Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Cyber Security

Program Overview

Degree abbreviation

Ph.D. in Faith-Based Cyber Security

Total program length

120 semester credit hours

Maximum approved transfer credit

Up to 40 semester credit hours

Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer

80 semester credit hours

Normal completion time

Four to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, research progress, and dissertation completion

Advanced faith-based cyber security theory and specialization

30 credit hours

Research methods, statistics, and scholarly inquiry

24 credit hours

Professional leadership and higher-education teaching

15 credit hours

Advanced electives and concentration courses

18 credit hours

Scholarly writing and publication

9 credit hours

Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy

6 credit hours

Program Details

• Total Credits: 120
• Duration: 3 years
• Degree Level: PhD

Dissertation research and defense

• 18 credit hours
• Total
• 120 semester credit hours
• The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Cyber Security at HBI University provides a rigorous, research-oriented academic experience designed to prepare scholars for leadership roles at the intersection of information security and ethical stewardship. The curriculum emphasizes the development of advanced technical expertise alongside a foundational commitment to integrity, servant leadership, and the protection of organizational data within diverse community contexts. Students engage with complex contemporary security challenges through the lenses of risk management, system architecture, and cyber policy. By integrating scholarly inquiry with a firm commitment to ethical service, graduates are equipped to address the evolving digital landscape with technical proficiency and moral clarity. This program fosters a scholarly environment that values both intellectual curiosity and the responsibilities of social stewardship in the digital age.
• The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Cyber Security is a research-intensive doctoral program emphasizing advanced faith-based cyber security theory, original research, quantitative and qualitative methodology, scholarly publication, higher-education teaching, ethical leadership, and the development and evaluation of faith-based cyber security-support programs.
• Students may receive up to 40 semester credit hours of approved graduate or doctoral transfer credit. Accepted transfer credits are applied toward the 120-credit graduation requirement and may reduce the student's remaining coursework and anticipated completion time. A student receiving the maximum transfer-credit award must complete at least 80 semester credit hours through the University.
• The Ph.D. requires successful completion of all required coursework, comprehensive examinations, admission to doctoral candidacy, approval of a dissertation proposal, original scholarly research, submission of an approved written dissertation, and a successful oral defense.
• DOCTORAL TRANSFER-CREDIT POLICY: The Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy programs each require 120 semester credit hours. Students may transfer up to 40 semester credit hours of eligible graduate or doctoral coursework toward either degree. Transfer credit is not automatically awarded. Each request is evaluated individually according to: The academic level of the previous coursework; The relevance of the coursework to the doctoral curriculum; Course content and learning outcomes; Credit-hour equivalency; Grades earned; The age of the coursework; Official institutional documentation; The University's residency and transfer-credit policies. Accepted transfer credit may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. Students awarded the maximum 40 transfer credits will have 80 semester credit hours remaining in the 120-credit doctoral program. Comprehensive examinations, doctoral candidacy, doctoral residency, the applied doctoral project, dissertation research, and the final oral defense must ordinarily be completed through the University. These requirements may not be satisfied through transfer credit unless expressly permitted under a published University policy.

Dissertation Research Phase I

• 5
• RES810
• DIS901

Dissertation Research Phase II

• 5
• DIS900
• CYB900
• Seminar in Advanced Security Leadership
• 5
• CYB820
• CYB905
• Ethics in Artificial Intelligence
• 5
• CYB815
• DIS900 — Dissertation Research Phase I: Students conduct primary research under the guidance of a faculty supervisor. Focus is on data collection and preliminary analysis related to the approved dissertation project. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• DIS901 — Dissertation Research Phase II: Candidates continue in-depth research, synthesizing data into coherent findings. Regular meetings with the dissertation committee ensure rigorous methodology and ethical alignment. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• CYB900 — Seminar in Advanced Security Leadership: This seminar focuses on the executive-level challenges of security leadership, focusing on strategy, budget, and mission alignment. Students engage in peer-reviewed case study analysis. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• CYB905 — Ethics in Artificial Intelligence: This course analyzes the intersection of artificial intelligence and information security, focusing on algorithmic fairness and transparency. Students apply ethical principles to automation. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Dissertation Writing and Completion

