Certificate Requirements
Browse our certificate requirements, courses, and electives
Contact Us
Kerwin Hall, Room 306 on a map
SPA: Graduate Admissions 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United StatesAdmission to the Program
Open to students with a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution, participants who are currently enrolled in an SPA master's program may apply 12 relevant credits to this program. For those not currently enrolled in an SPA master's program, if they choose to continue their studies toward a degree, they may transfer up to 12 credit hours as long as they indicate their plans before the 12-credit threshold in the certificate program. Students also may apply up to 3 hours earned at an acccredited college or university as transfer credit toward a certificate. Learn more about admissions and apply.
Course Spotlight
JLC 485/685 Cyber Risk and Threat Intelligence.
Matt Saglam is a seasoned cyber threat intelligence expert with a passion for proactive cyber attack prevention. As the driving force behind a team of over 40 threat intelligence analysts at SOCRadar, he led the charge in providing Attack Surface Management, Digital Risk Protection, and Cyber Threat Intelligence services to a diverse clientele of more than 14,000 companies globally. With a strong focus on analyzing cyber risks, Matt currently dedicates his expertise to supporting National Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs), and enterprises in addressing their evolving threat intelligence needs. He holds certifications as a Threat Intelligence Analyst, Ethical Hacker, and Red Team Professional, complemented by a Master's degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Matt is a community-driven individual who initiated the Security for Community nonprofit cybersecurity advisor. This noble endeavor empowers both organizations and individuals with actionable threat intelligence to proactively thwart cyberattacks. Additionally, Matt serves as a professional Ransomware Negotiator and offers his expert insights as a threat intelligence advisor to DefendMe.AI, the pioneering GenAI-based personal security advisor.
Featured Event
Join SPA Prof. Suleyman Ozeren for "A Day in the Life of a Cyber Agent" on April 1 at 5:30 PM in Kerwin 301 or via Zoom. Hear from FBI guest speakers about careers in cyber opertations, intelligence analysis, and national security.
RSVP
Featured News
Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between American University and Orion Policy Institute, a Washington, DC-based think tank.
The agreement involves a collaboration “that will provide students at AU with internship opportunities to gain hands-on experience in policy research, data collection and analysis, and digital communications within a non-profit think tank environment.
Records of Critical Cyber Attacks (ROCCA) is a structured, open-source database that systematically records critical cyber incidents conducted by state and non-state actors. Unlike general cyber incident datasets, ROCCA focuses exclusively on incidents planned to produce significant societal, political, or economic impact. These include strategic cyberattacks and operations, disruptive and destructive attacks targeting critical infrastructure, and cyber operations linked to geopolitical competition, conflict, or financially or politically motivated non-state actors. The dataset covers incidents from 2005 onward and is continuously updated.
Looking for more? Browse our full list of recent news and events.
Program Overview
The Cyber Policy and Management graduate certificate program is tailored for individuals who seek leadership roles in cybersecurity, focusing on policy and management. The Cyber P&M Cert equips students with essential skills to navigate and influence U.S. cyber policy and address management challenges. Cyber Cert students will be able to understand and synthesize “cyber” in the context of both U.S. cyber policy and internal cyber management challenges and opportunities.
Students will gain deeper perspectives about the current and emerging dynamics of the policy processes related to U.S. cyber policy, such as critical infrastructure, artificial intelligence, regulatory harmonization, public-private partnership, software liability, and civil cyber defense, and how we approach cybersecurity governance.
The Cyber CERT program will enable students to master the tools they need to enter the cyber workforce and apply them to real-world scenarios impacting cyber policy and management domestically and internationally.
We will help students contextualize relevant cybersecurity legislation, regulations, and international developments, and how they incorporate these advancements within U.S. policies.
Students will learn to build a resource toolkit that allows them to quickly diagnose problems and propose clear, action-driven solutions to tackle cyber management issues within the public and private sectors.