University of Rhode Island Online Professional Science Masters in Cyber Security

The University of Rhode Island's online Professional Science Master's in Cyber Security is a 36-credit, nine-course program at $1,377 per credit, with a fall-only start and a final internship. It's a good fit for IT professionals who want a public-university master's with a built-in way to catch up on technical basics.

URI Online delivers this P.S.M. through Rhode Island's largest four-year public institution. A Professional Science Master's is built around applied skills and workplace experience rather than research, and this one ends with an internship that serves as the capstone.

The school expects a technical background, with a bachelor's in information technology or a closely related field, or a related bachelor's with IT work experience. But it also offers a way in for people who don't have one, which is unusual.

You earn a Professional Science Master's. The school says the program helps prepare students for the CompTIA Security+ and the GIAC exams GCFA, GISF, GSEC and GCED.

Federal data shows graduates of URI in this field earn a median $128,646, the school's graduation rate is 73%, and 15 degrees a year are awarded in this field. The 72% admit rate means admission is open to most qualified applicants.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You have IT experience and a 3.0 GPA. That's the stated admission standard, along with two letters of recommendation.
• Your background is less technical. Fundamentals for Cyber Security is a self-paced preparatory program for enrolled students from less technical backgrounds.
• You're already working in the field. The final course is a cybersecurity internship that may be covered by your existing employment.
• You want to choose a direction. The program offers concentrations in Forensics and Incident Response, and in Security.

Who Should Skip It

• You need to start in spring or summer. The program only admits students for the fall semester.
• You haven't touched IT. The admissions page expects a computer science background, and the prep program is only for enrolled students.
• You want the cheapest master's. At $1,377 per credit, tuition is $49,572, and cheaper programs exist.

The degree requires 36 credits across nine four-credit courses. Named courses include Introduction to Information Assurance, Introduction to Network and Systems Security, Penetration Testing, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Advanced Incident Response and Advanced Intrusion Detection and Defense.

That sequence starts with fundamentals and ends in advanced defense and response work, with a weekly hands-on homework assignment. Concentrations in Forensics and Incident Response, or in Security, let you point the electives. No thesis is required. The internship is the culminating experience.

Courses the School Names

• Introduction to Information Assurance
• Introduction to Network and Systems Security
• Penetration Testing
• Cyber Threat Intelligence
• Advanced Incident Response
• Advanced Intrusion Detection and Defense

Standout Features

• Fundamentals for Cyber Security, a self-paced preparatory program for students from less technical backgrounds
• Weekly hands-on homework assignment with online video lectures watched at times of the student's choosing

The current program page lists $1,377 per credit. Across 36 credits, that's $49,572 in tuition. An older FAQ answer on the same site lists $955 per credit from Fall 2020, so don't rely on that figure.

Ask the school to confirm the current rate in writing, and whether it's locked once you enroll. The federal per-credit charge listed for URI is $1,727, so the online rate sits below the university's general figure. Ask about fees and whether your employer will contribute.

36 credits at $1,377 a credit comes to $49,572 in tuition, before fees.

The format is weekly modules released on Fridays, with video lectures and readings you watch and do at times of your choosing during the week. Each week includes a hands-on homework assignment.

That's flexible but steady, since new material arrives every week. Federal data shows 25% of the university's graduate students study exclusively online. With a single fall start, you'll move through the program with the same group, which helps build connections.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Fall-only admission means a missed deadline costs you a full year.
• At $49,572, it costs more than many online cybersecurity master's programs.
• The pricing history on the website is inconsistent, with a $955 per credit figure still posted in an older FAQ.
• Federal data shows 71.5% of transfer-in students complete within 8 years, so ask what support exists.

• What's the current per-credit rate, and is it locked for my enrollment?
• When is the fall application deadline, and is there a rolling review?
• How much does Fundamentals for Cyber Security cost, and how long does it take?
• Can my current job count for the final internship course, and what documentation is needed?
• Which concentration do most students choose, and how do the electives differ?
• Do the courses prepare me for Security+ and the GIAC exams, and are exam fees included?

Rhode Island's largest four-year public institution, offering its cybersecurity professional science master's through URI Online.

• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 10 of 10, master's
• Best Programs With Internships Rank 6 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Rhode Island Rank 1 of 4, master's

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