Marshall University Online Cybersecurity, MS

Marshall's online M.S. in Cybersecurity is a good fit if you already have a technical bachelor's and want to specialize in network security, application security or security management at a public university that says it holds a national cybersecurity designation. Tuition is a flat $534.75 per credit hour.

Marshall University is a public university in Huntington, West Virginia, and its Cybersecurity, M.S. is taught through a Cyber Forensics and Security department. The program page says it is offered fully online, so you aren't expected to relocate or visit campus to earn the degree.

The school describes itself as a recognized National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, usually shortened to NCAE-C. That's a designation a college earns for its cybersecurity curriculum, and it is worth asking the school how it keeps that designation current.

Marshall also says the degree gives you a foundation if you later want to pursue a PhD in cybersecurity. That matters if research or teaching is on your list. If you only want a practitioner's degree, you can treat it as a bonus and focus on the three concentrations.

The 2025-2026 online graduate rate is $534.75 per credit hour. Marshall says that rate already includes base tuition and e-course delivery fees, which is more complete than a lot of schools that quote a low tuition number and add technology charges afterward. College or program-specific fees are not part of it, so ask for those.

Ask the department for the credit total of the degree, multiply it by $534.75, then add the program fees to get your real number.

Who It Fits

• You hold a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity or a computer science related field with a GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale, which is the published admission minimum.
• You know which side of security you want to work on and would rather choose a concentration in Network Security, Application Security or Security Management than take one generalist track.
• You're weighing a doctorate down the road and want a master's that the school says builds a foundation for a cybersecurity PhD.

Who Should Skip It

• Your bachelor's is in an unrelated field. The admission requirement names cybersecurity or computer science related programs, so a business or humanities degree may mean a conversation with the department before you apply.

Three courses are named on the program page. CYBR 510 Intro to Cybersecurity is the starting point, CYBR 530 Cybersecurity Policies & Management covers the governance side, and CYBR 620 Cyberwarfare is the one that stands out on a course list because few master's programs put that word in a title. Together they hint at a degree that mixes technical ideas with policy and national-level threats.

Beyond the core, you choose one of three concentrations. Network Security is the choice if you want to defend infrastructure, Application Security fits people who work near software development, and Security Management points toward leading teams, writing policy and handling risk. Picking by the job you want in three years beats picking by the course titles that sound most exciting.

Courses the School Names

• CYBR 510 Intro to Cybersecurity
• CYBR 530 Cybersecurity Policies & Management
• CYBR 620 Cyberwarfare

Standout Features

• Marshall University is a recognized National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C)
• Provides a foundation for pursuing a PhD in cybersecurity

Marshall says the Cybersecurity, M.S. is offered fully online. Across the university, 46% of graduate students take their courses exclusively online, so you'd be among a real online cohort and not the only remote student in a campus program.

Ask whether classes meet at set times or whether you work on your own schedule before you commit, particularly if you work nights or travel.

You'd earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a public university that describes itself as an NCAE-C. Ask whether a programmatic accreditor or specific certification exams are tied to the courses, and don't assume the degree replaces certifications such as Security+ or CISSP. Employers often want both a degree and a certification for senior roles.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Program or college fees come on top of the $534.75 per credit rate, so ask for the amount.
• Hands-on labs, a capstone and an internship are the parts that most shape your work experience, so ask how each one works online.

• How many credits does the degree require, and how long does a working student usually take to finish?
• What college or program fees are charged per semester in addition to the $534.75 per credit rate?
• Do the courses use virtual labs, and can I reach them from home?
• Are classes live at set times or open to complete on my own schedule?
• What does each concentration require, and can I switch after my first semester?
• Is there a thesis or a capstone, and who supervises it for online students?
• Does the per-credit rate change for out-of-state students?

Public university in Huntington, West Virginia with a Cyber Forensics and Security department.

• Best Affordable Online Programs Rank 8 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in West Virginia Rank 4 of 4, master's

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