The field of cyber security is growing extremely fast; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment is projected to grow by 28% in the next decade. As technology advances and everything becomes connected online, colleges and universities are trying to keep up with the demand and are now offering master’s programs that are specific to the online and cybersecurity field. With the high demand for skilled security workers with technical skills and relevant work experience, you may be wondering if a graduate program is worth the time and effort it takes beyond how long students spend in school earning their undergraduate degrees; in a word, the answer is yes. With a Master of Science in cyber security degree, you can reach the top of the field in cyber security and find job security, new career opportunities, and excellent wages wherever you choose to live and work. You may even be able to work remotely through an online connection and create your own business consultancy to help companies with their cybersecurity needs. Here are some details to help you with your educational questions about advanced degree programs in cyber security.
These graduate programs will help graduate students to build on their undergraduate degrees, whether they earned a degree in cyber security, information assurance, or computer science. Core courses in these programs vary, even if you make sure to choose an accredited institution, but a master of science in cyber security or similar graduate program may cover the following subjects:
- Operating Systems, Computer Systems, Network Systems, and Information Security
- Information Security Risk Management
- Information Assurance
- Data Structures
- Ethical Hacking
- Systems Analysis and Vulnerability Analysis
- Cryptographic Techniques
- How to deal with cyber-attacks, cyber-threats, and security risk
- Security Architecture
- Security Analysis
- Network Security
- Secure Network Design
- Security Policies before and after Cyber Security Threats
- Cyber Law and Cyber Crime
- Technical Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Digital Forensics
- And More
PROS
- When you complete an online or traditional cyber security Master of Science, you will qualify for the best positions at the best companies and can easily find a job you love.
- Completing graduate programs in any subject means you will most likely earn more than someone working the same job that only has a bachelor’s degree; with knowledge in information systems, computer systems, and network security, you will be able to counter any cyber security threat and earn much more.
- Your Master of Science in Cyber Security will demonstrate that you are an expert in your field, with plenty of education and practical experience, and showcases your knowledge and skills when you apply for job openings.
- Earning a master's degree expands your job options, as you will qualify for many more positions, such as information security analyst or even as chief security officers, as well as many more fields aside from cyber security.
- Once you have your master’s degree from an accredited institution or university, you will qualify for the highest possible online certifications in the field as well.
- A master's degree program also teaches leadership skills and you'll be qualified for positions in upper management or to launch your own consultation business.
- Many companies have employee education programs that will reimburse you for college tuition, whether you attend online or not.
CONS
- a master's degree takes time and, if you're working full-time, you may only be able to take one or two courses a semester, even if you attend online. After all, some online programs require synchronous attendance, which means you can't put the programs lectures off till whenever you have time on the weekend.
- It may take quite a while to see a return on your educational investment.
- Earning your master's degree doesn't mean the end of your education. Because cyber security is constantly evolving, you'll need to stay on top of new developments and earn new certifications as they arise.
- The higher on the corporate ladder you climb, the more hours you'll probably work and it's easy to get burned out.
- Higher positions mean more stress as the pressure to perform will rise.
