University of Arizona Online Cybersecurity (Master of Science)

The University of Arizona's online M.S. in Cybersecurity is a 33-credit, fully online master's at a flat $1,250 per credit, or $41,250 in tuition. It is a joint program of the Eller College of Management and the College of Engineering, with two tracks (Information Systems and Physical Systems), six start dates a year and an NSA and DHS National Center of Academic Excellence designation.

It suits professionals who want a name-brand master's and a choice of technical direction.

The University of Arizona is a public university in Tucson with about 56,365 students in the federal data. Its Master of Science in Cybersecurity is administered jointly by Management Information Systems at the Eller College of Management and by the College of Engineering. That joint setup is unusual and shows up in the two tracks.

The NSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have designated the university a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. The degree totals 33 units: 12 units of common core and 21 units in your chosen track.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a school the NSA and DHS have designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. That designation is about the university's cybersecurity education and can matter for federal scholarship and hiring paths, so ask the career office how.

Federal data shows 68% of Arizona students overall graduate, and 58.5% of transfer-in students finish within 8 years, so completion is a reasonable but not remarkable number.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You want to choose between a business-and-systems approach and an engineering approach. The Information Systems track runs in accelerated 7-week courses, and the Physical Systems track runs in a 16-week format.
• You want to start without waiting for fall. The program offers six admission dates throughout the year.
• You want a flagship public university's name and an NSA and DHS-designated school behind your degree.
• You like a clear finish. The Information Systems track ends with MIS 689, the Cyber Warfare Capstone.

Who Should Skip It

• You're comparing price first. At $1,250 per credit, this master's costs more than many online options, and the same school's Cyber Operations M.S. is $750 per credit.
• You want a full course list before you apply. Request the courses in the common core and each track.
• You want a named capstone in the Physical Systems track. The capstone listed is MIS 689, in the Information Systems track.

Students complete 33 units: 12 units of common core and 21 units in a track. The Information Systems track is accelerated, with 7-week courses and a capstone, MIS 689: Cyber Warfare Capstone. The Physical Systems track uses a 16-week format with the same 21 track units.

Pick the track by the job you want. A systems and management track pairs with security leadership roles, while a physical-systems track points toward the engineering side, where security covers equipment and infrastructure. Ask for the course list in each track and the capstone for the Physical Systems option.

Standout Features

• Designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security
• Joint program of the Eller College of Management and the College of Engineering

Arizona Online lists a flat $1,250 per credit. For 33 credits, that is $41,250 in tuition.

The same school offers a Master of Science in Cyber Operations at $750 per credit and 30 credits, which comes to $22,500. The Cyber Operations degree has a different design: it has one fall start, synchronous meeting times, a 3.0 minimum GPA and a programming requirement for admission.

If cost is your top factor, ask what the extra dollars in the Cybersecurity degree buy, and whether the track and start dates matter enough to you.

33 credits at $1,250 a credit comes to $41,250 in tuition, before fees.

The program is fully online. With six start dates a year, you're never far from the next one, and the 7-week courses in the Information Systems track let you take fewer things at once. Federal data shows 31% of Arizona's graduate students study exclusively online.

Ask whether the Cybersecurity master's has live meetings. The Cyber Operations master's states there are synchronous meeting times, so ask whether this one differs, and ask how the 16-week Physical Systems track fits a work schedule.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $1,250 per credit, tuition is high compared with the school's own Cyber Operations master's at $750 per credit.
• The two tracks use different formats, 7 weeks versus 16 weeks, so your pace and workload change a lot depending on your choice.
• The named capstone, MIS 689, belongs to the Information Systems track.
• Ask about the GRE policy and the admission GPA before you apply.

• What courses make up the 12-unit common core and each 21-unit track?
• Is there a capstone or final project in the Physical Systems track?
• Are there required live sessions or can I work asynchronously?
• What are the admission requirements, including GPA, GRE and any programming background?
• How do the six start dates work, and how many courses can I take at once?
• How does the NSA and DHS designation help with federal scholarships or hiring?
• Why is this degree priced higher than the Cyber Operations master's?

• Best Online Programs in Arizona Rank 7 of 8, master's

• Cyber Operations (Master of Science)

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $750 per credit Score 54.8

• Washington University in St Louis

  Online Master of Cybersecurity Management

  Missouri $2,450 per credit Score 48.7

• Yeshiva University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity (Online)

  New York $1,445 per credit Score 48.5

• Arizona State University

  Master of Arts in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (Cybersecurity Policy and Management concentration)

  Arizona Score 49.2

• University of Rhode Island

  Professional Science Masters in Cyber Security

  Rhode Island $1,377 per credit Score 48.1