Historical Perspective
The University of Fairfax (UoF) was accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) on January 20, 2012. The Accrediting Commission of DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). DETC is the leader in accrediting global distance learning with more than 4 million students enrolled in DETC accredited institutions. (www.detc.org).
The University’s attainment of accreditation caps a 10 year history of student and alumni accomplishments in the cybersecurity sector. Successful University of Fairfax students and graduates serve as cybersecurity specialists, executives and policy-makers in the public and private sectors. Major employers including SAIC, Northrop Grumman, CSC, Lockheed Martin, Wells Fargo, Dell, NSA, DHS, Dept. of Treasury and Veterans Affairs hire and promote our students and alumni.
In order to reach the historic milestone of accreditation UoF conducted a comprehensive and rigorous process of self-evaluation; submitted its online doctoral degrees, master’s degrees and graduate certificate program materials for review by subject matter specialists; and hosted onsite review teams of evaluators. As part of the evaluation process, DETC conducted surveys of students and alumni which consistently resulted in over 95 % satisfaction.
The University of Fairfax was established in 2002 in response to the events of 9/11 and in support of the federal efforts to increase the nation’s cybersecurity by providing high quality, online doctoral, master’s and graduate certificate programs for adult learners. In contrast to other graduate institutions which offer information security/assurance only as a concentration as part of a degree program, UoF has dedicated the entire institution to degree and certificate programs in pursuit of excellence in cybersecurity.
This exclusive focus on cybersecurity distinguishes the University and provides professionals seeking to advance in the field, as well as their employers and clients, an innovative approach for addressing growing professional demand in a rapidly evolving area. Our students and alumni have benefited from this comprehensive cybersecurity focus and from our expert practitioner faculty, both of which have enabled them to be hired and promoted at senior levels by major employers.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) certified UoF as an institution of higher learning in 2002. Over the next year, a select group of educators and senior cybersecurity practitioners from organizations including Ernst &Young, Anteon, CSC, and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), developed a curriculum designed to meet the needs of cybersecurity employers. This group of professionals became the initial faculty of the University.
In July 2003, the University enrolled its first cohort of graduate students in its unique cybersecurity graduate degree programs. The first graduates of UoF earned their Master of Science degrees in October 2004; the University awarded its first doctoral degrees in February 2007. Since 2004, online delivery of our programs has made the University’s programs accessible to professionals worldwide and has even enabled faculty members and students on active duty to participate. The mission of the University of Fairfax is encapsulated in the University motto: Secure Your Future. In essence, the motto is meant to express that earning a University of Fairfax degree enables UoF students to contribute to “securing the future” of the nation, while also helping to secure their own, as they become cybersecurity leaders in a field for which there is a continuing and ever-increasing need.
Learn more about students and alumni successes.
For more information, visit www.ufairfax.net, email info@ufairfax.net or call 703-790-3203.
The University of Fairfax is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. UoF is an independent non-profit institution certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, accredited in Indiana by the ICPPE and an authorized (ISC)² ® Education Partner. The National Security Agency has authorized the University of Fairfax to award the CNSS National Standard 4011 and 4012 certifications.