Park University Online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

Park's bachelor's stands out for its certification alignment and virtual labs. If you want coursework that lines up with Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker and a Cisco entry credential, it deserves a serious look. Ask admissions for the price and finish time.

Park University is a private nonprofit school in Parkville, Missouri, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Its Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity requires 120 credit hours and can be completed online. The page lists the format as online, or on campus with online courses.

Park's pitch is practical. The degree integrates virtual labs, simulation tools and project-based assignments that mirror real-world scenarios, so you spend time doing security tasks and not only reading about them.

Park offers a single cybersecurity bachelor's, so your comparison will be against other schools' programs.

Ask Park for the online per-credit price in writing, with fees and any technology or lab charges included, before you compare it with other schools.

Federal data lists a Park per-credit charge of $392, but that figure comes from the national database and may not match the online rate you'd actually pay. The 30-credit residency requirement also matters here: those credits are billed at Park's rate, however many credits you transfer in.

Who It Fits

• You want a degree that doubles as exam preparation. Park states the coursework aligns with CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and CISSP fundamentals.
• You learn by practicing. Virtual labs and simulations replace some of the lecture hours.
• You're aiming at an entry-level security analyst role, since the Cisco CyberOps Associate credential that the labs align with targets that kind of work.
• You'd like a smaller school. Federal data shows 5,736 students enrolled at Park, far fewer than at the biggest online universities.

Who Should Skip It

• You need a tuition rate before you apply. Ask Park for the per-credit price and fees in writing first.
• You want to finish in a set number of months. No typical duration or term length is stated.
• You want a program with a published capstone or internship. The page lists neither.

What Park does state is clear. Practical labs align with the Cisco CyberOps Associate certification, which is an entry-level credential for people who monitor networks and respond to alerts. The virtual labs and simulation tools let you practice that kind of work without a physical lab.

The certification alignment is the second pillar. The page names CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker and CISSP fundamentals. Security+ is a common first credential, CEH is hands-on and offensive, and CISSP is a senior credential that usually needs years of experience, so fundamentals here means exposure to its topics and not the credential itself.

Park states a residency rule: you must complete at least 30 credit hours at Park, 15 of them in the major core. That matters if you plan to bring in a lot of transfer credit.

Standout Features

• Practical labs aligned with the Cisco CyberOps Associate certification
• Virtual labs, simulation tools and project-based assignments in the online format

Park offers the degree online, and federal data shows 67% of its undergraduates study exclusively online. Virtual labs, simulation tools and project-based assignments carry the hands-on work in the online format.

Federal data shows an eight-year completion rate of 50% for students who transferred in, and a university-wide graduation rate of 38%. Those cover the whole school. Ask about advising and tutoring for online students, especially if you're returning to school after a gap.

Also ask whether classes are live or self-paced, and how long each term runs.

You graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity from a university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The certification alignment is the practical benefit. Park lists Security+, CEH and CISSP fundamentals, and its labs align with Cisco CyberOps Associate. Alignment means the coursework covers the exam topics. It doesn't mean the exam fee or a pass is included, so budget for the exams separately.

Federal data counts 1 degree awarded in this field at Park in the most recent year, so the program is very small. Ask how many students are in a typical course and how alumni are placed.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Ask for tuition, a typical duration and a term length before you apply; all three shape your plan.
• Park requires at least 30 credit hours at Park, with 15 in the major core.
• Federal data shows only 1 degree awarded in this field in the most recent year, so the track record is thin.
• Ask about programmatic accreditation, such as ABET, if employers in your target field expect it.

• What is the per-credit price for the online degree, and which fees apply?
• How long do students usually take to finish, and what is the term length?
• Which courses prepare me for Security+, and does the program help with exam costs?
• What do the virtual labs look like, and how many hours does each course use?
• How many of my transfer credits would count after the 30-credit residency requirement?
• How many students have graduated from this specific program?

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