American National University Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

This is the lowest-priced master's in this group, with a published total of $23,016 that already includes fees, textbooks and lab equipment. It is a practical, career-school degree with a required 50-hour practicum every term and a long list of security courses. The tradeoffs are a 56-credit load, a for-profit school, and an accreditor you should check against your employer's expectations.

American National University (ANU) is a career-focused private for-profit university headquartered in Salem, Virginia, with campuses in several states and an eLearning division. The Master of Science in Cybersecurity is offered at a distance, which ANU defines as synchronous video plus asynchronous online learning, so some of your class time is live.

The degree requires 56 credit hours, and every course is 4 credit hours. That is a much heavier load than the 30 or 36 credits at most other online cybersecurity master's programs, so do not read the low price as a shortcut. You are doing more coursework for less money per credit.

ANU's institutional accreditor is the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The school is small by federal numbers, with 770 students enrolled.

The degree is fully online at the Salem, Virginia campus, listed as Distance. The Louisville, Kentucky campus lists Distance and Blended, with a limited on-campus residency. If you choose Louisville, check what the residency involves.

Distance at ANU means live video classes combined with asynchronous work, so you will need to be free at set times for some of the week. Ask for the term length and the start dates.

The practicum adds a time commitment of 50 hours each term. Ask how an online student finds a practicum site, whether your own job can count, and what happens if your employer cannot support it.

Who It Fits

• You want a clear, all-in price. ANU says tuition covers application, course, technology and graduation fees, textbooks and lab equipment where applicable.
• You have a year or more of work experience and can use it, because the school gives up to 3 classes or 12 credits of credit for work experience.
• You like applied learning and are fine with a required practicum, 50 hours each term.
• You are aiming at certifications. The electives line up with CISSP, CISM, CSSLP, CEH/LPT, CCFE and CBCP topics.

Who Should Skip It

• You plan to pursue a doctorate or move to another university later and want a regionally accredited school. Ask any future school whether it accepts DEAC-accredited credit.
• You want a short program. At 56 credits it is the longest in this group, so ask how long a typical student takes.
• You want a large online community. Federal data shows 21% of graduate students study exclusively online at ANU, and the school's campuses still matter.

ANU lists a fuller set of course titles than most schools in this group. The notable ones are Intrusion Detection Attack and Countermeasures, Business and Security Risk Analysis, Risk Management and Compliance, Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing, Forensic Evaluation and Analysis, Secure Software Development and Information Security Project Management.

That mix covers offense, defense, forensics, risk and project management, so you get the technical and managerial sides in one degree. The electives are aligned to certification topics, which is useful if you plan to sit for an exam during or right after the program.

The practicum is the structural feature. Every student completes 50 hours of practicum training each term, so you are applying skills as you go instead of waiting for a final capstone.

Courses the School Names

• Intrusion Detection Attack and Countermeasures
• Business and Security Risk Analysis
• Risk Management and Compliance
• Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
• Forensic Evaluation and Analysis
• Secure Software Development
• Information Security Project Management

Standout Features

• Electives aligned to CISSP, CISM, CSSLP, CEH/LPT, CCFE and CBCP certification topics
• Published total tuition of $23,016 includes fees, textbooks and lab equipment
• Required 50-hour practicum each term
• 50 hours of practicum training each term
• Tuition covers all fees, textbooks and lab equipment

The school's printed math is straightforward: 56 credits at $411 per credit, for a total of $23,016. That total is described as including application, course, technology and graduation fees, textbooks and lab equipment where applicable. That makes budgeting easy.

Work experience credit can cut the bill. Students with at least one year of work experience can receive credit for up to 3 classes, or 12 credits, toward a master's, and 12 credits at this rate is a large reduction.

Ask whether the price is guaranteed for your whole enrollment, and whether the 56-credit load takes longer than you can afford to pay for.

56 credits at $411 a credit comes to $23,016 in tuition, before fees.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a school accredited by DEAC. DEAC is a national accreditor for distance education, which is different from the regional accreditors that most state universities hold. Some graduate schools and public employers care about the accreditor, so ask before you enroll if you have a specific path in mind.

The program prepares you to sit for optional certification exams, including CISSP, CSSLP, CBCP and the CDFE forensic examiner exam. The exams are optional and are not part of the degree, and the exam fees are separate.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The degree is 56 credit hours, much longer than other master's programs here, so ask how many months a typical student needs.
• The accreditor is DEAC, and credits may not transfer to every other school.
• The practicum is required every term, at 50 hours, which adds hours to your week.
• The school is a for-profit with 770 students and a 33% federal graduation rate, so ask hard questions about outcomes.

• How long does a student who takes one course at a time take to finish 56 credits?
• How do online students arrange the 50-hour practicum, and can my current job count?
• Does the $23,016 total include certification exam fees, or only the items you listed?
• Which accreditation do employers and graduate schools in my field accept, and have ANU graduates moved on to doctoral programs?
• What does the limited residency at the Louisville campus require?
• How do I apply for work experience credit, and what documentation do you need?

Career-focused university headquartered in Salem, Virginia, with campuses in several states and an eLearning division.

• Best Affordable Online Programs Rank 4 of 10, master's
• Best Programs With Internships Rank 4 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Virginia Rank 2 of 6, master's

• Mercyhurst University

  Master of Science in Cyber Security

  Pennsylvania $1,132 per credit Score 55.5

• Southern New Hampshire University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New Hampshire $659 per credit Score 55.6

• University of Illinois Springfield

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

  Illinois Score 55.6

• Washington University of Science and Technology

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $235 per quarter credit Score 55.4