Troy University Online Bachelor's in Cyber Security

Troy's B.S. in Cyber Security is a fully online bachelor's degree from a large public university, with in-state tuition of $382 per credit hour and a military rate of $250. It is aimed at people who want a real hacking toolkit (Kali Linux, Parrot Linux, OpenVas) plus internship connections. Check the fee lines before you budget, because per-credit fees add to the tuition.

Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama, with 13,658 students. It offers its cyber security degree two ways, in person on the Troy campus or online, and this page covers the online version of the Bachelor of Science.

Federal data shows 42% of Troy's undergraduates are enrolled exclusively online, so the online side of the school is large and established. Troy admits about 96% of applicants, which makes it open to most people who apply.

Troy also offers an 18-hour cyber security minor, a smaller option for students whose main major is something else. It isn't a degree, so it isn't what this page reviews. This B.S. is the full major.

You would earn a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security from a public university. Ask Troy which field accreditor and which certification exams apply to the courses.

Troy's federal graduation rate is 50%, and 46% of students who begin as transfers earn an award within eight years. Both are school-wide numbers across every major. The university awards about 13 degrees a year in this field, so it's a modest program inside a large school.

The internship option is real, though not required according to the data. Placements through professors at organizations such as CGI and Alfa Insurance can give you a first line on your résumé.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You want a bachelor's degree with hands-on offensive security tools built into the classes.
• You're active-duty military and want the $250 per credit hour rate after tuition waivers.
• You want help finding an internship, since Troy professors connect students to organizations such as CGI and Alfa Insurance.
• You'd like the option of moving between online and in-person classes, because Troy teaches the degree both ways.

Who Should Skip It

• You're an out-of-state student expecting the lower rate to be automatic. The list rate is $764 per credit, and Troy says $382 applies after waivers, so confirm which one you'd pay.
• You need a field accreditor named for this degree, so ask Troy which one applies.

Troy's courses are described in tool names, which is unusual and useful. Students use contemporary hacking and penetration testing tools and frameworks such as OpenVas, Kali Linux and Parrot Linux. OpenVas scans systems for known weaknesses, and Kali and Parrot are Linux distributions packed with security tools. Using them as coursework is close to what a junior penetration tester does on day one.

The labs also combine wireless technologies and cryptographic systems, so you learn how Wi-Fi style networks and encryption fail as well as how they work.

Named courses include Cyber Crime, Introduction to Cryptography, Cyber Security Techniques and Practices, Ethical Hacking and Secure Software Development. Cyber Crime brings in the legal and investigative angle, and Secure Software Development covers writing code that's harder to break.

Courses the School Names

• Cyber Crime
• Introduction to Cryptography
• Cyber Security Techniques and Practices
• Ethical Hacking
• Secure Software Development

Standout Features

• 18-hour cyber security minor available
• Courses use hacking and penetration testing tools including OpenVas, Kali Linux and Parrot Linux
• Labs that combine wireless technologies and cryptographic systems

Alabama campus undergraduate tuition is $382 per credit hour for in-state students and $764 for out-of-state students, and Troy says the out-of-state rate becomes $382 after waivers. Active-duty service members using tuition assistance pay $250 per credit hour after waivers.

Tuition isn't the whole bill. A $50 per credit general fee applies, and program fees of $24 to $75 per credit also apply. On a per-credit basis, that can add noticeably to the $382. Because the credit total depends on your transfer credits, ask for a full cost sheet that includes every fee line.

Troy offers two delivery options for the degree: in-person classes on the Troy campus or fully online. The online route means you can work from anywhere, and the labs run on the same security tools described above.

Ask whether online classes run on set meeting times or on your own schedule, and how long each term is. Those details change how well the degree fits around a job, so ask before you enroll. The internship connections come through Troy professors, so ask how an online student finds one far from Alabama.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Fees of $50 per credit plus $24 to $75 per credit in program fees come on top of tuition, so the real price is higher than $382.
• Out-of-state pricing is split between a $764 list rate and a $382 waiver rate, which makes it easy to misjudge the bill.
• You'll need to ask Troy for the credit total, term length and accreditor.

• What is my total cost per credit hour after the general fee and program fees?
• If I live outside Alabama, do I pay $764 or $382 per credit, and what do I need to qualify for the waiver?
• How many credits does the B.S. require, and how many of my earlier credits would transfer?
• Do online students get the same internship placements with CGI and Alfa Insurance, or only students near Alabama?
• Are online classes scheduled at set times, or can I work on my own timetable?
• Which industry certifications do the courses prepare me for?

• Best Online Programs in Alabama Rank 3 of 3, bachelor's

• Miller-Motte College

  Bachelor's Degree in Cyber Security

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• Saint Leo University

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  Florida $425 per credit Score 37.4

• University of Missouri-St. Louis

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

  Missouri Score 37.4

• University of Mary

  Cybersecurity, B.S. (Online)

  North Dakota Score 32.5