University of Southern Maine Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

The University of Southern Maine's online master's is a low-cost public program with a thesis or capstone finish, a school-stated cyber defense designation and a long list of graduate assistantships. It fits students who want a research option and a price well below private schools. The admission bar is higher than most: a 3.0 GPA and prior IT or cybersecurity experience.

This is a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the University of Southern Maine, a public university in Portland, Maine. The program is fully online and requires 30 credit hours. The same e-tuition rate applies to in-state, Canadian and out-of-state students, so where you live doesn't change the price.

USM also offers a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. The master's is the graduate step for people who already hold a bachelor's and have worked or studied in IT or a related field.

Study full-time and you can finish in as few as 2 years, or take 4 years part-time.

E-tuition is $548 per credit, plus $107 in mandatory fees, for a total of $655 per credit in 2026-27. Over the 30 required credits, published tuition comes to $16,440.

The same rate applies whether you live in Maine, Canada or elsewhere. The fees add up to $107 per credit, so budget for them.

The assistantships could cut your cost further. The school says over 150 are available with a stipend and tuition assistance. Ask whether online students qualify before you plan around one.

30 credits at $548 a credit comes to $16,440 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Budget-minded students from any state, since the e-tuition rate is the same for residents and non-residents.
• Working professionals who need to go part-time. The 4-year part-time route is built into the plan.
• Students who might want a research path, because the program ends in either a thesis or a capstone on a topic of your choosing.
• People interested in assistantships. The school says over 150 graduate assistantships are available with a stipend and tuition assistance.
• Applicants aiming at digital forensics, since the page connects the degree to the certified forensic computer examiner credential.

Who Should Skip It

• Career changers with no IT background. The admission rule asks for prior academic or work experience in information technology, cybersecurity or a related field.
• Students with a GPA below 3.0, since a cumulative 3.0 or higher is listed.
• Anyone who wants to start in summer. The program has fall and spring starts only, two per year.

The program is 30 required credit hours, and it finishes with a pathway of your choosing: you complete either a thesis or a capstone pathway, on a topic of your choosing.

The page also promises experiential learning and simulation exercises with numerous public and private entities, where you learn to defend against real-world attacks in a production environment. That's a stronger claim than most online programs make, so ask for examples of the partners and how online students take part.

The degree is recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency, per the school.

A thesis route suits someone considering a doctorate. The capstone suits someone heading straight to work.

Standout Features

• Hands-on experiential learning and simulation exercises with public and private entities
• Over 150 graduate assistantships available with stipend and tuition assistance
• Recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency, per the school

The page says the fully online program lets you complete coursework from wherever you are. There are fall and spring starts, so you can't begin at any time of year.

About 52% of graduate students at the university study exclusively online, which means the online group is large but not alone. USM is a campus-based school with a sizable online community.

The full-time route finishes in as few as 2 years, and the part-time route takes 4. Part-time is the better fit if you work, but four years is a long commitment, so confirm that courses you need are offered each term.

The program is recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency, according to the school. It's a program-level statement on the page.

On certifications, USM says you'll be eligible to apply for certification as a certified information systems security professional and as a certified forensic computer examiner. Eligibility to apply isn't the same as passing the exam, and CISSP generally requires work experience, so read the requirements.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Admission asks for a 3.0 cumulative GPA and prior IT or cybersecurity experience.
• Mandatory fees of $107 per credit are charged on top of $548 e-tuition.
• Only fall and spring starts are offered.
• The part-time route takes 4 years.

• What counts as prior work experience in IT or cybersecurity for admission?
• Do online students get graduate assistantships, and what do they involve?
• How do I choose between the thesis and the capstone, and who advises each?
• Which public and private entities run the simulation exercises, and can online students join them?
• How many courses are offered each term for part-time students?
• Which courses prepare me for the forensic examiner credential?

• Best Affordable Online Programs Rank 9 of 10, master's
• Best No-GRE Online Master's Rank 10 of 10, master's
• Best Part-Time Programs Rank 2 of 6, master's
• Best Public University Programs Rank 10 of 10, master's
• Best Thesis Option Programs Rank 1 of 9, master's
• Best Programs With Certifications Rank 8 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Maine Rank 1 of 3, master's

Also at University of Southern Maine, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (bachelor's, hybrid).

• Capitol Technology University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Maryland $665 per credit Score 57.3

• SANS Technology Institute

  Master of Science in Information Security Engineering

  Maryland $1,500 per credit Score 56.8

• Western Michigan University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Michigan $868.04 per credit Score 56.8

• New York University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity (Online)

  New York Score 56.6