University of Maine at Augusta Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

The University of Maine at Augusta's online M.S. in Cybersecurity is a public-university master's that puts you in a simulated network to practice and lets you finish with either a capstone or a thesis. It fits a student who wants a live, interactive format and a say in how the degree ends. The school's pages leave out credits and tuition, so get those in writing before you apply.

The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) is a public university in Augusta, Maine. Its Master of Science in Cybersecurity lists online as a location, and the school says students can take the required courses completely online or through a mix of live online sessions and video conferencing.

The feature that sets this program apart is the Maine Cyber Range, UMA's simulation environment. The school says coursework includes activities in it, so you practice on a realistic system and don't only read about attacks and defenses.

Get the total credit count, the per-credit rate for online students and any fees from UMA, then multiply it out yourself.

Federal data lists a per-credit charge of $605 for the university. Treat that as a ballpark from the federal data, not a quote, because online students sometimes pay a different rate than the campus figure. Maine residents and out-of-state students may also pay different amounts, so ask about both.

Who It Fits

• You like live discussion. The school describes a synchronous format, so you'd be in sessions with an instructor and classmates, not working alone through recorded lectures.
• You want to choose your finish line. The program ends with either a capstone project or a thesis, and the choice is yours.
• You hold a bachelor's degree in any field. The school asks for a bachelor's from a regionally accredited institution, an essay and possibly an interview with program faculty.
• You live in or near Maine and want a public university that already runs a cybersecurity degree ladder, with a bachelor's in the same department.

Who Should Skip It

• You need to log in whenever your schedule allows. A live format means set meeting times, so a rotating shift schedule will be a struggle.
• You want named specializations. Ask what electives exist before you count on a focus area.

UMA's pages describe the master's mostly through how it ends and where you practice. You complete either a capstone project proposal and presentation or a thesis proposal and presentation. The capstone suits someone heading back to a security team. The thesis suits someone who wants a research record, perhaps before a doctoral program.

The Maine Cyber Range is the part to ask about. Find out which courses use it, whether you reach it from home, and what a typical exercise looks like. Ask for the full course list and the total credit count too.

Standout Features

• Coursework includes activities in the Maine Cyber Range simulation environment

Federal data shows 96% of UMA's graduate students study exclusively online, so you'd be learning alongside mostly remote classmates. That's a big share, and it means the school's online systems are built for graduate students, not added on for a few.

The format is synchronous, which the school describes as a mix of live online sessions and video conferencing. You get real conversation and quick answers. You also give up the freedom to work through the week's material at midnight. Ask admissions for the usual meeting days and times for the courses you'd take first.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a public university. Ask whether any course maps to an industry certification if a credential like that matters to your employer.

The bachelor's in the same department has a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education designation, held since 2014. The school's page prints the most recent term as academic years 2019 to 2024 for the bachelor's, so confirm the current status and whether it extends to the master's before you rely on it for scholarships or government hiring.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Federal data shows an 8-year completion rate of 38% for transfer-in students, which is low. Ask what support the school gives students who fall behind.
• Few students finish this degree each year. Federal data counts 9 awards, so the cohort is small and so is the alumni network you'd tap.
• The live format means fixed meeting times, which can be hard with a changing work schedule.
• Credits, term dates and a per-credit rate need to come from admissions, so your cost and timeline stay unclear until you ask.

• How many credits is the master's, and what is the per-credit rate for online students?
• Which courses use the Maine Cyber Range, and can I reach it from home?
• What days and times do live sessions meet, and are they recorded if I miss one?
• Should I choose the capstone or the thesis if I plan to work in industry?
• Does my bachelor's need to be in a technical field, and what does the interview involve?
• Is the Center of Academic Excellence designation current, and does it cover the master's?

• Best Thesis Option Programs Rank 5 of 9, master's
• Best Online Programs in Maine Rank 3 of 3, master's

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