University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

This is the Green Bay version of a shared online master's in cybersecurity that eight Universities of Wisconsin campuses run together. It is 31 credits at a flat $850 per credit, so tuition comes to $26,350 whether you live in Wisconsin or anywhere else.

It is asynchronous, needs no GRE, and has no segregated or technology fees. You do need a 3.0 undergraduate GPA and prior programming coursework to get in.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a public university in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with 11,174 students. It is one of eight campuses in the collaborative that delivers the online Master of Science in Cybersecurity: Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside, Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point and Superior.

That shared design is the most important thing to understand before you apply. The campuses teach one curriculum with the same two tracks and the same price. You apply to Green Bay, and the degree comes from Green Bay, but the day-to-day coursework is the collaborative's, not a Green Bay-only program.

If you are comparing Wisconsin campuses, you are mostly comparing which university's name you want on the diploma and which application office you prefer to work with.

Green Bay's own program page adds one benefit to the shared package. UW Online Collaboratives provides success coaches to help you stay on track.

Tuition is $850 per credit for Wisconsin residents and out-of-state students alike. Over 31 credits that is $26,350. Textbooks are bought separately, and there are no segregated or technology fees for this online program.

That flat rate is the plan's strongest cost feature. At many public universities an out-of-state student pays far more, and here you do not. For context, the federal data for the university lists a $1,037 per credit charge, so the online program price is lower than the campus figure.

The price is the same across the eight campuses, so you will not save money by switching to a neighbor. Compare on admissions fit and support instead.

31 credits at $850 a credit comes to $26,350 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You are a working professional who needs courses you can take on your own schedule, since the program is fully asynchronous.
• You live outside Wisconsin and want the same $850 rate that residents pay, which keeps the price from jumping.
• You already have a bachelor's degree, a 3.0 GPA and some programming, and you want a master's without taking the GRE.
• You want to be able to choose a focus, either Digital Forensics and Security Management or Secure Systems Design.
• You value having a coach check in, since success coaches are part of the Green Bay offering.

Who Should Skip It

• You have no programming background. The introductory computer science prerequisite must include programming content, and calculus or statistics is also required.
• Your undergraduate GPA is below 3.0. The admissions page sets 3.0 as the minimum.
• You want live classes with set meeting times. The format is asynchronous.
• You want an in-person cohort. This is an online collaborative, and your classmates are spread across eight campuses.

The collaborative's curriculum is 31 credits. The courses named for the program include Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Network Security, Digital Forensics, Security Architecture, Advanced Cryptography and Software Security.

You choose one of two concentrations. Digital Forensics and Security Management points toward investigation, incident response and running a security program. Secure Systems Design points toward building systems that resist attack, and it leans harder on the software and architecture courses. Pick based on whether you would rather investigate a breach or prevent one.

The program ends with a project-based capstone focused on a real-world cybersecurity challenge, and there is a pre-capstone course to prepare you for it.

Courses the School Names

• Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
• Network Security
• Digital Forensics
• Security Architecture
• Advanced Cryptography
• Software Security

Standout Features

• Flat per-credit tuition for Wisconsin residents and out-of-state students
• Fully asynchronous format built for working professionals
• Partnership of eight University of Wisconsin campuses
• Success coaches through UW Online Collaboratives

The program is 100% online and asynchronous, built for working professionals. Federal data shows 49% of Green Bay's graduate students study exclusively online, so you would not be the only remote student.

UW Online Collaboratives provides success coaches. For a master's student balancing a job, a person who checks in on pacing and deadlines can be the difference between finishing and drifting away. Ask how often you would hear from your coach and whether the coach helps with course planning.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. No GRE or GMAT is required.

For context, the university's federal graduation rate is 48% and its completion rate for transfer-in students is 59%. These are school wide, so they describe the campus more than this master's program. If you want an industry certification as well, ask whether the coursework lines up with the exam.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The prerequisites are real: a 3.0 GPA, programming coursework, and calculus or statistics.
• At $26,350 in tuition before textbooks, this is not a low-cost master's.
• The curriculum is shared by eight campuses, so choosing Green Bay does not get you a different set of courses.
• The format is asynchronous, which is flexible but takes self-discipline.

• Can I take the prerequisite programming and math courses through the collaborative, or must I finish them first?
• How often do success coaches contact students, and what do they help with?
• How do the Digital Forensics and Security Management and Secure Systems Design tracks differ in the courses I would take?
• How many terms per year can I start, and how long do students typically take to finish 31 credits?
• What does the capstone involve, and can I use a project from my workplace?
• How much do textbooks usually cost per course?

Public university in Green Bay, Wisconsin, one of eight Universities of Wisconsin campuses offering the shared online M.S. in Cybersecurity.

• Best Online Programs in Wisconsin Rank 3 of 6, master's

• Brown University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Rhode Island Score 47.0

• University of Wisconsin-River Falls

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Wisconsin $850 per credit Score 47.0

• Walden University

  MS in Cybersecurity

  Minnesota $575 per quarter credit Score 46.9

• City University of Seattle

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Washington $775 per credit Score 46.8