Our Lady of the Lake University Online MS in Cybersecurity

This is a good fit for a working professional, including someone without an IT degree, who wants a 30-credit master's with no scheduled class meeting times and no GRE or GMAT. Tuition is $1,031 per credit, which totals $30,930. The tradeoff is that it leans toward management, compliance and planning, so check the course list if you want a heavily technical degree.

Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) is a private Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas, with a Center for Cyber Leadership. Federal data counts 1,968 students and shows that 54% of graduate students study exclusively online. The Online MS in Cybersecurity is 30 credit hours and delivered 100% online.

Its course list shows the shape of the degree: Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Penetration Testing, Digital Forensics, Information Assurance Compliance and Auditing, and Cybersecurity Planning and Management. That's a blend of hands-on technique and the policy side, which is where many senior security roles live.

OLLU says it is designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the NSA and DHS. The program is also accredited by ACBSP, a business-school accreditor, which fits its leadership focus.

The 2026-2027 master's rate is $1,031 per credit hour. At 30 credits, tuition totals $30,930 before fees. The GRE and GMAT aren't required.

If you need the foundation courses, they may add to the credits you take, so ask for a total based on your background and not just the base 30. Because the price is per credit, anything that shortens the program, such as accepted transfer credit, lowers your bill directly.

Ask also about employer tuition benefits, since a degree built around leadership and compliance is often one that employers will fund.

30 credits at $1,031 a credit comes to $30,930 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You work full time and need courses with no scheduled meeting times.
• You have a bachelor's in a field other than IT. The program offers a streamlined foundation option for exactly that situation.
• You're aiming at security management, compliance or auditing roles rather than purely technical work.
• You want to finish fast. Full-time students can complete the 30 credit hours in as little as 12 months.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a deeply technical degree with several specialization tracks. This program's list is short and management-oriented.
• You'd prefer a lower price. Many public universities charge less per credit than $1,031.
• You don't have a 3.0 GPA, which admission asks for along with transcripts and a resume.

The notable courses cover the full arc of a security program. Fundamentals of Cybersecurity sets the vocabulary. Penetration Testing and Digital Forensics are the offensive and investigative courses, where you practice breaking into systems and examining them afterward.

Two courses set this degree apart from a purely technical one. Information Assurance Compliance and Auditing covers how organizations prove they meet security rules, which is the daily work of auditors and compliance leads. Cybersecurity Planning and Management covers budgets, policies and running a security team.

Students without an IT-related degree or significant industry experience may need foundation coursework first, coded CISS 6101, 6102, 6201 and 6202. OLLU describes this as a streamlined option. Ask how many extra credits it adds and whether they carry the full per-credit price.

Courses the School Names

• Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
• Penetration Testing
• Digital Forensics
• Information Assurance Compliance and Auditing
• Cybersecurity Planning and Management

Standout Features

• No scheduled class meeting times
• OLLU is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the NSA and DHS
• Streamlined foundation option for students without a cybersecurity or IT degree

OLLU describes the program as flexible and 100% online, with no scheduled class meeting times. That means you do coursework on your own schedule instead of logging in at fixed hours, which is a real advantage if your job has unpredictable shifts.

Courses run 14 weeks, a longer term than many online universities use, so each class spreads across a semester. The university says full-time students can finish in as little as 12 months.

Ask how instructors keep contact with students when nothing is scheduled, how group work is handled, and how Penetration Testing labs are delivered remotely.

You'd earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a private, nonprofit Catholic university. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and OLLU says it holds the NSA and DHS CAE-CDE designation.

Federal data puts the university's graduation rate at 46% and the 8-year completion rate for transfer-in students at 54.5%. Those are school-wide figures across all programs, so treat them as context. Federal records count 3 awards in this field, so the program is small.

Admission asks for official transcripts, a current resume and a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $1,031 per credit, the 30-credit degree costs $30,930 in tuition, and foundation courses could add to that.
• The course list is management-leaning, so it may feel light on deep technical specialization.
• A 3.0 minimum GPA is required for admission.
• Federal data shows 3 awards in this field, so the alumni and cohort pool is small.

• If I don't have an IT degree, how many foundation credits will I need and what do they cost?
• How are Penetration Testing and Digital Forensics labs delivered online?
• With no scheduled meeting times, how often do I interact with instructors and classmates?
• How many terms start each year, and can I begin in any of them?
• Does the program prepare me for specific certifications such as CISSP or Security+?
• Do you accept transfer credit or credit for professional certifications?

Private university in San Antonio, Texas with a Center for Cyber Leadership.

• Best Online Programs in Texas Rank 4 of 5, master's

• Minnesota State University, Mankato

  Information Security & Risk Management (PSM)

  Minnesota $1,103 per credit Score 43.9

• University of Dallas

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• Davenport University

  Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cyber Security

  Michigan $1,148 per credit Score 44.7

• University of Missouri-St. Louis

  Cybersecurity M.S. (Computer Science and Information Systems Emphases)

  Missouri Score 43.2