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online cybersecurity degree

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Degree

Prepare to defend the digital world with an online cybersecurity degree

Our Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree helps prepare you to play a vital role in stopping cyber threats. As an IT security professional, you’ll build secure firewalls, detect hacker attacks, and maintain system protection. Expand your knowledge and skill development through cybersecurity courses in one of two specializations, Cybersecurity Operations or Cybersecurity Analyst Defender. Become the guardian of an organization’s most valuable asset — its data.

  • EC-Council partner and Academic Circle of Excellence award-winner.
  • Upper division electives such as Foundations of Security help you prepare for industry certification exams such as the EC-Council Certified Secure Computer User exam.
  • Receive discounts on third-party exam fees.
  • A learn-practice-apply methodology that includes activities and assignments that map to in-demand industry skills designed to prepare you for a variety of employment opportunities.

Transfer credits

Save time and money on your bachelor's degree with eligible transfer credits.

Ways to save

Your work, life, and school experiences may give you a head start on your degree.

Apply free

- No application fee
- No entrance exam for cybersecurity program
- No SAT/ACT
- No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online cybersecurity degree

Your cybersecurity degree courses provide a deeper understanding of a variety of topics essential for IT security including cyber domain, networking analysis, fundamental security concepts to mitigate vulnerabilities, security operations, cloud computing and wireless security. Coursework for this program aligns to many critical cybersecurity skills including disaster recovery, administrative network strategy and network defense fundamentals.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 120 credits

Requirements include core courses that provide foundational cybersecurity knowledge and skills, electives that let you specialize your online cybersecurity degree in areas of interest and general education courses that provide skills important for overall career development. You’ll need 120 credits (3 credits per course) to complete this Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through theUniversity's Prior Learning Assessment.

Your core courses will cover all areas of cybersecurity including network defense, ethical hacking, web and cloud computing security and more. Your coursework also includes two capstone projects that require a demonstration of cybersecurity knowledge and skills learned in the program.

Elective courses let you explore areas of cybersecurity that are of interest to you such as cloud technologies and Java Programming that can enhance your cybersecurity career goals.

Your general education courses help you round out your cybersecurity education with important soft skills such as critical thinking, ethics and governance and policy. These and other soft skills prepare you for troubleshooting, problem-solving and decision-making in your career.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help schedule your courses for a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

EC-Council and technology-aligned learning

The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC Council) certifies individuals in various e-business and information security skills. Certifications are offered in over 87 countries globally. ۴ý is a proud EC-Council partner and Circle of Excellence award-winner.

EC-Council | Academia Partner Logo
Academia Circle of Excellence EC-Council 2023

Academic Circle of Excellence Award Winner in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Get ready for cybersecurity EC-Council certification exams

Your Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity content will prepare you for EC-Council certification exams:

Courses Prepares you for
Foundations of Security
Foundations of Security
Foundations of Security
EC-Council Certified Secure Computer User (CSCU) exam
Computer Network Defense 1, 2 and 3
Computer Network Defense 1, 2 and 3
Computer Network Defense 1, 2 and 3
EC-Council Certified Network Defender (CND) exam
Ethical Hacking 1, 2 and 3
Ethical Hacking 1, 2 and 3
Ethical Hacking 1, 2 and 3
EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam

Risk Assessment

Insider Threat and Reporting

Risk Assessment

Insider Threat and Reporting

Risk Assessment

Insider Threat and Reporting

EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (ECIH) exam

EC-Council Certified Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) exam

Computer Forensics Investigative Process

Computer Forensics Lab

Network Wireless, Web, Email and Mobile Forensics

Computer Forensics Investigative Process

Computer Forensics Lab

Network Wireless, Web, Email and Mobile Forensics

Computer Forensics Investigative Process

Computer Forensics Lab

Network Wireless, Web, Email and Mobile Forensics

EC-Council Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) exam

Your EC-Council benefit

  • 50%+ discounts on exam vouchers for industry certification exams
  • Bypass required exam application when you take our courses
  • Content developed by the EC Council using their own materials and labs — all aligned to several industry certifications

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Undergrad cost per course

$1,364/ course

Cost per credit

Credits per course

Resource fee

$398

x3

+ $170

Estimated cost per course

$1,364

An illustration showing a couple pushing a stroller with a dollar sign and clock in the background

What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by:

  • Savings opportunities. Your cost could be reduced with eligible transfer credits, scholarships, employer discounts and more. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11K and 1 year off their undergraduate degree at ۴ý.