• 5
• DIS901
• DIS915

Dissertation Defense

• 5
• DIS910
• CYB910
• Global Security Trends and Future Planning
• 5
• CYB815
• CYB915
• Professional Ethics and Integrity Capstone
• 5
• CYB900
• DIS910 — Dissertation Writing and Completion: Final phase of the dissertation, focusing on writing, revising, and finalizing the document for defense. Students finalize their contribution to the field of security. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• DIS915 — Dissertation Defense: The final defense of the student's research before the committee, serving as the capstone assessment of the PhD program. Students must demonstrate mastery of their topic. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• CYB910 — Global Security Trends and Future Planning: An advanced survey of future technological threats and strategic defensive planning at an organizational level. Students present forward-looking research papers. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• CYB915 — Professional Ethics and Integrity Capstone: This capstone course requires students to reflect on their professional trajectory, outlining their commitment to ethical practice and service. Students develop a professional portfolio. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Dissertation Requirement

• The dissertation represents the terminal academic requirement, serving as the culmination of the student’s scholarly journey and evidence of their capacity to contribute original knowledge to the field of cyber security. Candidates must identify a significant, unresolved security challenge and conduct an exhaustive literature review followed by a quantitative or qualitative investigation that generates innovative, practical insights for the profession. The project requires the development of a comprehensive written dissertation and a formal defense before a faculty committee. This process is designed to refine the student’s research methodologies, technical acuity, and ability to communicate findings to both academic and professional audiences.
• Beyond technical contribution, the dissertation requires an explicit integration of the student's scholarly findings with a framework of ethical reasoning and Christian stewardship. Students must synthesize their technical solutions with the broader societal impacts of digital security, reflecting on how their work enhances the security of mission-driven, community-oriented institutions. This integration ensures that the dissertation is not merely a technical exercise but an act of service, demonstrating the candidate's character development, commitment to integrity, and preparedness to serve as a leader who prioritizes the protection of sensitive information within the diverse, faith-based nonprofit sector. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Dissertation research and defense | 18 credit hours

• Total | 120 semester credit hours
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• CYB700 | Foundations of Cyber Ethics and Stewardship | 3 | None
• RES701 | Advanced Research Methodologies | 3 | None
• CYB705 | Information Systems Risk Assessment | 3 | None
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• CYB710 | Network Security and Cloud Architecture | 3 | CYB705
• CYB715 | Policy Development and Regulatory Compliance | 3 | CYB700
• RES710 | Quantitative Data Analysis for Security | 3 | RES701
• CYB720 | Servant Leadership in Technology Management | 3 | CYB700
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• CYB800 | Applied Cryptography and Data Integrity | 4 | CYB710
• CYB805 | Threat Modeling and Incident Response | 4 | CYB710
• RES800 | Qualitative Research in Security Contexts | 4 | RES710
• CYB810 | Digital Forensics and Accountability | 4 | CYB805
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• CYB815 | Emerging Technologies and Global Security | 4 | CYB710
• CYB820 | Enterprise Security Architecture | 4 | CYB800
• RES810 | Proposal Development for Dissertation | 4 | RES800
• CYB825 | Community-Based Security Outreach | 4 | CYB720
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• DIS900 | Dissertation Research Phase I | 5 | RES810
• DIS901 | Dissertation Research Phase II | 5 | DIS900
• CYB900 | Seminar in Advanced Security Leadership | 5 | CYB820
• CYB905 | Ethics in Artificial Intelligence | 5 | CYB815
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• DIS910 | Dissertation Writing and Completion | 5 | DIS901
• DIS915 | Dissertation Defense | 5 | DIS910
• CYB910 | Global Security Trends and Future Planning | 5 | CYB815
• CYB915 | Professional Ethics and Integrity Capstone | 5 | CYB900

