Mercyhurst University Online Master of Science in Cyber Security

Mercyhurst is the pick in this group for people coming from outside tech. It takes a bachelor's in any discipline, needs no programming background, and builds hands-on practice into the coursework through online cyber ranges, with certification content from several bodies. It is also the highest-priced option here, at $1,132 per credit.

Mercyhurst University is a private nonprofit university in Erie, Pennsylvania. Its Master of Science in Cyber Security is delivered online, with 36 credits and a minimum duration of 24 months. Classes start in fall, spring and summer, and admission is rolling, so you do not wait a full year to begin.

The school says the program is open even if you have no prior experience in computer science, and it lists programming as not required. That makes it one of the more accessible entry points for a career changer.

Mercyhurst also offers the degree as a 4+1 program, where a current student adds the master's to a bachelor's. A Cyber Security Graduate Certificate exists at the school too, but it is a shorter credential and not a degree.

You earn a Master of Science in Cyber Security. The school integrates certification topics from major bodies, including ISC2's Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), and lists CISSP, CCSP, Security+, Network+, PenTest+ and CEH among them. Integrating topics is not the same as being handed the certificate, so you will still need to pass the exams.

The CPCU waivers are a niche but real benefit if you are in property and casualty insurance. Two course waivers shorten the path to that designation.

Federal data shows a completion rate of 86% for transfer-in students at Mercyhurst, one of the stronger figures in this group.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You hold a bachelor's in something unrelated to computing, such as business, criminal justice or the humanities, and want to switch into security.
• You work in insurance or risk. The Cyber Risk Management coursework earns two course waivers toward the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.
• You want practice rather than only theory, and the school points to online cyber ranges for hands-on work.
• You plan to sit for certifications and like the idea of a partner discount. Mercyhurst partners with EC-Council Academia for discounted certification resources.

Who Should Skip It

• Price matters most. At $1,132 per credit, the program costs more per credit than most online cybersecurity master's options, so compare totals before you commit.
• You want to finish in under two years. The stated duration is a minimum of 24 months.
• You already work in security and want advanced technical depth, since the program is designed to welcome people without a computing background.

Mercyhurst publishes a course list that is easy to picture: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing, Cryptography and Network Security, Digital Forensics, Cloud Security, Web Security, Cyber Risk Management and Cyber Law and Policy. Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing is listed as a required course.

The mix is balanced. You get offensive skills, defensive and cloud topics, the legal side and the risk side. For someone who has never worked in IT, that breadth helps you decide what to specialize in.

Certification content is woven in. The school says coursework integrates certifications such as SSCP, CISSP, CCSP, Security+, Network+, PenTest+ and CEH. The cyber ranges give you practice environments, and you should ask how many hours you spend in them versus in lectures.

Courses the School Names

• Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
• Cryptography and Network Security
• Digital Forensics
• Cloud Security
• Web Security
• Cyber Risk Management
• Cyber Law and Policy

Standout Features

• Also available as a 4+1 program
• Coursework integrates certifications such as SSCP, CISSP, CCSP, Security+ and CEH
• Cyber Risk Management coursework earns two course waivers toward the CPCU designation
• Hands-on practice through online cyber ranges
• Partnership with EC-Council Academia for discounted certification resources

The school publishes $1,132 per credit and $42,125 total. Multiplying 36 credits by the per-credit rate gives $40,752, so the published total is a bit higher, which probably reflects fees. Ask for a line-by-line breakdown.

Alumni of Mercyhurst receive a special tuition rate, which is worth asking about if you graduated there. Ask about transfer credit limits and any military rate.

This is the most expensive program in this group, so weigh what you are paying for: the course variety, the cyber ranges, the CPCU waivers and the EC-Council partnership. If you do not need those, a lower-priced program may serve you equally well.

36 credits at $1,132 a credit comes to $40,752 in tuition, before fees.

The program is online, and 53% of Mercyhurst's graduate students study exclusively online, so you will be in a real online community. Terms follow a semester calendar with starts in fall, spring and summer, and rolling admission lets you apply when you are ready.

Ask whether classes are live or asynchronous, because the minimum 24 months suggests a paced part-time schedule.

The hands-on side runs through online cyber ranges, which are practice networks you attack and defend from your browser. Ask which courses use them and whether you get access outside class time.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $1,132 per credit and $42,125 total, it is the most expensive program in this group.
• The minimum duration is 24 months, so it is not a fast option.
• Class format, live or self-paced, is worth confirming.
• Mercyhurst has 2,632 students overall, so the alumni network is smaller than at a large online university.

• What is in the $42,125 total beyond the 36 credits, and are there fees on top?
• Which courses use the online cyber ranges, and can I access them between classes?
• How much of the certification content is covered in class, and who pays for exam vouchers?
• Is the alumni tuition rate available to graduates of the 4+1 program or only to degree holders?
• Do classes meet at set times, and how many hours a week should I plan for?
• How would I prove I meet the CPCU course waivers?

Private university in Erie, Pennsylvania.

• Best for Career Changers Rank 2 of 5, master's
• Best With No Programming Rank 4 of 5, master's
• Best Online Programs in Pennsylvania Rank 2 of 3, master's

• American National University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $411 per credit Score 55.5

• Southern New Hampshire University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New Hampshire $659 per credit Score 55.6

• University of Illinois Springfield

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

  Illinois Score 55.6

• Washington University of Science and Technology

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $235 per quarter credit Score 55.4