With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.

Discover ways to save time and money on your degree with our Savings Explorer®tool:

Transfer credits

Your prior eligible college credits can save you time and money, helping you graduate faster. That’s why we’ve accepted transcripts from 5,000+ institutions. Check to see if you can apply eligible transfer credits from an institutionally accredited university or college toward your online cybersecurity degree.

Save time and money when you transfer eligible credits toward your bachelor's in cybersecurity.

۴ý cybersecurity degree vs other universities

۴ý ASU Online (BAB) Capella DeVry GCU Purdue Global SNHU Strayer
Tuition rate
Tuition rate
Tuition rate
$398
Tuition rate
$574
Tuition rate
$365 per 1000-2000 level credit
$415 per 3000-4000 level credit
Tuition rate
$514
Tuition rate
$485
Tuition rate
$371
Tuition rate
$330
Tuition rate
$338.89
Typical credits per course
Typical credits per course
Typical credits per course
3
Typical credits per course
4
Typical credits per course
6
Typical credits per course
4
Typical credits per course
4
Typical credits per course
6
Typical credits per course
3
Typical credits per course
4.5
Resource fee
Resource fee
Resource fee
$170
Resource fee
$645*
Resource fee
$600*
Resource fee
$550*
Resource fee
$702*
Resource fee
$1,056*
Resource fee
$0*
Resource fee
$75*
Estimated cost per course
Estimated cost per course
Estimated cost per course
$1,364
Estimated cost per course
$2,941
Estimated cost per course
$3,090
Estimated cost per course
$2,606
Estimated cost per course
$2,642
Estimated cost per course
$3,282
Estimated cost per course
$990
Estimated cost per course
$1,600
Total program length
Total program length
Total program length
120 cr.
Total program length
120
Total program length
180
Total program length
124
Total program length
120
Total program length
180
Total program length
120
Total program length
180
Length of course
Length of course
Length of course
5 wks
Length of course
7.5 weeks
Length of course
10 weeks
Length of course
8 weeks
Length of course
7-8 weeks
Length of course
10 weeks
Length of course
8 weeks
Length of course
11 weeks
Tuition guarantee promise
Tuition guarantee promise
Tuition guarantee promise
Yes
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
NO
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No

Data pulled on September 27, 2024

[1] $365 per 1000-2000 level credit; $415 per 3000-4000 level credit

Source of data: For each institution, the data are publicly available in multiple locations, including Academic Catalogs, Program pages, Tuition and fees pages, and syllabi. All data are publicly available on the websites.

Certain licensure programs and coursework in other degree programs may have additional fees. Please check with your advisor orcourse catalogfor additional info.

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits.

The Savings Explorer tool can help you find ways to save on your education

Try our Savings Explorer® tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degreewith ۴ý.

Try our Savings Explorer™ tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degreewith ۴ý.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with an online cybersecurity degree?

About 16,800 openings for information security analysts are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Be prepared with the skills and knowledge you need for an IT security career.

