The US Department of Defense has launched a project offering professional development opportunities to US Navy cybersecurity personnel.
Under the Cyber Scholarship Retention Program, qualified navy employees can complete a degree in exchange for vital cyber services across the DoD.
The initiative will fund advanced education for individuals currently in cyber-related roles or in preparation requiring advanced knowledge in broad academic disciplines focusing on cybersecurity.
Permanent DoD civilian employees are eligible for associate’s, master’s, or doctoral programs. Meanwhile, active duty and full-time support warfighters can apply for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
Each candidate must have a record of high performance with the potential for additional responsibilities.
Courses offered include computer science and engineering, programming, network management, data administration, information systems acquisition, digital and multimedia forensics, and other cyber disciplines as approved by the DoD Chief Information Officer.
Participants are encouraged to select up to three institutions they need to complete their respective courses from a list of partner schools provided by the US Navy.
The cost of tuition, books, and other fees will be covered by the program. The candidate’s parent command will continue paying their salary and cover additional costs, such as travel expenses, throughout the program.
Latest Cyber Efforts
The US Navy published its inaugural cyber doctrine in November to prepare for cyber warfare scenarios in response to the “rapidly evolving” global digital domain.
Simultaneously, the US Air Force opened a program to enlist potential talents to support the DoD’s cybersecurity frameworks.
Meanwhile, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has partnered with non-profit organizations to train and hire new cyber defenders from underserved communities.