Arizona State University Online Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Cybersecurity Concentration)

ASU Online's B.S. in Information Technology with a Cybersecurity concentration is a 120-credit, fully online bachelor's from a public research university in Tempe, Arizona. Its curriculum covers cloud architecture, cloud security, network forensics and security compliance, and it ends with a capstone where you build a cybersecurity solution for a real-world IT challenge. It suits students who want a broad IT degree with a security focus.

Arizona State University is a public research university in Tempe, Arizona, and ASU Online delivers its online degrees. This one is a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, with cybersecurity as a concentration inside it. That wording matters. You're earning an IT degree that leans toward security, not a degree titled Cybersecurity.

The program is 120 credits and fully online. Classes run between 7.5 and 15 weeks, so the pace varies by course. Pricing and admission details are best confirmed with the advising team.

You earn a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from ASU. Ask whether a programmatic accreditor or any certification is attached to the degree before you count on either.

The cloud security and security compliance subjects line up with common entry-level security work, and the capstone gives you a portfolio piece. If a certification matters to you, ask which courses overlap with the exam topics for the certification you want, and plan to study for it separately.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You want an IT foundation with security on top. The cybersecurity concentration sits inside a general information technology degree, which keeps your options open if you later move toward cloud or systems work.
• You're interested in cloud. The curriculum names cloud architecture and cloud security and operations, which is a more specific cloud emphasis than some cybersecurity degrees offer.
• You want a project to show employers. The capstone has you plan, design and implement a cybersecurity solution for a real-world IT challenge.
• You like a large public university's name on your diploma and want to earn it online.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a degree titled Cybersecurity. Employers who scan for that word will see Information Technology on your diploma, though your concentration can be listed on your resume.
• You need a firm price before you apply. Request ASU's per-credit rate for your residency first.
• You want a degree with a built-in internship. Ask whether one is available.

The program is 120 credits. ASU lists these subjects in the curriculum: cloud architecture, cloud security and operations, security analysis, network forensics and security compliance. Together they cover the technical side (how cloud systems are built and defended), the investigative side (network forensics, which means reconstructing what happened on a network) and the rules side (security compliance).

The finish is a capstone. You plan, design and implement a cybersecurity solution for a real-world IT challenge, so you end with something to talk about in interviews. Ask what kinds of challenges past students have tackled and whether you can bring a problem from your own workplace.

Courses the School Names

• Cloud architecture
• Cloud security and operations
• Security analysis
• Network forensics
• Security compliance

Standout Features

• Capstone: plan, design and implement a cybersecurity solution for a real-world IT challenge

For a 120-credit degree, the number to ask for is the per-credit rate that applies to you, whether you live in Arizona or elsewhere, and whether it differs for online students.

Because a bachelor's is long, the biggest cost lever is how many credits you transfer in. Ask the advising team how ASU evaluates credits from a community college or earlier coursework, and whether there is a cap. Fees and course materials are the other line items to confirm before you commit.

The program is fully online, and ASU runs classes between 7.5 and 15 weeks. Shorter sessions mean you carry fewer subjects at once but move quickly, while longer ones give you more breathing room. Ask which courses in the cybersecurity concentration use which length.

Ask whether courses have set meeting times and whether you can do the work around a day job. ASU Online delivers its degrees through its engineering and public service schools, so ask which school owns this program and who your advisor will be.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• You'll need to contact the school for a tuition rate before you can price the degree.
• The cybersecurity focus is a concentration inside an IT degree, so you'll take IT coursework that isn't about security.
• Ask what hands-on practice you get beyond the capstone, such as labs, an internship or a certification path.
• Mixed class lengths from 7.5 to 15 weeks can make planning harder, because your workload will change from term to term.

• What is the per-credit rate for my residency, and what fees are added?
• How many credits can I transfer in, and how are they evaluated?
• Which courses make up the cybersecurity concentration, and how long is each one?
• What kinds of capstone projects have students completed, and can I use a problem from my own job?
• Do any courses use hands-on labs or virtual environments, and which tools do they use?
• Is there any internship or employer connection for online students?

A public research university in Tempe, Arizona. ASU Online delivers these degrees through its engineering and public service schools.

• Best Online Programs in Arizona Rank 3 of 5, bachelor's

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