Featured Online Programs
Top 25 Best Online Masters in Cybersecurity Programs
Harvard University
Score: 89.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $59,076
- Out-of-State:$59,076
- Net Price: $19,491
- Acceptance Rate: 3%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 98%
- Total Enrollment: 30,631
- Undergrad Students: 9,368
- Graduate Students: 21,263
- Grads Salary: $96,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
University of California-Berkeley
Score: 87.27
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,850
- Out-of-State:$45,627
- Net Price: $19,257
- Acceptance Rate: 11%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 45,307
- Undergrad Students: 32,479
- Graduate Students: 12,828
- Grads Salary: $97,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Georgia Institute of Technology
Score: 86.85
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,764
- Out-of-State:$32,876
- Net Price: $17,402
- Acceptance Rate: 17%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 45,296
- Undergrad Students: 18,415
- Graduate Students: 26,881
- Grads Salary: $95,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Johns Hopkins University
Score: 85.5
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,340
- Out-of-State:$63,340
- Net Price: $24,034
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 31,275
- Undergrad Students: 6,044
- Graduate Students: 25,231
- Grads Salary: $94,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
University of Southern California
Score: 79.48
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $68,237
- Out-of-State:$68,237
- Net Price: $36,808
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 48,945
- Undergrad Students: 20,699
- Graduate Students: 28,246
- Grads Salary: $92,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Purdue University
Score: 79.34
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,992
- Out-of-State:$28,794
- Net Price: $12,576
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 51,528
- Undergrad Students: 38,593
- Graduate Students: 12,935
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Georgetown University
Score: 79.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $65,081
- Out-of-State:$65,081
- Net Price: $35,566
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 96%
- Total Enrollment: 20,984
- Undergrad Students: 7,900
- Graduate Students: 13,084
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Boston University
Score: 78.86
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $65,168
- Out-of-State:$65,168
- Net Price: $27,829
- Acceptance Rate: 14%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
- Total Enrollment: 36,714
- Undergrad Students: 18,459
- Graduate Students: 18,255
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
New York University
Score: 78.82
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,438
- Out-of-State:$60,438
- Net Price: $29,499
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 87%
- Total Enrollment: 59,144
- Undergrad Students: 29,401
- Graduate Students: 29,743
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
Northeastern University
Score: 77.73
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,141
- Out-of-State:$63,141
- Net Price: $35,827
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 30,013
- Undergrad Students: 16,302
- Graduate Students: 13,711
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Stevens Institute of Technology
Score: 77.69
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,952
- Out-of-State:$60,952
- Net Price: $41,689
- Acceptance Rate: 46%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 9,314
- Undergrad Students: 4,070
- Graduate Students: 5,244
- Grads Salary: $101,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Virginia Tech
Score: 77.53
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $15,478
- Out-of-State:$36,694
- Net Price: $19,301
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 86%
- Total Enrollment: 38,170
- Undergrad Students: 30,434
- Graduate Students: 7,736
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Capitol Technology University
Score: 76.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $27,318
- Out-of-State:$27,318
- Net Price: $25,445
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 823
- Undergrad Students: 301
- Graduate Students: 522
- Grads Salary: $114,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Score: 76.19
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $19,022
- Out-of-State:$35,934
- Net Price: $17,762
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 12,332
- Undergrad Students: 9,019
- Graduate Students: 3,313
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Delaware
Score: 74.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,080
- Out-of-State:$39,720
- Net Price: $18,044
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 80%
- Total Enrollment: 24,039
- Undergrad Students: 19,482
- Graduate Students: 4,557
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of South Florida
Score: 74.15
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,410
- Out-of-State:$17,324
- Net Price: $11,004
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 49,600
- Undergrad Students: 38,047
- Graduate Students: 11,553
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Illinois Institute of Technology
Score: 73.67
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $51,763
- Out-of-State:$51,763
- Net Price: $28,702
- Acceptance Rate: 61%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 6,943
- Undergrad Students: 3,125
- Graduate Students: 3,818
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
University of Detroit Mercy
Score: 72.88
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $32,300
- Out-of-State:$32,300
- Net Price: $18,197
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 5,360
- Undergrad Students: 3,156
- Graduate Students: 2,204
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
James Madison University
Score: 72.52
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,576
- Out-of-State:$30,790
- Net Price: $18,274
- Acceptance Rate: 78%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 22,224
- Undergrad Students: 20,346
- Graduate Students: 1,878
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,278
- Out-of-State:$31,678
- Net Price: $14,023
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 7,080
- Undergrad Students: 5,498
- Graduate Students: 1,582
- Grads Salary: $86,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Auburn University
Score: 72.47
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,536
- Out-of-State:$33,944
- Net Price: $25,271
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 31,764
- Undergrad Students: 25,379
- Graduate Students: 6,385
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
University of San Diego
Score: 72
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $56,444
- Out-of-State:$56,444
- Net Price: $36,008
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 8,815
- Undergrad Students: 5,669
- Graduate Students: 3,146
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Score: 71.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,570
- Out-of-State:$35,396
- Net Price: $17,240
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 17,153
- Undergrad Students: 12,389
- Graduate Students: 4,764
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Florida International University
Score: 71.54
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,565
- Out-of-State:$18,963
- Net Price: $9,881
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 55,609
- Undergrad Students: 45,688
- Graduate Students: 9,921
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Score: 70.84
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,944
- Out-of-State:$31,360
- Net Price: $12,444
- Acceptance Rate: 54%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Total Enrollment: 8,223
- Undergrad Students: 6,116
- Graduate Students: 2,107
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Overview of a Cyber Security Masters
What Cyber Security Master’s Degrees are Available online?
