George Washington University Online Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity

George Washington University's online Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity is a live, evening-class degree from GW Engineering with two clear tracks, Cybersecurity Analytics and Cybersecurity Policy & Compliance. It costs $1,250 per credit with eBooks and software included, comes to $37,500 for 30 credits, and sits in a school holding the NSA's Cyber Research designation through academic year 2030.

It's a strong fit if you want structure and a Washington, D.C. network.

This is a 30-credit, STEM-classified master's from GW Engineering in Washington, D.C. Classes meet live on Zoom one evening a week, and recordings are available for students who choose to participate asynchronously. Nine-week sessions run four times a year plus an optional summer session, so there are five start points.

You pick one of two tracks. Cybersecurity Analytics is the technical track and requires a bachelor's in engineering, computer science, information technology, mathematics, physics or a closely related field. Cybersecurity Policy & Compliance is for people coming from other backgrounds.

GW has two sibling master's programs in the field. The Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management is 36 credits at $1,506 per credit and comes from the College of Professional Studies. There is also a Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Analytics at $1,750 per credit.

The degree is a Master of Engineering, and the 30-credit program is STEM-classified and NSA CAE-R designated. The designation belongs to GW Engineering and has been renewed through academic year 2030.

Federal data shows median earnings of $130,159 for GW graduates in this field at this credential level, across the university and not just this program. Federal data also counts 129 master's awards in the field at GW, so the school has a real track record of graduating cybersecurity students.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You like live classes. Courses are delivered on Zoom one evening a week, so you get an instructor and classmates, with recordings as a backup when work travel hits.
• You have an engineering, computer science or math degree and want the technical route. The Cybersecurity Analytics track is built for that background, and its entry requirement says so.
• You're coming from policy, law, business or government and want security fluency. The Cybersecurity Policy & Compliance track accepts a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution without requiring a technical field.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to work entirely on your own schedule. The primary format is live, so you'd be using recordings as the exception rather than the rule.
• You want a longer, management-focused degree. The Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management is 36 credits and aimed at strategy and information management, which may suit that goal better.
• You need the lowest possible price. At $1,250 per credit, the 30-credit degree is $37,500 before the $495 deposit is applied to your first semester.

The program splits into two tracks. Cybersecurity Analytics leans on data and technical methods and requires a technical bachelor's. Cybersecurity Policy & Compliance leans on regulation, governance and organizational risk, and it takes a wider range of backgrounds.

Both sit inside GW Engineering, whose designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) from the National Security Agency has been renewed through academic year 2030. That gives the research side of the school a documented standing.

Nine-week sessions keep each course short, so a 30-credit degree breaks into focused blocks instead of long semesters. Ask for a sample degree plan to see how the courses are ordered in each track.

Standout Features

• Classes meet live on Zoom one evening a week, with recordings for students who choose to participate asynchronously
• GW Engineering holds the NSA CAE-R designation (Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research), renewed through academic year 2030

Tuition is $1,250 per credit hour, with eBooks and software included. For 30 credits that totals $37,500. A $495 non-refundable tuition deposit applies to your first-semester tuition, so it isn't an extra charge.

The included software and eBooks remove a common surprise cost. The sibling Master of Professional Studies is $1,506 per credit for 36 credits, which comes to $54,216, so the M.Eng. is the lower total of the two GW master's options. The Doctor of Engineering is $1,750 per credit.

30 credits at $1,250 a credit comes to $37,500 in tuition, before fees.

The format is live and online: a Zoom class one evening a week, with recordings for students who prefer asynchronous participation. Sessions last nine weeks, and there are five start points a year, which gives you more entry options than a semester-only schedule.

School-wide federal data shows 26% of graduate students enrolled exclusively online, 79.5% of transfer-in students earning an award within eight years and an 84% graduation rate. These are GW figures, not program-specific numbers. They do show a university that retains most of its students.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Live evening classes assume a fixed weekly commitment. Recordings help, but the format works best if you can attend most sessions.
• The Cybersecurity Analytics track requires a bachelor's in a technical field, so applicants from other backgrounds need the Policy & Compliance track.
• At $37,500, tuition is a significant investment, and the $495 deposit is non-refundable.

• Which courses sit in the Cybersecurity Analytics track versus the Policy & Compliance track?
• How do I switch tracks if my goals change after I start?
• How many sessions can I miss before the recordings stop being enough?
• Is the optional summer session useful for finishing faster, and how many credits can I take per session?
• Which software is included in the $1,250 per credit, and does it stay mine after graduation?
• How does the M.Eng. compare with the Master of Professional Studies for the job I want?

Private research university in Washington, D.C. with online cybersecurity programs in its engineering school and its College of Professional Studies.

• Best Cybersecurity Engineering Degrees Rank 5 of 8, master's
• Best Cybersecurity Policy Degrees Rank 4 of 10, master's
• Best With Multiple Start Dates Rank 9 of 10, master's

• Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management

  M.P.S., Master's

  Fully Online $1,506 per credit Score 54.1

• Doctor of Engineering in Cybersecurity Analytics

  D.Eng., Doctorate

  Fully Online $1,750 per credit Score 46.8

• California State University, San Bernardino

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Analytics (Online)

  California Score 56.5

• New York University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity (Online)

  New York Score 56.6

• University of Charleston

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  West Virginia $446 per credit Score 56.4

• SANS Technology Institute

  Master of Science in Information Security Engineering

  Maryland $1,500 per credit Score 56.8