New Jersey Institute of Technology Online M.S. in Cybersecurity and Privacy

NJIT's online master's is for people who already work in or near computing and want a research-university name on a security degree. It is 30 credits at $1,211 per credit, which makes it one of the more expensive options, with the same price for in-state and out-of-state students and an NSA-designated cybersecurity research center behind it.

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a public research university in Newark, New Jersey. Its Online M.S. in Cybersecurity and Privacy is fully online and requires 30 credits. Students can start three times a year. The same degree is also offered on campus in Newark and Jersey City.

The program is designed for working professionals. Average completion time is 2 years for part-time students taking 9 or fewer credits per semester, and full-time students may finish sooner.

Admission asks for a bachelor's degree in a computing-related field like Computer Science, Computer and Electrical Engineering or Information Technology. That makes this a step up for people with a technical background, not a bridge in from another field.

You graduate with an M.S. in Cybersecurity and Privacy from a public research university. The NSA's CAE-CD designation belongs to NJIT's Cybersecurity Research Center, and it is a signal of the school's focus on cyber defense.

If you are aiming for a specific certification, plan it as a separate effort, and ask an advisor whether any coursework overlaps.

Ask the admissions office which employers hire from this program.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You hold a computing degree and want to specialize in security and privacy without leaving your job.
• You have industry experience. The Cyber Defense Option is designed for professionals who already have it.
• You live outside New Jersey. NJIT charges the same online rate to in-state and out-of-state students, so you pay no penalty for being a non-resident.
• You value research strength. The university's Cybersecurity Research Center is designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).

Who Should Skip It

• You studied something outside computing. The admission standard asks for a computing-related bachelor's.
• You want the lowest total. Thirty credits at $1,211 comes to $36,330, which is above many online master's in this field.
• You want a student body that is mostly online. Federal data shows 24% of NJIT's graduate students study exclusively online.
• You need a full course list before applying. Ask for the degree plan first.

The program page presents the degree as cybersecurity and privacy together, and it offers a Cyber Defense Option. That option is aimed at professionals with existing industry experience, so it is the one to ask about if you have worked in security operations, IT or a related role.

For a 30-credit research-university master's, the degree plan is the document that matters, so ask for it. You want to know which courses are required, which are electives, and how the Cyber Defense Option changes the mix.

The privacy half of the name is worth asking about. Ask how much of the coursework covers privacy law and data protection versus technical defense.

Standout Features

• Cyber Defense Option for professionals with industry experience
• Cybersecurity Research Center designated by the NSA as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD)

NJIT's fully online graduate e-tuition is $1,211 per credit, with no difference between in-state and out-of-state students and no flat rate. For 30 credits, that is $36,330.

The rate is high per credit, but the degree is relatively short at 30 credits, so the total lands in the mid-range for a master's. If you take the 2-year part-time path, you are paying roughly the same total either way, just spread across more semesters.

Ask whether employer tuition assistance applies. Many working professionals in this kind of program use it, and the cost looks different when your company covers part of it.

30 credits at $1,211 a credit comes to $36,330 in tuition, before fees.

The program is designed to deliver a flexible, fully online experience for working professionals. Starts are available three times a year.

Most students take 9 or fewer credits per semester, which is the part-time pace behind the 2-year average. If you want to go faster, the page says full-time students may finish sooner.

Federal data shows only 24% of NJIT's graduate students study exclusively online, so many of your classmates will be on campus. Online students are a real part of the program, but ask how the school supports them. Completion is strong, though: 70.5% of students who transferred in finish within eight years.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $1,211 per credit the rate is high, and the same rate applies to everyone.
• A computing-related bachelor's is required, which shuts out career changers.
• Only 24% of graduate students study fully online, so the online cohort is smaller than at online-first schools.
• Course titles, a capstone and certification exams are not part of the published summary, so ask for the degree plan.

• What is the full degree plan, and which courses make up the Cyber Defense Option?
• How much of the program covers privacy, as opposed to technical defense?
• What does the admissions office count as a computing-related bachelor's if my degree is in a nearby field?
• Is there a capstone, project or thesis at the end?
• Do online students get access to the Cybersecurity Research Center or its events?
• Does the school offer employer billing or tuition assistance options?

Public research university in Newark, New Jersey, with a dedicated online programs division.

• Best Cyber Defense Degrees Rank 9 of 10, master's
• Best Part-Time Programs Rank 4 of 6, master's

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