising committee.

Learn More About the Courses

SEAS 8601 Resilient Enterprise Security Architecture: The intersection of threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and secure design. Using architectural thinking and frameworks such as MITRE and AI-TRiSM to build resilient, requirement-driven security models for specialized technologies. (4 credit hours)

SEAS 8505 Applied Machine Learning for Cybersecurity: Foundations and applications of Al and ML with an emphasis on cybersecuritv. Supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks, deep learning, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning. Cybersecurity, Al governance, privacy. (4 credit hours)

SEAS 8414 Cyber Analytics Tools: Survey of analytical tools for analyzing cyber security data with particular attention to the use of data analytics procedures in supporting appropriate cyber security policy decisions. (4 credit hours)

SEAS 8610 Adversarial Machine Learning: Security of AML models including evasion attacks (adversarial examples), poisoning attacks on training data, and model inversion. Development of robust training techniques and defensive distillation methods to protect AI systems from manipulation.

SEAS 8620 AI-Enabled Cyber Defense: Application of AI to automate the detection of complex threats. Approaches for real-time anomaly detection in network traffic, automated malware analysis using GANs, and deployment of RL agents for autonomous incident response. Privacy issues. (4 credit hours)

SEAS 8499 Praxis Development for Cybersecurity Analytics: Aims and purposes of the praxis in AI and machine learning. Development of praxis research strategies, developing chapters 1 and 2 of the praxis, and overview of research methods and data requirements. Restricted to students in the DEng in cybersecurity analytics program. (4 credit hours)

SEAS 8188 Praxis Research for Doctor of Engineering in Cyber Analytics: Independent applied research in cyber analytics culminating in the final praxis report and final examination for the degree of doctor of engineering in cyber analytics. May be repeated for credit. Restricted to students in the research phase of the DEng in cyber analytics program. (24 Credit Hours)  

Admissions Process

Review the Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering, applied science, business, computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, or a related field from accredited institutions.
• Applicants with other majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants without sufficient mathematics background (2 college-level calculus courses) may be required to take EMSE 4197* as a prerequisite course.
• A minimum graduate-level GPA of 3.2
• Current professional employment and relevant experience.
• TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE scores are required of all applicants who are not citizens of countries where English is the official language.  Check our International Students Page to learn about the SEAS English language requirements and exemption policy. Test scores may not be more than two years old.

Note: GRE and GMAT scores are not required.

Please note that our doctoral programs are highly selective; meeting minimum admissions requirements does not guarantee admission.  

*EMSE 4197 Quantitative Methods: This course provides a mathematical foundation for doctoral studies.  It is an overview of a number of topics that are normally covered in finite mathematics, first and second semester calculus classes, and concepts of Probability.

Apply for Admission and Submit Supporting Documents

Apply for Admission

• Attach up-to-date Resume
• Attach Statement of Purpose – In an essay of 250 words or less, state your purpose in undertaking graduate study at The George Washington University. Describe your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans. Discuss your qualifications including collegiate, professional, and community activities, and any other substantial accomplishments not mentioned.
• Send Official Transcripts – Official transcripts are required from all institutions where a degree was earned. Transcripts should be sent electronically to cyberdoctorategwu [dot] edu (cyberdoctorate[at]gwu[dot]edu) or via mail to:

Online Engineering Programs
The George Washington University
800 22nd Street NW, Suite 2885
Washington, DC 20052

Normally, all transcripts must be received before an admission decision is rendered for the Doctor of Engineering program. 

Remain Engaged in the Admissions Process

You will receive emails from us updating you as your application goes through the admissions process.