Keiser University Online Cybersecurity, BS

This is a fully online bachelor's in cybersecurity from a private nonprofit university in Florida, built on short 4-week terms with a choice between two concentrations: Information Assurance, which leans toward policy and risk, and Digital Defense, which leans toward forensics and ethical hacking. Admission uses a Wonderlic test score of 18 or above. It's a good fit for self-starters who like one class at a time.

Keiser University is a private nonprofit university in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity is available on campus, online and as a hybrid, and this page covers the online version.

The degree takes 126 credit hours. Classes run in 4-week terms, and the school estimates 42 months to finish. Up to 12 credits of transfer credit can count toward the total.

Keiser also offers a Master of Science in Information Security. That's a separate 30-credit graduate degree for people who already hold a bachelor's in a computer discipline, so it isn't a path into this one, but it's where some graduates continue.

You would earn a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity from a SACSCOC-accredited institution. The two concentrations show up in your coursework and on your transcript, so choose the one that matches the job you're after.

Federal data shows a graduation rate of 61% for the university as a whole, and an admit rate of 97%. Open admission means the support you get along the way matters. Ask about advising, tutoring and what happens when a student struggles in a 4-week term.

If you're aiming at an industry certification, ask which exams the courses prepare you for.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You want to focus on one or two classes at a time. Four-week terms keep each course short and the workload concentrated.
• You're drawn to forensics and ethical hacking and want the Digital Defense concentration.
• You prefer governance, risk, privacy and identity management, which the Information Assurance concentration covers.
• You want a bachelor's from a school where 43% of undergraduates study exclusively online, so you'd be learning among many other online students.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to know the full cost before you apply. Get a written estimate first, since the total depends on fees and transfer credit.
• You'd rather take a slower course pace. Short terms move quickly, and a missed week can feel like a missed month.
• You already hold a bachelor's degree. The school's Information Security master's is the better match for graduate-level study.

The degree has two concentrations, and they lead to different jobs. Digital Defense covers digital media forensics, network forensics, ethical hacking, and network defense and countermeasures. That's the hands-on, find-the-attacker side of security.

Information Assurance covers governance, risk and compliance, identity access management, privacy, and secure development operations. That's the side where you help a company set rules, prove it follows them and build safe software habits.

Lower-division courses come first, and upper-division major courses follow. That means your cybersecurity classes arrive after the foundation, so ask early which major courses you could take sooner if you transfer credits in.

Standout Features

• Digital Defense concentration covers digital media forensics, network forensics, ethical hacking, and network defense and countermeasures
• Information Assurance concentration covers governance, risk and compliance, identity access management, privacy, and secure development operations

The total depends on how many of the 126 credit hours you complete at Keiser. Up to 12 credits of transfer credit can lower that number, and the 42-month estimate assumes a standard pace.

Ask the admissions office for a written estimate that lists tuition per credit, technology or lab fees and books for the full degree. Compare it with the online rate at a public university in your state, which can be lower.

Federal data lists median earnings of $47,847 for the school's graduates in this field, a Scorecard figure for the field rather than a promise for this degree. Consider it alongside your estimated cost.

Terms last 4 weeks, which is quick. You take courses in short bursts, finish them and move on, so each class gets your full attention. It also means deadlines come fast.

Federal enrollment data shows 43% of undergraduates at the university study exclusively online, a large online community. That usually means support services built with online students in mind.

The school also offers this degree on campus and as a hybrid, so you may be able to switch format if your circumstances change. Ask whether lab work in the Digital Defense concentration runs on virtual machines at home or requires campus visits.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Admission requires a Wonderlic score of 18 or above, so you'll sit for a test.
• Four-week terms are fast, and falling behind can be hard to recover from.
• The 126 credits and 42-month estimate make this a long commitment, which transfer credit shortens by only up to 12 credits.

• What is the total cost for the 126 credits, including every fee?
• Can I take the Wonderlic online, and what happens if I score below 18?
• Which major courses can I take earlier if I transfer credits in?
• Do the Digital Defense labs run virtually, or do I need to come to campus?
• What advising and tutoring is available during 4-week terms?
• Which certification exams do the courses prepare me for?

• Best Information Assurance Degrees Rank 6 of 6, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Florida Rank 4 of 4, bachelor's

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