National University Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

This 39-credit master's runs on four-week courses and lets you choose one of four specializations: Enterprise Cybersecurity Management, Ethical Hacking and Pen Testing, Digital Forensics or Cloud Security. It is designated by the NSA as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. The tuition is $644 per credit, so it suits people who want a focused specialty and fast courses.

National University is a private nonprofit university based in San Diego, California. Its Master of Science in Cybersecurity is delivered online with four-week courses, and the school lists an average completion time of 24 months. Admission is simple: an interview with the faculty advisor before your first course, a $0 application fee, and no essays or exams.

Federal data shows 93% of graduate students study exclusively online, and the school awards a large number of degrees in this field each year, so the online format is well established. The school also offers an online bachelor's in cybersecurity, which is a separate undergraduate degree and not a path into this one.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Tuition is $644 per credit across 39 credits, which is $25,116. A course material fee of $135 is charged per course. The tuition page puts the estimated total cost of the program at $26,852, which is the number to budget against because it includes those fees.

The master's costs more than public-university options, but the application costs $0 and there is no GRE. Ask how the school bills the $135 fee when you retake or drop a course, because the fee is charged per course and mistakes add up. Ask about military and employer discounts before applying, since a discount can change this price noticeably.

39 credits at $644 a credit comes to $25,116 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Students who already know the specialty they want. The four concentrations are Enterprise Cybersecurity Management, Ethical Hacking and Pen Testing, Digital Forensics and Cloud Security.
• Professionals who want a federally recognized program. The NSA has designated National University a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through 2028.
• Anyone who prefers fast, focused courses. Each course lasts four weeks, so you carry one subject at a time.

Who Should Skip It

• Students who want the lowest price. At $644 per credit plus a $135 course material fee per course, this is not the cheapest master's.
• People who prefer a slow, semester-length pace. Four-week courses compress each subject.

The specialization you pick shapes the second half of the degree. Ethical Hacking and Pen Testing is the offensive path, where you learn to break into systems with permission to find weaknesses. Digital Forensics is for investigating incidents and preserving evidence. Cloud Security focuses on protecting systems hosted by cloud providers, and Enterprise Cybersecurity Management is the leadership path.

The school says technical tools are demonstrated in virtual lab environments. The degree ends with a master's-level project in your area of specialization, so the capstone follows the track you chose.

Standout Features

• Designated by the NSA as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through 2028
• Technical tools taught in virtual lab environments

Courses run four weeks each, and the school describes its online options alongside that short format. The average completion time is 24 months. The short courses reward steady weekly work, and a missed week costs you a larger share of the course than in a semester format.

Four weeks is short enough that a bad course ends quickly and a good one is over before you settle in, so ask advisors how students usually sequence their courses. Because admission includes an interview with a faculty advisor before the first course, you get a conversation about pace and specialization before you pay for anything.

The NSA has designated National University a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through 2028. This is the strongest credential signal on the program page, and it can matter for federal scholarships and hiring.

Federal data shows median earnings of $118,388 for the school's graduates in this field.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• Tuition runs $644 per credit and the estimated program total is $26,852 with fees.
• Four-week courses move quickly, which is hard when work gets busy.
• The completion rate for transfer students in federal data is 50%, so many students do not finish.
• Ask which certifications the coursework supports, and request the course titles for your specialization.

• Which specialization fits the job I want, and can I switch after I start?
• What is the full cost with the $135 course material fees included?
• What happens in the interview with the faculty advisor?
• What does the master's-level project involve in my specialization?
• How many four-week courses can I take at once?
• Do any courses prepare for industry certifications?

A private nonprofit university based in San Diego, California.

• Best Cybersecurity Management Degrees Rank 6 of 10, master's
• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 3 of 10, master's
• Best Cyber Defense Degrees Rank 5 of 10, master's
• Best Accelerated Online Programs Rank 9 of 10, master's
• Best No-GRE Online Master's Rank 8 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in California Rank 1 of 6, master's

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $640 per credit Score 51.9

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

• St Bonaventure University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New York $805 per credit Score 58.2

• University of San Diego

  Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering

  California $1,290 per credit Score 58.1

• Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Minnesota $775 per credit Score 58.5

• American Public University System

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity Studies

  West Virginia $470 per credit Score 58.7