Career Opportunities

• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Nonprofit Organizations
• Cyber Security Policy Consultant for Faith-Based Institutions
• Academic Researcher and Faculty in Information Security
• Digital Privacy and Ethical Governance Specialist
• Nonprofit Infrastructure Security Lead
• Systems Risk Management Auditor
• Strategic Advisor for Institutional Data Stewardship

Important Notices

• The program educates ethical professionals who demonstrate technical excellence, servant leadership, professional integrity, and a commitment to apply sound principles to advance faith-based organizations, strengthen communities, and contribute responsibly.
• HBIU is a lawfully operating nonpublic faith-based postsecondary institution that maintains its status under section 1005.06(1)(f), Florida Statutes. The University annually affirms its compliance with the requirements applicable to faith-based institutions in Florida through Commission for Independent Education.
• HBIU accreditation from QAHE (for quality assurance in pre-tertiary and higher education mechanisms). QAHE offers globally recognized accreditation and quality assurance for higher education, training providers, and professional institutions worldwide. Students should consider the nature and scope of this recognition in relation to their individual certification and professional goals.
• Transfer credit is evaluated individually based on course content, credit hours, grades, institutional documentation, program requirements, and applicable university policies. Although HBIU provides academically structured programs, no institution can guarantee that another college, university, employer, licensing board, or credential-evaluation service will accept its credits or credentials. Students are encouraged to obtain advance written confirmation from the intended receiving organization.
• The program develops academic knowledge and applied competencies for service in faith-based organizations, nonprofit institutions, community programs, and related professional environments. Some occupations associated with the subject area may be regulated by governmental or professional authorities. A degree from HBIU demonstrates completion of the University's academic requirements but does not, by itself, confer professional licensure or legal authority to perform regulated services.
• Where a program is related to an external certification, eligibility is determined exclusively by the applicable certifying organization. Certification bodies may establish additional requirements involving education, examinations, experience, background screening, continuing education, or membership. HBIU does not guarantee certification eligibility or examination approval unless a formal written agreement expressly provides otherwise.
• Career and occupational information is provided to help students make informed educational decisions. Employment outcomes depend on factors such as the graduate's experience, geographic location, professional qualifications, employer requirements, economic conditions, interviewing ability, and any applicable licensure or certification requirements. Completion of a program does not constitute a promise of employment, promotion, job placement, or a particular occupational title.
• This program is delivered through online instruction. Students must have access to the technology, equipment, internet service, software, and learning resources identified in the University's technology requirements.
• Internship or field-experience participation is subject to academic eligibility, site availability, supervisor approval, and the requirements of the participating organization. The University assists students with the placement process but cannot guarantee placement with a particular organization, supervisor, location, or schedule.
• Students are responsible for reviewing the catalog, understanding program requirements, providing accurate information, meeting academic and financial obligations, and verifying whether the program supports their intended educational or professional goals.
• Completion of a University program does not authorize a graduate to use a professional title that is protected or restricted by law. Graduates must use titles that accurately reflect their education, credentials, employment role, and current licensure or certification status.
• Degree abbreviation | Ph.D. in Faith-Based Cyber Security
• Total program length | 120 semester credit hours
• Maximum approved transfer credit | Up to 40 semester credit hours
• Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer | 80 semester credit hours
• Normal completion time | Four to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, research progress, and dissertation completion
• Advanced faith-based cyber security theory and specialization | 30 credit hours
• Research methods, statistics, and scholarly inquiry | 24 credit hours
• Professional leadership and higher-education teaching | 15 credit hours
• Advanced electives and concentration courses | 18 credit hours
• Scholarly writing and publication | 9 credit hours
• Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy | 6 credit hours