University of Detroit Mercy Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

Detroit Mercy's M.S. in Cybersecurity Management is a 30-credit online master's at $1,011 per credit, or $30,330 in tuition. It carries the NSA's Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense designation and a management-and-policy flavor. It fits someone heading toward security leadership, risk or compliance work, the highest per-credit rate among the six programs reviewed in this batch.

The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, with about 5,587 students. The online listing is titled Information Assurance with a major in Cybersecurity, and the degree is the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management. The school lists the delivery as fully online.

The university also has a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, which is a separate degree and isn't covered here. A Master of Science in Cybercrime sits in criminal justice rather than in cybersecurity. This M.S. is the technical-leadership option, and the page describes a five-year accelerated path that combines the bachelor's and this master's.

Detroit Mercy admits about 75% of applicants.

The 2026-27 online graduate rate is $1,011 per credit for this master's. Over 30 credits that's $30,330 in tuition. Ask for the full bill with fees.

For comparison, Regent University's M.S. in Cybersecurity charges $695 per credit, which comes to $20,850 over 30 credits. Detroit Mercy costs more per credit, and what you get for the higher price is the designation, the legal and acquisition coursework, and the accelerated-path option. If you aren't using those, cost is the main difference.

30 credits at $1,011 a credit comes to $30,330 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You want to manage security programs, handle risk and compliance, or move into a policy role.
• You're finishing or holding a cybersecurity bachelor's and want the five-year accelerated path.
• You care about a federal designation: the university is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense.
• You want electives mapped to the NICE 2.0 workforce framework, so you can steer toward a defined job role.

Who Should Skip It

• You're watching cost closely. At $1,011 per credit, the 30 credits total $30,330, which is more than the $20,850 Regent University charges for its 30-credit master's.
• You want a mostly online peer group. Federal data shows only 5% of graduate students at Detroit Mercy are enrolled exclusively online.

Eight core courses make up 24 of the 30 credits, and the electives are aligned with the National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, known as NICE 2.0. NICE is the federal catalog of cybersecurity job roles and skills, so alignment means the electives are meant to map onto actual positions.

The notable courses read as management with a technical backbone: Principles of Cybersecurity, Cyberlaw, Secure Acquisition, Cyber Defense Operations, Risk Management Processes, Information Audit and Ethical Hacking. Cyberlaw and Secure Acquisition are the unusual ones. Cyberlaw covers the legal duties around data and breaches, and Secure Acquisition covers how organizations buy technology without importing risk. Information Audit and Risk Management Processes teach how to measure and document exposure.

Ethical Hacking is the one hands-on technical class on the list, so don't expect a deep penetration-testing track.

Courses the School Names

• Principles of Cybersecurity
• Cyberlaw
• Secure Acquisition
• Cyber Defense Operations
• Risk Management Processes
• Information Audit
• Ethical Hacking

Standout Features

• Designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense by the NSA and affiliated federal agencies
• Electives aligned with the National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE 2.0)
• Five-year BS in Cybersecurity plus MS in Cybersecurity Management accelerated path

The school lists the delivery as fully online. Ask admissions whether classes meet at set times, how long a term runs and how many start dates a year there are.

Online isn't Detroit Mercy's center of gravity. Only 5% of graduate students are enrolled exclusively online, which means most classmates may be on campus or in a mix. That can be a plus if the school gives online students the same faculty access, and a minus if online students feel secondary. Ask how online sections are staffed and how many online students are in a typical course.

You would earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management from a private nonprofit university. The notable credential is institutional: the NSA and affiliated federal agencies have designated the university a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense. That designation is useful for government and defense employers.

The university's federal graduation rate is 67%, and 62% of students who start as transfers earn an award within eight years, both school-wide. Federal data shows graduates in this field earning a median $78,535. The university awards about 19 degrees a year in this field.

Ask whether the courses prepare you for a specific industry exam.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $30,330 in tuition, this is the costliest of the six programs reviewed in this batch.
• Only 5% of graduate students are exclusively online, so the online cohort may be small.
• The curriculum leans toward management and policy, with one named hands-on technical course.

• What fees are added to the $1,011 per credit rate?
• How many start dates a year are there, and are courses scheduled or self-paced?
• Which courses are the eight core courses, and which electives are offered online?
• How do online students get the same support and faculty access as campus students?
• Can I use a bachelor's from another school, or is the five-year accelerated path only for Detroit Mercy undergraduates?
• Which certifications do the courses prepare me for?

Private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan.

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

• Regent University

  M.S. in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $695 per credit Score 33.8

• Westcliff University

  Master of Science in Information Technology (Cybersecurity Concentration)

  California Score 36.9

• Keiser University

  Information Security, MS

  Florida Score 37.9

• Saint Leo University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Florida $785 per credit Score 38.3