THE EXECUTIVE MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES IN

Transformational Leadership
in Cybersecurity

Preparing Leaders to Govern, Influence, and Transform in an Era of Digital Disruption
Request InformationExplore the Program

CYBERSECURITY LEADERSHIP HAS CHANGED

Today's senior cyber leaders are expected to do far more than protect systems and manage technical risk.

The Executive Master of Professional Studies in Transformational Leadership in Cybersecurity at the George Washington University is an executive leadership experience designed for accomplished cyber and technology professionals whose roles extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of cybersecurity.

Through an integrated combination of

executive-level coursework

applied learning

immersive experiences

engagement with senior leaders across industry, government, and policy

This program prepares participants to lead across the enterprise with greater influence, judgment, and strategic impact.

Rather than focusing primarily on technical cybersecurity education, the Executive MPS develops the broader leadership capabilities senior cyber executives need today, preparing them to become board-ready, crisis-ready, policy-ready, and enterprise-ready leaders.

Board-ready

Crisis-ready

Policy-ready

Enterprise-ready

CYBER LEADERS TODAY

They advise boards
Influence enterprise strategy
Navigate regulatory and political environments
Lead through crises
Executive Master of Professional Studies in Transformational Leadership in Cybersecurity
Govern emerging technologies
Communicate under scrutiny
Build coalitions across organizations
Make high-stakes decisions
01 / The New Mandate

The New Mandate for Cyber Leadership

Cyber risk has moved beyond the technology function and into the boardroom, the C-suite, regulatory environments, public policy, enterprise investment, organizational resilience, and public accountability.

Yet most cybersecurity education continues to focus primarily on technical capabilities, tools, and compliance. Executive seminars may address leadership, but often as short-term experiences. Traditional master's programs are frequently designed for professionals much earlier in their careers.

The Executive MPS in Transformational Leadership in Cybersecurity fills a different need.

Built specifically for experienced cyber leaders, the program develops the executive capabilities required to operate at the intersection of cybersecurity, enterprise strategy, governance, policy, politics, risk, emerging technology, and organizational leadership.

The goal is not simply to make you a stronger cybersecurity professional.

IT IS TO TRANSFORM HOW YOU LEAD
02 / Who It's For

Built for Senior Cyber Leaders

This Executive Cyber MPS brings together a selective community of accomplished cybersecurity and technology leaders ready to expand their influence, strengthen their executive leadership capabilities, and lead across the enterprise.

Participants typically bring 10+ years of cybersecurity or technology leadership experience and a strong understanding of the technical dimensions of cybersecurity. At GW, they develop the broader capabilities required to lead across the enterprise—where cybersecurity decisions increasingly intersect with boards, regulators, policymakers, investors, customers, the media, and other critical stakeholders.

This program begins where traditional technical cybersecurity education ends.

The program is designed for executives with significant cybersecurity or technology leadership experience, including:

CISOs and Deputy CISOs

Senior cybersecurity and technology executives

CISO-track leaders preparing for broader enterprise responsibility

Government, defense, federal, and national-security cyber leaders

Executives operating in regulated, high-visibility, mission-critical, or complex organizational environments

03 / Faculty

Learn From Leaders Who Have Been in the Room

The challenges facing today's cyber executives cannot be taught through theory alone.

The Executive Cyber MPS faculty include senior practitioners and accomplished leaders with deep experience across cybersecurity, technology, executive leadership, government, policy, regulation, national security, communications, and organizational transformation.

They bring the realities of the boardroom, C-suite, government, and industry into the learning experience—connecting academic rigor with the judgment that comes from leading through complex, consequential situations.

Participants learn not simply about executive cybersecurity leadership, but with leaders who have practiced it.

Meet the Faculty
04 / Capabilities

From Cybersecurity Leader to Enterprise Leader

The Executive MPS is built around the capabilities senior cyber executives increasingly need to lead organizations through complexity, disruption, and change.

Through the program, executives develop their ability to:

01

Lead in the Boardroom

Translate technical cyber risk into fiduciary, financial, operational, reputational, and institutional terms—and communicate effectively with boards and senior executives.

02

Navigate Policy, Regulation & Geopolitics

Understand the legal, legislative, regulatory, political, and geopolitical forces shaping enterprise cybersecurity decisions.

03

Lead Through Crisis & Public Scrutiny

Make and defend consequential decisions during high-visibility incidents while navigating regulators, the media, boards, and competing stakeholder demands.

04

Shape Enterprise Risk & Investment

Connect cybersecurity priorities to enterprise risk appetite, resilience, capital allocation, and organizational strategy.

05

Govern AI & Emerging Technology

Evaluate emerging technologies through the lenses of governance, ethics, regulation, geopolitical exposure, and institutional responsibility.

06

Build Influence & Drive Transformation

Navigate organizational power, build executive coalitions, influence without formal authority, and lead enterprise-wide cybersecurity transformation.

05 / Curriculum

An Executive Curriculum for a New Era of Cyber Leadership

30

Credits

06

Semesters

01

Integrated Leadership Journey

The curriculum moves beyond technical cybersecurity instruction to address the environments in which senior cyber leaders actually operate.

Coursework explores cyberlaw and ethical AI, enterprise risk and political dynamics, geopolitical cyber intelligence, emerging technology, enterprise architecture, organizational power and influence, boardroom governance, crisis leadership, and executive communications.

