University of Arizona Online Cyber Operations (Master of Science)

This is the more technical, hands-on of the University of Arizona's two online cybersecurity master's degrees, and it costs far less: 30 credits at $750 per credit, versus 33 credits at $1,250 for the other. In exchange you need real programming experience before you start, and there is only one start date a year, in fall. Offensive and defensive practice happens in a dedicated virtual lab.

The University of Arizona is a public university in Tucson with 56,365 students, and 31% of them are enrolled exclusively online. The Master of Science in Cyber Operations is a fully online degree of 30 credits at a flat $750 per credit.

The university offers a second online master's, the Master of Science in Cybersecurity. That one is 33 credits at $1,250 per credit, has six start dates a year with 7-week courses in its Information Systems track, and is a joint program of the Eller College of Management and the College of Engineering. Cyber Operations is the cheaper, more programming-heavy choice, with one fall start.

Students average 1.74 years to finish.

Arizona Online lists a flat $750 per credit. Across the 30 credits, tuition comes to $22,500.

The sibling Cybersecurity master's is $1,250 per credit across 33 credits, so compare the two totals directly. Ask the university about any program fees and whether prerequisite coursework such as CYBV500 is charged on top of the 30 credits.

30 credits at $750 a credit comes to $22,500 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You can already code, or can show it, and want to apply that skill to security rather than learn to program from scratch.
• You want both offensive and defensive material, such as how attacks work and how to stop them.
• You prefer a 30-credit degree at a flat $750 per credit, which comes to $22,500.
• You can plan around a single fall start and finish in roughly two years.

Who Should Skip It

• You are new to programming. Admission requires recent programming coursework or experience, the Python Challenge, or the CYBV500 course.
• You need to start in spring or summer. Only one enrollment date a year is offered, in the fall.
• You want a management-focused degree. The Cybersecurity master's from the Eller College is the closer match.

The program describes offensive and defensive cyber content delivered in a Cyber Virtual Learning Environment, a hosted lab you reach online where you practice on live systems without risking a real network. That setup is what makes an online degree in a hands-on field believable.

Programming is a requirement for entry, which tells you something about the coursework: expect to write code and analyze it, instead of just reading about threats. The Python Challenge is a way to show you are ready.

If you do not yet have the background, the CYBV500 course is the stated way in. Ask the program office to send the full course list so you can see where offense, defense and electives fall.

Standout Features

• Offensive and defensive cyber content delivered in a Cyber Virtual Learning Environment for hands-on practice

The degree is fully online, and the lab environment is where you will spend much of your time. With a single enrollment date in the fall, you plan one application window a year.

The average time to degree is 1.74 years. That is a useful planning number if you are balancing a job, though your own pace depends on how many courses you take each term.

Ask whether lab sessions have fixed times or can be done whenever you have a free evening.

You earn a Master of Science in Cyber Operations from a public university whose federal graduation rate is 68%, and whose admit rate is 86%. Both are school-wide figures.

The admissions bar is a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 minimum GPA plus the programming background. Ask which certifications the offense and defense courses help you prepare for.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• There is only one start date a year, so missing the fall application window means a year's wait.
• A programming requirement means career changers may need CYBV500 first.
• The degree is narrower and more technical than the university's Cybersecurity master's.
• A 3.0 minimum GPA is required.

• What counts as recent programming coursework or experience, and how hard is the Python Challenge?
• Is CYBV500 charged at $750 per credit, and does it count toward the 30 credits?
• How are Cyber Virtual Learning Environment lab sessions scheduled?
• What is the fall application deadline?
• How does this degree differ in coursework and career outcomes from the Cybersecurity master's?
• Which certifications do the courses prepare me for?

• Best Cyber Defense Degrees Rank 8 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Arizona Rank 2 of 8, master's

• Cybersecurity (Master of Science)

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $1,250 per credit Score 48.8

• Florida Institute of Technology

  Master of Science in Information Technology with a Concentration in Cybersecurity

  Florida $737.23 per credit Score 54.7

• Sam Houston State University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Texas $748.25 per credit Score 54.9

• University of Phoenix

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Arizona $698 per credit Score 54.9

• Penn State World Campus

  Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations

  Pennsylvania $1,048 per credit Score 54.5