University of Phoenix Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

This is a master's built around speed and routine: one 6-week course at a time, finishable in as little as 18 months, with cyber range practice in the coursework. It suits a working adult who wants a steady pace and a 3.0 GPA is the only stated admission bar. The cost is higher per credit than most public options, and the resource fee on every course adds to the total.

University of Phoenix is a private for-profit university based in Arizona with 111,248 students, and nearly all of them, 99%, are enrolled exclusively online. Its Master of Science in Cybersecurity requires 39 credits.

The school also offers a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity at 120 credits and an Associate of Science in Cybersecurity at 63 credits, both at $398 per credit. This master's is the graduate step above those, at $698 per credit.

Admission lists a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Tuition is $698 per credit across 39 credits, which comes to $27,222. A $195 resource fee applies to each course, so a typical 3-credit course costs $2,289 once the fee is included.

That resource fee repeats with every course, so it is worth multiplying it out for all of your courses. Ask whether the fee is waived for any reason, and what the school's military or employer discounts are.

For comparison, the University of Phoenix bachelor's in cybersecurity is $398 per credit over 120 credits, which makes it a much longer path than this 39-credit master's.

39 credits at $698 a credit comes to $27,222 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You want one course at a time instead of juggling several, and a short 6-week stretch to finish each one.
• You are working full time and want a program built for online students from the start.
• You learn by doing and want cyber range activities and team-based exercises in your classes.
• You already hold a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 or better and want to move quickly.

Who Should Skip It

• You are cost-sensitive. At $698 per credit the tuition is $27,222, and a resource fee applies to each course.
• You want the research reputation or alumni network of a public flagship university.

The program page highlights cyber range activities and team-based exercises. A cyber range is a simulated network where you practice attacking and defending without touching a real company's systems, and working in teams mirrors how a security operations group actually runs.

Ask for the full course map before you enroll, and check how many of the 39 credits are cybersecurity topics versus management or research courses.

With 6-week courses taken one at a time, each class moves fast. Expect to read, practice and turn in work every week.

Standout Features

• Cyber range and team-based activities in the coursework

Everything is online, and the school's structure is built around it: courses last 6 weeks and you take one at a time. The pace is intense, but you only have one subject to manage at any moment.

The federal graduation rate for the university is 21%, a school-wide figure across all programs and students, many of whom are part time. It is a reason to ask about advising, coaching and what support exists if you fall behind.

Ask whether the team-based activities are scheduled live or can be done on your own time.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a private for-profit university. Employers generally care about what you can do, so build a record of what you learned in the cyber range.

If you want an industry certification, ask which exams line up with the courses and whether study materials are included.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• A $195 resource fee applies to every course, on top of $698 per credit.
• The pace of 6-week courses is fast, and missing a week can put you behind.
• The university's federal graduation rate is 21%, so ask how many master's students finish.
• The page highlights the cyber range but you will need to request the full course list.

• Can I see the full list of the 39 credits and which courses use the cyber range?
• What is the total resource fee across all my courses?
• Are the team-based activities live, and at what times?
• How many of my prior credits could count, if I already have graduate coursework?
• What support is available if I fall behind during a 6-week course?
• Which certification exams do the courses prepare me for?

Online-focused university based in Arizona.

• Best Online Programs in Arizona Rank 1 of 8, master's

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $398 per credit Score 55.0

• Associate of Science in Cybersecurity

  A.S., Associate

  Fully Online $398 per credit Score 51.4

• Sam Houston State University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Texas $748.25 per credit Score 54.9

• University of Arizona

  Cyber Operations (Master of Science)

  Arizona $750 per credit Score 54.8

• Florida Institute of Technology

  Master of Science in Information Technology with a Concentration in Cybersecurity

  Florida $737.23 per credit Score 54.7

• California State University San Marcos

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  California $900 per credit Score 55.1