Wilmington University Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

Wilmington's online M.S. in Cybersecurity is a 36-credit master's at $564 per credit, which the school's own numbers put at $20,304 in tuition. It lets you choose from three concentrations (Cyber Terrorism, Financial Technology and SCADA Cybersecurity), starts a new class every 8 weeks, and can be finished in as little as one year. It suits working adults who want a specialty and a low-friction start.

Wilmington University is a private nonprofit school in New Castle, Delaware, that serves working adults, and about 13,746 students were enrolled across its programs in the federal data. Its Master of Science in Cybersecurity is offered 100% online and runs 12 courses, or 36 credits.

The feature that sets this degree apart is the choice of three concentrations. Most online cybersecurity master's programs hand you one general track. Here you pick a direction: Cyber Terrorism, Financial Technology or SCADA Cybersecurity. SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition, the control systems behind utilities and industrial equipment.

Wilmington charges $1,692 for a typical three-credit graduate course, which works out to $564 per credit. Across 36 credits that comes to $20,304 in tuition.

The school's undergraduate courses cost less. Its online bachelor's in cybersecurity is 120 credits at $1,317 per course ($439 per credit), and the associate degree is 60 credits at the same $1,317 per course. If you're starting without a bachelor's degree, that path is a different, longer commitment than this master's. The published figure covers tuition, so ask what fees and books come on top.

36 credits at $564 a credit comes to $20,304 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You already work in IT or a related job and want a master's aimed at one niche, such as protecting industrial control systems or financial technology platforms, instead of a general overview.
• You want to start soon. Classes start every 8 weeks, so you don't have to wait for a fall or spring cohort.
• You're watching your budget and want a published price. At $1,692 per three-credit course, you can see what each term costs before you enroll.
• You like competing as well as studying. The Cyber Wildcats Club runs live capture-the-flag (CTF) competitions, where participants exploit or defend against security vulnerabilities on a live network.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a national cyber designation tied to the master's itself. The NSA and DHS designation Wilmington lists belongs to its bachelor's program, so confirm what covers the master's before you count on it.
• You want a spelled-out course list before you apply. The concentrations are named, so request the catalog for the courses inside each one.
• You'd rather take a thesis route toward doctoral study. Confirm whether the master's offers one.

The degree is 12 courses and 36 credits, and the main decision is your concentration. Cyber Terrorism points toward threat-focused and national-security work. Financial Technology points toward banks, payment companies and other firms that move money electronically. SCADA Cybersecurity points toward utilities, manufacturing and other places where software controls physical equipment.

Ask admissions for the full course map for each concentration. Ask which courses are shared across all three and which are unique, and whether the concentration shows up on your transcript. That tells you how much of the degree is specialty and how much is general master's coursework.

Standout Features

• Cyber Wildcats Club runs live capture-the-flag competitions
• Three concentrations: Cyber Terrorism, Financial Technology and SCADA Cybersecurity

Wilmington describes the master's as 100% online, with a new start every 8 weeks. Eight-week terms mean you take fewer courses at a time and finish each one fast, which suits a full work schedule but leaves little room to recover from a bad week.

The school says you can finish in as little as one year. Treat that as the fastest case, not the typical one, and ask what pace students keep. Federal data shows 66% of Wilmington's graduate students study exclusively online, so you won't be the only remote student in the room. Ask whether live sessions are required.

You earn a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from a private nonprofit university. Ask whether the degree carries a programmatic accreditor or prepares you for a certification before you assume either.

The CTF competitions through the Cyber Wildcats Club are the clearest hands-on element the school describes, and they're a good thing to mention in interviews. Federal earnings data for Wilmington graduates in this field shows a median of $77,862, which is a school-wide figure for the field and not a promise for any one concentration.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Federal data shows an 8-year completion rate of 58% for transfer-in students, so a meaningful share of students don't finish. Ask what advising and support the program gives.
• Ask what the final requirement is, whether a capstone, a thesis or neither, and whether any course maps to a certification exam.
• Fast 8-week terms mean heavy weekly workloads, and the one-year finish is only realistic if you can carry that load.
• Ask early about admission requirements such as a minimum GPA or a programming prerequisite, so you aren't surprised.

• What are the course titles in each of the three concentrations, and which courses do all three share?
• Is there a capstone, thesis or practicum, and what does it involve?
• How many courses can I take per 8-week term, and what does a realistic finish date look like if I work full time?
• Are there required live sessions, or can I do everything on my own schedule?
• Can online master's students join the Cyber Wildcats Club and its CTF competitions?
• What do I need to apply: a minimum GPA, a technical bachelor's, or any programming background?
• Does the NSA and DHS designation listed for the bachelor's program also apply to the master's?

Private university in New Castle, Delaware, serving working adults.

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $439 per credit Score 67.2

• Associate of Science in Cybersecurity

  A.S., Associate

  Fully Online $439 per credit Score 54.0

• Marymount University

  Cybersecurity, M.S.

  Virginia Score 49.8

• Arizona State University

  Master of Computer Science (Cybersecurity concentration)

  Arizona Score 50.1

• Tulane University of Louisiana

  Master of Science in Cyber Technology

  Louisiana $900 per credit Score 50.1

• University of Maine at Augusta

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Maine Score 50.1