University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

UW-La Crosse's online M.S. in Cybersecurity is a 31-credit master's at $850 per credit, which comes to $26,350, offered jointly with seven other Universities of Wisconsin campuses. It suits a working adult who already has some programming and math behind them and wants two named tracks and a capstone built around a real organization's problem.

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public university in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Its online Master of Science in Cybersecurity is a joint degree: UW-La Crosse, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior offer it together.

That shared model matters in one practical way. The program is built and taught across the Universities of Wisconsin system, so you draw on faculty from several campuses instead of one department. The school describes it as a fully online graduate program, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Tuition is $850 per credit for the Universities of Wisconsin online collaborative degree. At 31 credits, that's $26,350 in published tuition. A $56 application fee applies and can be waived with a coupon code.

Federal data lists a higher per-credit charge for the campus, but the online collaborative rate is the one that applies to this degree. Ask about fees beyond the application fee, and ask whether the same rate holds for out-of-state students.

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

Who It Fits

• You have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 and want a state-university master's without sitting an entrance exam. No GRE or GMAT is required.
• You work full time. Students typically take one or two classes per term, and the school describes the coursework as fully asynchronous.
• You want to specialize. You can choose Secure Systems Design, or Digital Forensics and Security Management, and the school says the two tracks can be combined.
• You want a finish you can show an employer, since the capstone is a project focused on a real-world cybersecurity challenge.

Who Should Skip It

• You're new to computing. The school requires prerequisite coursework in Introduction to Computer Science, including programming content, and in Calculus or Statistics.
• You want to start in a few weeks. Starts are Fall, Spring and Summer, so there are only three entry points a year.

The degree is 31 credits: five core courses, four courses in your track, a capstone preparation course and the project-based capstone. Core and track courses the school names include Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Network Security, Cyber Crime and Security Architecture.

The two tracks split the field in a useful way. Secure Systems Design is the build-and-defend side. Digital Forensics and Security Management leans toward investigation, evidence and running a security program. Taking both is allowed, though it will stretch your time in the program.

Courses the School Names

• Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
• Network Security
• Cyber Crime
• Security Architecture

Standout Features

• Applied project-based capstone focused on a real-world cybersecurity challenge
• Offered jointly by eight Universities of Wisconsin campuses, giving students access to shared expertise across the UW system
• Two focused tracks that can be combined: Secure Systems Design, and Digital Forensics and Security Management

The program is typically a two-year plan, and most classes are 3 credits. Taking one or two a term is the normal pace, which keeps weekly workload manageable alongside a job but stretches the calendar.

The capstone has two stages. In the preparation course you identify a project. In the capstone course you carry it out, submit a written report and give an oral presentation to both faculty and a host organization. Ask how host organizations are matched, since that's where an employer contact can come from.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a university accredited by the HLC and approved by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. The school's pages name no certification exam this degree prepares for, so ask whether any course aligns with one you want.

The credential that carries weight here is the shared degree plus the real-world capstone. The oral presentation to a host organization is the closest thing to a work sample the program builds in.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The prerequisites are real. Programming content and calculus or statistics are required before you start, so career changers may need extra coursework first.
• The admission package is heavier than some programs: a resume and a statement of personal intent up to 1,000 words.
• Federal data counts only 2 awards in this field, so there is little graduate history to judge the program by.
• A two-year pace at one or two classes per term means paying tuition over many terms.

• Which prerequisite courses will the admissions team accept from my transcript, and can I take them at a community college?
• Which campus's faculty teach the classes in my track?
• How are host organizations chosen for the capstone, and can I propose my employer?
• Can I combine both tracks, and how many extra credits does that add?
• Is the $850 per credit rate fixed while I'm enrolled, and what fees come on top?
• Which start term fits a two-year finish best?

A public university in La Crosse, Wisconsin whose online Master of Science in Cybersecurity is offered jointly with seven other Universities of Wisconsin campuses.

• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 9 of 10, master's
• Best Part-Time Programs Rank 5 of 6, master's
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