University of the Cumberlands Master of Science in Cyber Engineering (Online)

This is the Cumberlands master's for people who want to build secure systems, not only manage them. It draws on electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science, costs $11,005 for 31 credits, and has a bridge path if your bachelor's is in IT instead of engineering.

The University of the Cumberlands is a private nonprofit school in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and the NSA and DHS have named it a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Its Master of Science in Cyber Engineering is delivered fully online and takes 31 credit hours.

The name matters. Cyber engineering is a different animal from a general cybersecurity master's, because the curriculum draws on electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science. That means you spend time on how hardware, networks and software systems are designed to resist attack.

Cumberlands has a sibling degree, the Master of Science in Information Systems Security, with the same 31 credits and the same per-credit rate. That one covers access control, cryptography, security architecture and operations security. The Cyber Engineering degree is the more technical of the two, with an engineering flavor.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Cumberlands charges $355 per credit hour, and the program totals 31 credit hours. Multiplying gives $11,005 in tuition.

The bridge path uses the same per-credit rate, so IT graduates do not pay a premium for the longer terms. Ask how many extra credits, if any, the bridge adds.

Ask the school for a full cost sheet including technology fees before you commit.

31 credits at $355 a credit comes to $11,005 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You have a bachelor's in electrical engineering, computer science, cyber or software engineering and want to specialize in secure system design.
• You hold an IT degree and are willing to take the 16-week bridge path to get into an engineering-flavored program.
• You like robotics, embedded systems or artificial intelligence and want security knowledge attached to them.
• You want a low published price. At $355 per credit, 31 credits comes to $11,005.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a management or policy degree. The Information Systems Security master's at the same school is closer, and so are policy-focused programs elsewhere.
• You do not have a technical bachelor's and do not want a bridge path. The admission requirement is built around engineering, computer science or IT.

The courses the school names stand out for their engineering slant. Digital Forensics and Cyber-Engineering, Cyber-Engineering Access Control, Network System Engineering, Robotics System Engineering (MSCE 631) and Artificial Intelligence all appear in the notable list. Robotics and artificial intelligence sit in the same degree as access control and forensics, which tells you how broad the engineering angle is.

The degree ends with a project. MSCE 690, the Cyber-Engineering Project, is paired with MSCE 699, Cyber-Engineering Project Communications. The second course suggests you will present and write up your work, not only build it.

The curriculum is the main reason to choose this degree over the information systems security one. If your goal is to design the system, this fits. If your goal is to protect and audit it, the sibling degree fits better.

Courses the School Names

• Digital Forensics and Cyber-Engineering
• Cyber-Engineering Access Control
• Network System Engineering
• Robotics System Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence

Standout Features

• Curriculum draws on electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science
• Two admission paths: 8-week bi-term for engineering and computer science graduates, 16-week bridge path for IT graduates

The format depends on how you are admitted. Students with engineering or computer science degrees start in 8-week bi-term courses and take one or two courses per bi-term. IT graduates enter through a bridge path that begins with 16-week courses for the first two main terms.

The short terms move fast, so one course at a time is a sensible way to start if you are working full time.

Federal data shows that 60% of the school's graduate students study exclusively online, and the completion rate for transfer students is 55.5% over eight years. The school's admit rate is 99%, so admission is not the hard part. Staying on pace is.

You graduate with a Master of Science in Cyber Engineering. The NSA and DHS designation belongs to the university's cyber defense work, not to this particular degree, so describe it that way in an application.

The credential matters most for roles that involve designing or testing secure systems, such as hardware-adjacent security, embedded and robotic systems, and AI-enabled products. For pure policy roles, a different master's will serve you better.

Confirm current course titles directly with the school before you apply.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• Admission is tied to a technical undergraduate degree, and IT graduates must complete a longer bridge path first.
• Fees and any military pricing are worth asking about before you apply.
• The 8-week terms move quickly, which can strain a full-time work schedule.
• The degree is more engineering-oriented than most cybersecurity master's programs, so it is a poor fit for management roles.

• How many extra credits or terms does the 16-week bridge path add for IT graduates?
• Is Robotics System Engineering required or elective, and how much hands-on lab work does it include?
• What does the MSCE 690 project look like, and can I use a problem from my own job?
• How does this degree differ from the Information Systems Security master's in credits, courses and outcomes?
• Are there technology fees on top of the $355 per credit?
• How many courses can I take at once in an 8-week bi-term while working full time?

Private university in Williamsburg, Kentucky, named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the NSA and DHS.

• Best for Working Adults Rank 7 of 10, master's

• Master of Science in Information Systems Security (Online)

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $355 per credit Score 67.4

• Thomas Edison State University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New Jersey $695 per credit Score 60.7

• University of Maryland Global Campus

  Cyber Operations Master of Science

  Maryland $659 per credit Score 60.4

• University of Maryland Global Campus

  Cybersecurity Management and Policy Master of Science

  Maryland $694 per credit Score 61.2

• Bellevue University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Nebraska $680 per credit Score 60.3