Champlain College Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity Operations

This is the hands-on, technical master's in Champlain's cybersecurity lineup. It is 30 credits at $608 per credit, $18,240 in tuition, and you can finish in about 10 months at two courses per term. It ends in a War Games capstone where you attack and defend real devices. It suits a working professional who wants to do security work with their hands, not manage it.

Champlain College is a private nonprofit college in Burlington, Vermont, and it delivers this master's through Champlain College Online. The Master of Science in Cybersecurity Operations is fully online, and the GMAT and GRE are not required for admission.

Champlain has three cybersecurity master's degrees at the same 30 credits and $608 per credit, so the choice is about content. Operations is the technical response and testing track. Analytics leans on data, with courses in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Data Visualization in Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence. Management leans on leadership, with Security Regulations and Compliance Management, Managing Risk in IT Organizations and Security Design and Architecture.

Champlain also offers two digital forensics master's degrees if evidence work appeals to you more.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

The Fall 2026 to Summer 2027 rate is $608 per credit, so 30 credits comes to $18,240. A one-time $150 graduation fee applies. Alumni, servicemembers, veterans and their families pay $500 per credit.

Champlain accepts transfer credit from prior college courses, work experience and training, and military training. On a 30-credit degree, even a few transferred credits cut a noticeable amount from the bill, so ask for an evaluation before you commit.

The cost is the same as Champlain's Analytics and Management master's, so price won't decide among them. The 30 credits are also fewer than the 33 required by the Digital Forensic Analytics master's.

30 credits at $608 a credit comes to $18,240 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You already work in IT, networking or a security help desk and want to move toward testing and incident response.
• You want a capstone that tests you in a simulated attack and defense, not a research paper.
• You hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited school and want a quick path, about 10 months at two courses per term.
• You are a servicemember, veteran or family member who can use the $500 per credit military rate.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to lead a security team or write policy. The Cybersecurity Management master's covers risk, compliance and leadership.
• You want to work with data science, models and analytics. The Cybersecurity Analytics master's is built around that.
• You have never touched scripting or networking. The coursework assumes you can keep up with technical material, so build a base first.

The notable courses read like a security operations center's job list. Threat and Vulnerability Analysis teaches you to find and rank weaknesses. Security Testing covers probing systems for flaws. Malware Analysis is about taking apart hostile code to see what it does. Incident Response and Event Management covers what to do when an alert becomes a real breach. Security Scripting means you automate the repetitive parts.

The finish is the War Games Capstone. Students are broken into two virtual teams that must defend and attack multiple devices on two networks. Champlain describes it as the class where students talk the talk and walk the walk of information security professionals.

This is where the program separates from the others. The capstone forces you to use every skill at once against a team trying to beat you, which is close to how security work feels on the job.

Courses the School Names

• Threat & Vulnerability Analysis
• Malware Analysis
• Security Testing
• Incident Response & Event Management
• Security Scripting

Standout Features

• War Games capstone with virtual attack and defend teams

Champlain uses 7-week terms alongside 15-week semesters, and you take one or two courses per 7-week term. At two courses per term, Champlain estimates 10 months to finish.

The program is fully online, and federal data shows 100% of Champlain's graduate students study exclusively online. That means your classmates are working adults like you, and the format is built around them.

Two courses at once is demanding when you also hold a full-time job and some of the work is technical lab time. Plan for evenings and weekends. One course per term is allowed if you need a lighter load, and the degree simply takes longer.

You would earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Operations from a private nonprofit college regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Admission requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, with a 2.5 GPA recommended.

Champlain has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security since 2006, according to its bachelor's program page. Ask whether that designation covers the graduate degrees.

Federal Scorecard data lists median earnings of $145,009 for graduates of this field at Champlain, and the school-wide graduation rate is 65%.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• At $608 per credit, the degree costs more than the public online options in this field, and the $18,240 total is not small.
• Ask which certification exams the courses prepare you for.
• It is a technical degree. If you want management or policy work, the Management master's is a better match.

• What technical background do you expect students to have before the first course?
• How are the War Games teams formed, and how many hours does the capstone take each week?
• Which certification exams do Security Testing and Incident Response prepare me for?
• How much of my prior credit or work training could count toward the 30 credits?
• Are the labs available at any hour, and what tools do they use?
• How do the Operations and Analytics master's differ for someone who wants to be a threat hunter?
• Do I qualify for the $500 per credit rate?

A private nonprofit college in Burlington, Vermont that delivers its online degrees through Champlain College Online.

• Best Online Programs in Vermont Rank 2 of 5, master's

• BS in Computer Forensics & Digital Investigations

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $342 per credit Score 75.9

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $342 per credit Score 72.4

• Master of Science in Digital Forensic Science

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 75.1

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.5

• Master of Science in Digital Forensic Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.3

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.1

Also at Champlain College, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (bachelor's, on campus).

• University of the Cumberlands

  Master of Science in Information Systems Security (Online)

  Kentucky $355 per credit Score 67.4

• Hallmark University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Texas $595 per credit Score 67.1

• Dakota State University

  Cyber Defense, MS

  South Dakota $495.70 per credit Score 65.8

• Excelsior University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New York $715 per credit Score 65.4