University of Utah Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

This is a 30-credit master's for people who want to manage security, and it ends with you earning an industry certification under faculty mentoring. It runs as a lockstep cohort, so everyone takes the same courses in the same order over four semesters. At $1,300 per credit for residents and non-residents alike, it costs more than most public options, and the school says it has over 100 unique cybersecurity labs.

The University of Utah is a public university in Salt Lake City. Classes start in spring and fall, and the program takes four semesters, or 16 months.

The lockstep format is the defining feature. You don't build your own schedule or pick electives from a long menu. You move through a fixed 30-credit sequence with the same group of classmates, which gives you a built-in network and a predictable calendar.

The University of Utah also offers a graduate certificate in cybersecurity management. That's a non-degree option. This master's is the one with the full 30-credit curriculum, the certification capstone and the degree.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management, and the capstone adds an industry-recognized IT security certification of your choosing. Pick one that matches the job you want, since the capstone is only as useful as the exam you choose.

Federal records show 69.5% of transfer-in students earning an award within eight years, and 14 awards a year in this field.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You're an IT or business professional heading toward a security management role and want a master's from a public research university.
• You work better with a fixed plan. A lockstep cohort removes scheduling decisions and keeps you moving with a group.
• You want a certification to show for your capstone work. The capstone is built around earning one with faculty guidance.
• You work at the University of Utah. The program qualifies for its employee reduced tuition benefit.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to pick your own pace or electives. Everyone takes the same courses in the same order.
• You need an immediate start any month of the year. Starts are in spring and fall only.
• You're watching your budget closely. At $1,300 per credit across 30 credits, the sticker price is high, and the rate is the same for residents and non-residents so being a resident doesn't lower the price.
• You need to pick a certification yourself. Students choose an IT or cybersecurity certification with real-world applications for the capstone, so you must have a clear idea of which one pays off for you.

The page describes over 100 unique cybersecurity labs using industry-recognized software. That's a lot of hands-on work for a management degree, and it's the main way the program stays practical.

The capstone is IS 6820, worth 3 credits. Instead of a thesis or a team project, you choose an impactful IT or cybersecurity certification and earn it with a faculty mentor. That's unusual, and it gives you something an employer recognizes by name.

The lockstep design means each course can assume what the last one taught. The tradeoff is that you can't skip ahead or substitute a course you've already mastered.

Standout Features

• Capstone is an industry certification earned with faculty mentoring
• Diploma does not designate the degree as an online program
• Lockstep cohort curriculum where every student takes the same courses in the same order
• Over 100 unique cybersecurity labs using industry-recognized software

Tuition is $1,300 per credit hour for residents and non-residents, subject to change without notice. The degree is 30 credits, so multiply the rate by 30 to see the tuition figure, then ask about fees.

If you work at the University of Utah, the program qualifies for the employee reduced tuition benefit, which can change the math completely.

Ask whether the capstone certification's exam fee is part of what you pay or a separate cost.

30 credits at $1,300 a credit comes to $39,000 in tuition, before fees.

The program is delivered online, and your diploma will not designate the degree as an online program. For some graduates that is a real selling point, since the credential reads the same as a campus degree.

The cohort is the heart of the experience. Because everyone takes the same courses in sequence, you'll see the same names in every class. Federal data shows 8% of the university's graduate students enrolled exclusively online and a 65% graduation rate, so online is a small part of a large campus.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The rate is $1,300 per credit for every student, resident or not, so a public university's usual in-state discount doesn't apply.
• Lockstep means no electives to speak of, so you can't tailor the program toward a specialty.
• Two start terms a year, spring and fall, mean a missed deadline is a long wait.
• Only 8% of the university's graduate students study exclusively online, so find out how much of the support system is built for you.

• What is the full list of fees on top of the $1,300 per credit?
• Which certifications have recent cohorts chosen for the IS 6820 capstone, and who pays the exam fee?
• How much time does a typical week take, and can I keep a full-time job through all four semesters?
• Is there a class meeting time, or is the lockstep coursework fully self-paced?
• What do the 100 unique labs cover, and which software do they use?
• What happens if I need to pause for a semester, given the lockstep structure?

• Best Online Programs in Utah Rank 2 of 3, master's

• Davenport University

  Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cyber Security

  Michigan $1,148 per credit Score 44.7

• Colorado Technical University

  Master of Science in Computer Science - Cybersecurity Engineering

  Colorado Score 45.1

• Our Lady of the Lake University

  Online MS in Cybersecurity

  Texas $1,031 per credit Score 44.0

• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Wisconsin $850 per credit Score 45.9