The University of Fairfax is an institution of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

headquartered in

Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combin ...

. It offers online graduate degrees (Masters and Doctorates) in

cybersecurity Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...

, cloud computing, computer science and engineering, and business as well as several graduate certificates.About the University page
University of Fairfax website (accessed February 15, 2017) The entire program is provided via instructor led conference calls and online instruction. The Certification Training Center for Continuing Professional Education was established to support the continuing professional education needs of students and alumni. Through this center, the University provides support by co-sponsoring information security certification training and provides complimentary online tools to aid in preparing for the CISSP and CISM certification exam. Partnership with Cyber Security Forum Initiative in 2014 enabled professionals to receive graduate credit towards a Master of Science in Information Assurance or doctoral degree in cybersecurity. University of Fairfax is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), an accrediting commission recognized by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

History

The University of Fairfax was founded by the non-profit Potomac Education Foundation in 2002. The institution received approval from Virginia authorities in 2002 and started classes in 2003. Virginia regulations allow new institutions to operate for up to 10 years while seeking accreditation with an accreditor recognized by the

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

. Before attaining full accreditation in 2012, it had approval to operate from the

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the Commonwealth's coordinating body for higher education. SCHEV was established by the Governor and General Assembly in 1956. Its mission, which is outlined in the Code of Virginia§2 ...

as a non-accredited university.Private & Out-of-State Colleges & Universities Certified to Operate in Virginia
, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) website, accessed September 10, 2010 Along with the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Professional Services Council, the University cosponsored a conference on the shortage of cleared information security professionals in January 2003, highlighting the national need. This conference generated support for the University from employers including Accenture,

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...

Ernst & Young Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional services partnership headquartered in London, England. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and Pricewaterh ...

, and SAIC. The University enrolled its first cohort of graduate students from the Washington metropolitan area in July 2003, and initiated online instructional delivery via the eCollege platform in April 2004. The first graduates of the University of Fairfax earned their Master of Science degrees in October 2004; the University awarded its first doctoral degrees in February 2007. In November 2007 Fairfax announced that beginning in January 2008 it would collaborate with

Jones International University Jones International University (JIU) was a private online for-profit university headquartered in Centennial, Colorado. It was accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The university closed after the Class of 2015 graduated. History In 1987 ...

's School of Business to offer a dual degree program leading to both a master's or doctoral degree from Fairfax and a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

in Information Security Management from Jones International. Its first president was Dr.

Victor Berlin Victor Berlin is an American educator specializing in information security who has founded and led several accredited post secondary institutions, including the University of the Potomac and the University of Fairfax. He was president of the Univ ...

, an educator who earlier had operated or established three other post-secondary educational institutions.To Berlin, College Is Big Business
By Ellen McCarthy, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', Monday, December 8, 2003; Page E01 The university was established for the purpose of assuring a supply of qualified

information security Information security, sometimes shortened to InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management. It typically involves preventing or reducing the probability of unauthorize ...

personnel; consistent with that purpose, its motto is "Secure Your Future" ( la, Munite Futurum). It operates as a non-profit entity. David Oxenhandler was elected President of the University in 2010. Frank E. Longaker became President of University of Fairfax in 2013 and has the led the university since then. In 2010, the

Distance Education Accrediting Commission The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), formerly the National Home Study Council and then as the Distance Education and Training Council, is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in t ...

(DEAC) listed the school as an applicant for accreditation and in January 2012, the DEAC approved it for full accreditation. DEAC reviewed the university in January 2021 and determined that the institution is in compliance with standards of accreditation and will remain accredited through 2025.

References

External links

University of Fairfax
official website
DEAC
accrediting body {{authority control Distance education institutions based in the United States

University of Fairfax The University of Fairfax is an institution of higher education headquartered in Salem, Virginia. It offers online graduate degrees (Masters and Doctorates) in cybersecurity, cloud computing, computer science and engineering, and business as we ...

Educational institutions established in 2002 Education in Fairfax County, Virginia 2002 establishments in Virginia Distance Education Accreditation Commission