University of California, Berkeley Master of Information and Cybersecurity (Online)

UC Berkeley's online Master of Information and Cybersecurity is a 27-unit, nine-course program costing an estimated $78,500 for a Fall 2026 start. It's the premium option on this list: a research-university brand, live weekly classes, an in-person immersion in the Bay Area, and a legal and behavioral view of security that most technical master's programs skip.

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is offered by Berkeley's School of Information, a public research university school in Berkeley, California. WSCUC, the WASC Senior College and University Commission, accredits the university. You complete nine courses worth 27 units, and Berkeley says the degree can be done in 20 months.

The program is not fully online in the strictest sense. You attend at least one in-person immersion in the San Francisco Bay Area, though the tuition page also allows a virtual immersion. Berkeley describes the curriculum as interdisciplinary, covering the legal, behavioral and ethical context of cybersecurity alongside the technology.

Format is mixed. Coursework is typically available asynchronously so you can fit it around work, and the program also features weekly live Zoom classes. Terms run in fall, spring and summer, so you can start at several points in the year.

Berkeley says you can finish in as few as 20 months. The immersion is the part to plan for: you attend at least once in the Bay Area, though a virtual option is mentioned. Ask which version applies to your cohort and when it happens.

Who It Fits

• You want the Berkeley name and network. Students graduate with connections to UC Berkeley alumni and professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• You're aiming at risk, policy or leadership roles. Managing Cyber Risk and Privacy Engineering sit beside Network Security and Software Security.
• You like live discussion. The program features weekly live Zoom classes on top of coursework that is typically available asynchronously.
• You don't want to sit for the GRE. GRE or GMAT scores are optional.

Who Should Skip It

• You're on a tight budget. At $2,712 per unit, this costs far more per credit than the other online master's programs on this list.
• You can't travel. The program expects an in-person immersion in the Bay Area, with a virtual immersion allowed on the tuition page.
• You want a hands-on technical specialty above all else. The curriculum is broad and interdisciplinary.

The nine-course curriculum covers both the technical core and the human context. Technical courses include Network Security, Software Security, Cryptography for Cyber and Network Security, and Operating System Security. Managing Cyber Risk and Privacy Engineering connect those skills to organizations and people.

The legal, behavioral and ethical framing is what separates this from a purely technical master's. If you want to be the person who explains why a breach matters to a board, or designs privacy into a product, the mix suits you.

You finish with an experiential, project-based capstone. Berkeley describes it as a project you complete, which gives you a finished piece of work to discuss in interviews.

Courses the School Names

• Network Security
• Software Security
• Cryptography for Cyber and Network Security
• Operating System Security
• Managing Cyber Risk
• Privacy Engineering

Standout Features

• Interdisciplinary curriculum covering the legal, behavioral and ethical context of cybersecurity
• Students graduate with connections to UC Berkeley alumni and professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area

Tuition is $2,712 per enrolled unit. Over 27 units that's $73,224 in tuition, and Berkeley estimates total tuition and fees at $78,500 for a student starting in Fall 2026. That estimate does not include health insurance.

That is the number to weigh against the value. The price buys a Berkeley degree, live instruction and the alumni network, but it is the most expensive program in this group by a wide margin. Ask about financial aid and whether your employer offers tuition assistance.

27 credits at $2,712 a credit comes to $73,224 in tuition, before fees.

WSCUC accredits the university. Admission asks for a bachelor's degree, a resume, official transcripts, a statement of purpose and two professional letters of recommendation, with GRE or GMAT scores optional.

The credential's value is mainly the brand and the network.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $78,500 estimated, it is the most expensive program on this list, before health insurance.
• An in-person immersion in the San Francisco Bay Area is part of the program, which adds travel cost unless the virtual option applies.
• Weekly live Zoom classes mean some fixed time commitments, which can be hard around shift work.
• The application is heavier than many programs, with a statement of purpose and two professional recommendations.

• Is the immersion in person or virtual for my cohort, and what does it cost to attend?
• What day and time do the weekly live Zoom classes meet?
• What financial aid or employer assistance is available at $2,712 per unit?
• How does the capstone work, and can I choose a project from my own job?
• Which courses are required, and which are electives like Privacy Engineering?
• How do graduates connect with the Berkeley alumni network?

A public research university in Berkeley, California. The School of Information offers the online Master of Information and Cybersecurity.

• Best Online Programs in California Rank 5 of 6, master's

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