Roger Williams University Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

This is a fully online, asynchronous, 30-credit master's in cybersecurity from a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island. Tuition is $1,176 per credit, so $35,280 for the degree, plus $145 per semester in fees. It suits someone who already has programming and networking coursework behind them and wants to keep working while they study. The price is real money, so weigh it against what you'd pay elsewhere.

Roger Williams University is a private nonprofit school in Bristol, Rhode Island. Its Master of Science in Cybersecurity is taught fully online and asynchronously, which means you watch, read and submit work on your own schedule instead of logging in at set class times.

The degree takes 30 credits. The school says to plan on 2 to 3.5 years, a pace that fits a full-time job rather than a sprint. New students can start three times a year, and the summer application deadline is March 1 for regular review and April 1 for final consideration.

The university also offers a Master of Arts in Cybersecurity with the same credit count, price and schedule. The next paragraph on this page explains how the two differ, and the M.A. has its own review for a side-by-side read.

You would earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a regionally accredited, private nonprofit university. If you're aiming at a specific certification, ask which courses map to the exam topics and whether any course fees include exam vouchers. The school's graduation rate is 69%, which covers all students and programs, so treat it as general context rather than a prediction for this degree.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You've taken two programming courses and two networking courses in the last 10 years, so you meet the stated prerequisites on day one.
• You work full time and want an asynchronous format where no class meeting dictates your evenings.
• You want a three-starts-a-year calendar so a missed deadline costs you a few months instead of a full year.
• You want to practice monitoring systems in a simulated setting before you do it for an employer.

Who Should Skip It

• You're coming from a non-technical background with no programming or networking classes. The school asks for that coursework or a plan to complete it, which adds time before the degree itself begins.
• You need the lowest possible tuition. At $1,176 per credit plus semester fees, this is a considerable bill for 30 credits.
• You want a large online cohort. Federal data shows 1% of this school's graduate students study exclusively online, so online is a small corner of campus life.

The school describes how the learning happens: the program is taught fully online using virtual environments that simulate the operating systems you'd monitor on the job.

That detail matters because security work is hands-on. A virtual environment lets you practice watching a system, spotting something wrong and responding without risking a real company's network. Ask to see a sample syllabus so you know how much of the 30 credits is lab practice versus reading and discussion. Expect one shared path rather than a choice between tracks.

Standout Features

• Taught fully online using virtual environments that simulate the operating systems students monitor on the job

Tuition for 2026-2027 is $1,176 per credit. Across 30 credits that comes to $35,280. Online students also pay $145 per semester in fees, and the number of semesters depends on your pace. A 2-year plan and a 3.5-year plan will land on different fee totals, so ask for a semester-by-semester estimate.

The price is the same for every online student, with no separate in-state rate. That keeps budgeting simple. It also means you'll want to compare this figure with public universities in your own state, which often charge residents less.

30 credits at $1,176 a credit comes to $35,280 in tuition, before fees.

The program is fully online and asynchronous, with no on-campus requirement stated. That gives you control over when you work, which suits shift workers and parents.

Three start dates a year is a useful feature for a degree that stretches over several years. If life gets in the way, you can pause and come back without losing a full year.

One honest caution is scale. Federal enrollment data shows 1% of graduate students at the university study exclusively online, so this is a small online program inside a mostly on-campus school. Ask how large a typical online class is and how quickly faculty answer questions.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Tuition of $1,176 per credit makes the 30-credit degree $35,280 before $145 per semester in fees.
• The stated prerequisites are two programming and two networking courses from the last 10 years, which can mean extra classes before you start.
• You'll want to request the full curriculum and a sample syllabus before you apply.

• Can I see the full course list and a sample syllabus for the M.S.?
• How do the virtual environments work, and how many of the 30 credits include hands-on lab time?
• If I don't have the programming and networking courses, how do I complete them and do they count toward the degree?
• What is the total of the $145 semester fees for my planned pace?
• How large are online classes, and how do faculty hold office hours for asynchronous students?
• What is the difference between the M.S. and the M.A. in required courses?

A private university in Bristol, Rhode Island.

• Best Online Programs in Rhode Island Rank 4 of 4, master's

• Master of Arts in Cybersecurity

  M.A., Master's

  Fully Online $1,176 per credit Score 27.6

• University of Baltimore

  Master of Science in Cyber Forensics

  Maryland $1,254 per credit Score 27.2

• University of New Haven

  Master of Science in Cyber Risk Management

  Connecticut $1,185 per credit Score 26.6

• Norfolk State University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Virginia Score 22.9

• University of New Haven

  Master of Science in Cyber Threat Intelligence and Financial Crimes Investigations

  Connecticut $1,185 per credit Score 22.7