Culminating work

The experience culminates in a Cybersecurity Leadership Practicum and Executive Cybersecurity Capstone, allowing participants to apply their learning directly to consequential challenges within their own organizations and defend executive-level strategies grounded in real institutional realities.

Explore the Curriculum & Courses

Designed around the schedules of working executives, the program combines online learning and live engagement with immersive, in-person executive experiences.

06 / The Experience

Leadership Through Experience

Immersive Executive Experiences in Washington, DC

Transformational leadership requires practice—and the opportunity to learn alongside other accomplished leaders.

GW's Washington, DC location becomes a living leadership laboratory, placing executives close to the institutions, policymakers, regulators, national-security leaders, and industry decision-makers shaping cybersecurity strategy and public accountability.

Just as important is who participants experience the program with. The Executive MPS brings together a selective cohort of senior cybersecurity and technology leaders who contribute their own experiences, perspectives, and challenges to the learning environment. Through residencies, executive conversations, shared experiences, and peer-to-peer learning, participants build trusted relationships with leaders facing many of the same high-stakes decisions—creating a professional network and executive community designed to extend well beyond graduation.

High-impact residencies move participants beyond discussion and into executive decision-making under pressure.

Experiences include:
Boardroom and executive-level simulations
Executive coaching and leadership-presence development
Regulatory and congressional testimony scenarios
Feedback from faculty and senior industry mentors
Curated engagement with policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders
Applied work connected to participants' organizations
Media and crisis-communication exercises
Signature Experience

The Cyber Catalyst Leadership Table

Each residency includes a signature formal dinner and executive conversation bringing students together with faculty, mentors, Advisory Council members, senior executives, and sponsoring organizations to examine the changing nature, scope, influence, and responsibility of the cyber executive.

Explore the Executive Experience & Residencies

THESE ARE NOT CONVENTIONAL CAMPUS WEEKENDS

They are opportunities to practice leadership when the stakes are high, learn from accomplished peers, and build relationships that continue long after the program ends.
07 / Advisory Council

A PROGRAM INFORMED BY INDUSTRY, BUILT FOR WHAT COMES NEXT

Cybersecurity changes too quickly for an executive program to remain static.

The Executive Cyber MPS is supported by an Advisory Council of senior leaders and industry experts who extend the program's executive perspective, industry reach, mentoring capacity, and experiential learning network.

Their engagement helps keep the program connected to the changing realities facing cyber leaders—from emerging technologies and geopolitical shifts to evolving regulation, enterprise risk, workforce challenges, and new expectations of the CISO.

Together with faculty, mentors, and industry partners, the Advisory Council helps create an executive ecosystem designed around where cyber leadership is going—not where it has been.

Meet the Advisory Council
08 / Partnerships

Develop the Leaders Your Organization Will Need Next

Corporate & Strategic Partnerships

The Executive Cyber MPS provides organizations with a powerful mechanism for developing, retaining, and preparing senior cybersecurity talent.

For employers, the Executive Cyber MPS is an investment in developing the next generation of enterprise cyber leadership—strengthening CISO succession, organizational resilience, and the leadership capacity needed to navigate an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape.

Organizations can sponsor current senior leaders, develop high-potential CISO-track talent, and engage with the broader executive community through opportunities such as residencies, mentoring, thought leadership, applied organizational projects, and the Cyber Catalyst Leadership Table.

The result is development that creates value not only for the executive—but for the organization they lead.

Explore Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship
09 / Micro-Certificates

Build the Skills You Need Now with Executive Micro-Certificates

For experienced cyber leaders seeking focused development without committing to the full degree, GW offers four Executive Micro-Certificates, including residency-based and non-residency options, aligned with key areas of the Executive MPS curriculum.

Enterprise Cyber
Risk & Political-Regulatory Strategy

Strengthen executive capabilities in cyber risk, regulation, governance, and investment.

6 Credits

Cyber Organizational Power & Change Leadership

Build the influence, organizational insight, and leadership skills needed to drive enterprise transformation.

6 Credits

Cyber Board, Crisis & Public Accountability Leadership

Prepare to lead confidently with boards and through high-stakes crises, media scrutiny, and public accountability.

6 Credits

Emerging Technology & Geopolitical Strategy

Sharpen your ability to navigate cyber risk, regulatory complexity, and geopolitical instability at the enterprise level.

6 Credits

Each 6-credit micro-certificate can be completed independently for targeted executive upskilling or provide a pathway toward the Executive MPS in Transformational Leadership in Cybersecurity. Stack all four to build 24 graduate credits toward the degree, subject to GW admission and academic policies.

Are You Ready to Lead What Comes Next?

MOVE BEYOND PROTECTING THE ENTERPRISE...

Help shape its future.

The cyber leaders of the next decade will not be defined only by what they know about cybersecurity. They will be defined by their ability to govern through uncertainty, influence across institutions, communicate under pressure, navigate competing interests, and lead transformation at enterprise scale.

The Executive MPS in Transformational Leadership in Cybersecurity is designed for a select group of experienced leaders ready for that next level of responsibility.

Request InformationApply to the Executive MPS
805 21st Street, NW
Suite 301
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-2083
cps@gwu.edu
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