University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

The online Master of Science in Cybersecurity at UW-Oshkosh is a public-university graduate degree with a flat $850 per credit price, no GRE, and a capstone graded partly by a real host organization. It's a strong fit for working professionals with a computer science foundation. It's a harder fit if your undergraduate degree isn't technical.

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and a home campus for the Universities of Wisconsin online Master of Science in Cybersecurity. The program is a partnership of eight campuses: UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior.

It is 31 credits, made up of 11 courses, and it is 100% online and asynchronous. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accredits the degree. About 61% of UW-Oshkosh's graduate students study exclusively online, so online learners make up most of the graduate body.

Tuition is a flat $850 per credit for Wisconsin residents and out-of-state students alike. Across 31 credits, that comes to $26,350. The program charges no segregated or technology fees, but textbooks are extra.

For a public-university master's degree, that is a clear and predictable number, and it makes it easy to compare with private graduate programs that charge more per credit. With no segregated or technology fees, textbooks are your main extra expense, so budget for them each term.

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

Who It Fits

• IT professionals who want a graduate credential without leaving work. Courses are asynchronous, and the program starts three times a year.
• Students who want a project-based finish. The capstone tackles a real-world cybersecurity challenge, and a host organization's evaluation counts for a significant share of the final grade.
• Out-of-state students. The $850 per credit rate is the same whether you live in Wisconsin or elsewhere, with no technology or segregated fees.

Who Should Skip It

• Students without a computer science or math background. Admission expects prerequisite coursework in Introduction to Computer Science and in Calculus or Statistics.
• Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0. That's the stated minimum.
• Students who want a thesis. The program does not offer a thesis option; it ends in the capstone.

The notable courses cover the core of the field: Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Network Security, Introduction to Cryptography, Digital Forensics (CYB 725), Security Architecture and IT Security Risk Management. The cryptography and architecture courses give you the theory, and the forensics course gives you the investigator's view.

You choose one of two tracks. Digital Forensics and Security Management suits people headed toward investigation, compliance or leadership. Secure Systems Design is the better fit if you want to build and harden systems. Before the capstone, you take a one-credit pre-capstone course to scope your project.

The full degree is 11 courses and 31 credits.

Courses the School Names

• Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
• Network Security
• Introduction to Cryptography
• Digital Forensics
• Security Architecture
• IT Security Risk Management

Standout Features

• Capstone evaluated in part by a host organization
• Partnership of eight Universities of Wisconsin campuses, with UW-Oshkosh as a home campus option

The program is 100% online and asynchronous, so you can complete coursework on your own schedule within each course's deadlines. Terms are semester-based, and the program starts three times a year. Registration for Spring 2027 opens November 9, 2026.

Since the degree is shared by eight campuses, ask which campus your classes run through and how faculty from different campuses divide the courses. Online students in a shared program often meet peers from several schools, which widens your professional network.

UW-Oshkosh is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Any industry certification is a separate step from the degree. The capstone is the portfolio piece: because a host organization helps evaluate it, you finish with a project you can describe to employers and a professional reference who has seen your work.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Prerequisites are required: Introduction to Computer Science and Calculus or Statistics. You may need to complete them before starting.
• At $850 per credit, it costs more than many online master's programs at other public schools.

• Can I complete the prerequisites at a local college before admission, or do I need to take them through the program?
• Which UW campus will I be enrolled through, and does that affect my transcript or support?
• How does the host organization for the capstone get chosen, and can I propose my own employer?
• What is the typical pace for a working student, and how long does the 31 credits take?
• What is the Digital Forensics and Security Management track's course list compared with Secure Systems Design?
• What do textbooks cost per course?

Public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a partner campus in the Universities of Wisconsin online Master of Science in Cybersecurity.

• Best Online Programs in Wisconsin Rank 5 of 6, master's

• University of California, Berkeley

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  California $2,712 per credit Score 46.2

• Colorado Technical University

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  Colorado Score 45.1

• City University of Seattle

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• Colorado Christian University

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