Woman working on a tablet

When you earn your Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job.You’ll learn how to:

  • Examine an organization's infrastructure to ensure compliance with cybersecurity standards and policies.
  • Evaluate organizational policies and strategies to determine potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
  • Apply a variety of hacking tools and techniques to expose risk and protect and secure network systems in a variety of organizations.
  • Apply the known phases of ethical hacking to protect and secure networks systems in a variety of organizations.
  • Apply object-oriented scripting to solve potential cyber-security attacks.
Business man at working on a laptop in a park

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Security policies

  • Vulnerability

  • Network security

  • Information systems security

  • Cybersecurity

Business man presenting

A BSCYB can help prepare you to be an:

  • IT Systems Security Analyst
  • Information Security Specialist
  • IT Specialist
  • Information Systems Security Officer
  • Information Systems Supervisor
  • Systems Administrator
  • Network Coordinator
  • Technical Services Manager

33% growth

According to the, job growth for IT security analysts is projected to bemuch faster than averagebetween 2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to ۴ý students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your cybersecurity degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No cost to request prior transcripts
  • No entrance exam required for the cybersecurity program
  • No SAT/ACT required
  • No essay required
  • We’ll request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.
G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1]Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources for your cybersecurity education

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week while you earn your cybersecurity degree.

۴ý provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

Learn from professionals working in IT

As a university built for working adults, we believe you should be taught by faculty whopractice what they teach. The IT curriculum they teach today is designed to help you make an impact inyour day-to-day work tomorrow, bridging the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Edward Spear

Edward Spear MIS, MS CIS, MS MGMT, MS HRM, MS Global MGMT, Doctoral Candidate MIS

Faculty, College of Business and Information Technology

Troy L. Adams

Troy L. Adams, MBA, MsMIS, MsCyberSec

Faculty, College of Business and Information Technology

Alan Raveling

Alan Raveling DCS

Faculty, College of Business and Information Technology

Industry Spotlight

The state of cybersecurity

As the internet becomes more vital for life and business, so does the demand for online security. The cybersecurity industry is centered around protecting data from cybersecurity attacks. An organization’s infrastructure must be compliant with cybersecurity standards and policies and vulnerabilities need to be identified to protect and secure data and network systems.

What IT security professionals need to know

The industry needs ethical hackers to protect and defend against ransomware, malware, and all forms of cyber-attacks. The EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam is recommended for cybersecurity professionals.

Your cybersecurity degree

Your Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity includes three courses focused on ethical hacking so that you get hands-on experience in footprinting and reconnaissance, firewalls and honeypots, SQL injection attacks, hacking web applications, and more.

Classroom skills for real world experience

Think like a hacker to stop hackers

Our IT faculty use a learn-practice-apply methodology to provide hands-on experience that applies your skills in real-world cybersecurity scenarios. Learn the strategies and methods that would be used by a malicious hacker, then develop countermeasures to shore up a system’s defense.

Accreditation

Accredited for 45+ years

Since 1978, ۴ý has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), . Learn more about the value of ۴ý accreditation and how it benefits our students.

Frequentlyasked questions about the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this. Cybersecurity includes protecting computer and network systems from the theft of, or damage to, their hardware, software or electronic data, and any disruption of the services they provide.

Upon graduation from a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree program, graduates have potential for careers in private or public sectors, as well as federal agencies, criminal justice agencies, hospitals—really anywhere data is stored electronically. Possible jobs include information security analyst, network and computer systems administrator and tech services.

In a normal circumstance, students can graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree in approximately 47 months with no prior college credits. But with ۴ý, students can save both time and money by submitting previous educational, job or life experience for evaluation for potential credit through the Prior Learning Assessment. On average, students working toward a bachelor's degree with prior eligible college credits and relevant life experience saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree.

۴ý offers career-relevant education, providescareer services, hires real world faculty and has more than 100 degrees and certificates aligned to over 300+ occupations. Choose from a variety of certificates that you can add to your Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree that can allow you to become specialized in many different areas.

We also offerexceptional flexibility. You can log in and complete course work on your time, receive around-the-clock support and choose from frequent start dates. Plus, students can pursue ourtuition savingsand scholarship opportunities, which can make earning their degree more affordable and take less time.

The Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree program offers two ways to customize your education. Choose from several elective courses you can take throughout your program. Or choose from lower division and upper division certificates to add to your program. Your Enrollment Representative can help you find the right electives and certificates to take based on your career goals.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.