Cyber security falls within the science of computers and specifically their interconnectivity through online connection, and your degree will reflect that status. Because the field is relatively new, you'll find quite a variety of program titles and specialties to choose from. It's important to research two areas when choosing a school: whether all of your bachelor’s degree credits and certifications will be accepted for transfer, and the specialties and curriculum offered within each online or traditional program you're considering. Make sure the courses offered are in line with your long-term goals and network with experts in the field to verify the program is a respected base for your master’s degree. An online Master of Science or MA will look exactly the same as a traditional program on your resume, and online programs are becoming much more common in every field.
Here are some examples of degree titles you will find:
- MS in Applied Information Technology: Concentration in Cyber Security
- MS in Computer Engineering: Specialization in Network and System Security
- MS in Data Analytics Engineering: Concentration in Digital Forensics
- MS in Digital Forensics and Cyber Analysis
- MS in Information Security and Assurance
Admission Requirements
Each university sets its own standards for admission and you'll find that, the more prestigious the school, the more stringent the admission requirements. For the most part, you'll need a bachelor's degree in cyber security or computer science, or at least a background in computer science with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0. You'll also need to submit a personal statement of purpose, several letters of recommendation, and your GRE or other entrance exam scores. Additionally, online students will need to fulfill the same admission requirements for online programs as traditional students.
Depending on the program, or your choice of specialization, there may be prerequisite courses or certifications required as well. Check the admissions page of the school program you're considering for a full list of requirements for each program you're interested in. These could include courses in computer science, computer networks and network security, operating systems, secure computer systems, intelligence and information security, cyber defense education, or a variety of other subjects that will help you succeed in a traditional or online master's degree program.
How long does it take to earn an Online Master’s Degree in Cyber Security?
Your online master's degree will take approximately two years of full-time school. At most universities, it is a four-semester program, although you may find some accelerated programs that can be completed in a year and a half.
If they haven't earned their bachelor’s degree, prospective students might consider looking for a combination five-year program that combines the two degrees as a fast track to graduate degrees.
Many people enter the workforce with their bachelor’s degree and continue attending school part-time to earn their master's degree. One advantage to this path is that many employers have educational programs that will pay for or reimburse you for your graduate degree tuition.
Get Matched With Your Online Cybersecurity College
Potential Careers for MS Cyber Graduates
With an online master's degree you'll have a wide range of career choices within the field of cybersecurity and the more experience you gain, the more career choices you'll have. The following examples of careers also show the average salaries nationwide for each position.
- Computer and Information Research Scientist:
A computer and information research scientist works behind the scenes to gather new information and data that relates to the field of cybersecurity. They may oversee the research of others, apply concepts to computer models, and share large-scale information with others in the field of cyber research.
The average pay for a computer and information research scientist is $115,700 per year. - Computer Network Architect:
The network architect is responsible for the design and review of network capabilities and requirements within an organization. They validate designs at the highest level and periodically report their progress to a department manager. Network architects are charged with verifying network settings and security requirements and may test for flaws and possible threats.
The average pay for a network architect is $121,800 per year. - Chief Information Security Officer (CISO):
The CISO is in charge of development, implementation, and maintenance of security processes within a company's network. It is a senior level executive role and the CISO must ensure that the technologies and assets of a company are safe from outside threats.
Their average annual salary is $165,000. - Information Security Crime Investigator/Forensics Expert:
As the title suggests, an information security crime investigator or forensics expert tries to identify the flaws within a system that allowed criminal activity to infiltrate a system. They may focus on theft by illegal download, copyright infractions within a corporation, or identity theft and similar personal computer crimes.
Their annual average salary is $74,100.
Options to Advance
As mentioned above, you will need to continue your education as new technology and other advances arise within the field of computers and cyber security. If you enjoy the research area of the field, you may decide to continue your cyber security education to earn a PhD; or a doctorate in cybersecurity (DSc).
Your best chance for advancement after earning your online master's degree is to gain experience and certifications. With 5-10 years’ experience, you may qualify for the highest paid position in the field of cybersecurity: Lead Software Security Engineer. This position leads a team of cyber security experts to analyze and assess threats and identify weaknesses within a system. The lead software security engineer earns an average annual salary of $233,300, which is currently number one in the field of cyber security.
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