University of Dallas Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

The University of Dallas's online M.S. in Cybersecurity is a 30-credit master's at $1,300 per credit, built inside a business college and from a school that says the NSA designated it a Center of Academic Excellence in 2003. It suits working professionals who want governance, risk and strategy alongside technical courses, and who can pay a higher rate for it.

The University of Dallas is a private nonprofit school in Irving, Texas. The online M.S. in Cybersecurity is housed in its Gupta College of Business, which also runs a Center for Cybersecurity. That placement shapes the degree. Expect security taught with an enterprise lens, where you're expected to plan, budget and defend decisions, not only configure tools.

The school says the National Security Agency designated it a Center of Academic Excellence in 2003, and the designation has been renewed since. That's a long track record for a program in a field that's changed a lot since then, and it gives the curriculum an outside check that newer programs don't have yet.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a college of business accredited by AACSB, the main business-school accreditor. That accreditation covers the college, not the cybersecurity curriculum itself, so read it as a business-school quality signal.

The school says it holds the NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation, first awarded in 2003. For certifications, the CISSP Review elective is the one named link. Federal earnings data shows graduates of the school's programs in this field earn a median $125,880, though that figure covers the school's graduates in the field and not only this degree.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You hold a bachelor's in any field. The school asks for a U.S. bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college in good standing, and doesn't require a computer science background.
• You want to skip entrance exams. The program doesn't require the GMAT or GRE.
• You want to move toward security leadership. Courses like Governance, Risk and Compliance and Strategic Cybersecurity Planning for the Enterprise point at that kind of role.
• You plan to sit for the CISSP and want a review course inside your degree. The program lists an optional CISSP Review elective.

Who Should Skip It

• You're watching tuition closely. At $1,300 per credit, this is among the more expensive options in the master's group, so compare it against public universities before you apply.
• You want a named specialization. There's one path through the degree, with no concentrations to choose from.

The listed courses cover the main domains. Cryptology and Data Protection and Network Security Architecture are the technical foundation. Identity and Access Management Controls and Strategies deals with who gets into what, which is where a lot of real breaches start. Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment is the hands-on course, where you look at systems the way an attacker would.

Then the business side arrives. Governance, Risk and Compliance and Strategic Cybersecurity Planning for the Enterprise train you to write policy and justify a security budget to executives. The CISSP Review elective can be taken in addition to the core, so it adds to the 30 credits rather than replacing a required course. Ask admissions whether it counts toward the degree and how it's graded.

Courses the School Names

• Cryptology and Data Protection
• Governance, Risk and Compliance
• Identity and Access Management Controls and Strategies
• Network Security Architecture
• Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment
• Strategic Cybersecurity Planning for the Enterprise

Standout Features

• Designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency, first designated in 2003 and re-designated for nearly 20 years
• Optional CISSP Review elective

The school lists graduate business tuition for 2026-2027 at $1,300 per credit for current students, with fees listed as $0. The program is 30 credit hours, which puts published tuition at $39,000. That's a clean figure to plan around, and having no listed fees helps.

The number is still high. A rate this size is common at private universities, but it's a real difference from public schools. Ask about employer tuition assistance, whether the rate is locked while you're enrolled, and whether the optional CISSP Review elective carries its own charge.

30 credits at $1,300 a credit comes to $39,000 in tuition, before fees.

The program is delivered online with multiple start dates throughout the year, and the school says the typical duration is 1 to 2 years depending on schedule and course load. You choose the pace. A heavier load finishes closer to a year; one class at a time stretches toward two.

Federal data shows that 49% of University of Dallas graduate students study exclusively online, so you'll share the program with a mix of remote and nearby students. Ask whether classes meet at set times or run on your own schedule.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Federal data shows an 8-year completion rate of 43% for transfer-in students, which is low. Ask what the program does to keep working adults enrolled.
• At $1,300 per credit, tuition is a large commitment, so ask about scholarships and employer assistance for online master's students.
• No concentrations are listed, so you can't tailor the degree toward cloud, forensics or another area through named tracks.
• The AACSB accreditation belongs to the business college, not the cybersecurity curriculum itself.

• Does the CISSP Review elective count toward the 30 credits, and does it cost extra?
• How do the multiple start dates work, and what's the fastest realistic pace?
• Do classes meet at scheduled times, or can I complete the work on my own schedule?
• What hands-on tools or labs does the Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment course use?
• Is the $1,300 rate locked for my whole enrollment?
• What do graduates do afterward, and does the Center for Cybersecurity help with placement?

A private university whose Gupta College of Business runs a Center for Cybersecurity and an online MS in Cybersecurity.

• Best for Career Changers Rank 4 of 5, master's
• Best Online Programs in Texas Rank 5 of 5, master's

• Minnesota State University, Mankato

  Information Security & Risk Management (PSM)

  Minnesota $1,103 per credit Score 43.9

• Our Lady of the Lake University

  Online MS in Cybersecurity

  Texas $1,031 per credit Score 44.0

• University of Missouri-St. Louis

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

  Missouri Score 43.2

• Davenport University

  Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cyber Security

  Michigan $1,148 per credit Score 44.7