Master of Science in Cybersecurity Online

Optimize your career with highly sought technology expertise to protect vital computer systems and valuable data from cyberattacks.

Apply by 4/24/24
Start class 5/6/24 Apply Now

Program Overview

Explore the valued skills you will gain in this M.S. in Cybersecurity program

Protect the digital world from black hats and cybercrime with the abilities you will gain in the NKU Master of Science in Cybersecurity online degree program. Enhance your technical proficiencies with the help of a university designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) by the National Security Agency. No previous technology experience is needed for admission into this program.

Our 100% online courses examine theory and provide hands-on experience to give you knowledge and skills in cloud computing and security, data privacy, security architecture, and incident response, as well as risk assessment and testing—competencies growing in demand that can bring a salary premium. This cybersecurity online program was designed with an inside look at the industry. A survey of notable employers outlined the most sought-after technical expertise future cybersecurity professionals will need to guard against real-world digital threats—and be well-compensated for it.

In the online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, you will learn to:

  • Explain the processes and technologies needed to secure the information infrastructure of a modern organization
  • Apply security principles and practices to maintain operations in the presence of risks and threats
  • Investigate digital evidence with appropriate tools to detect and analyze security incidents
  • Design secure cyberinfrastructure by applying security principles
In the online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, you will learn to:+
  • Explain the processes and technologies needed to secure the information infrastructure of a modern organization
  • Apply security principles and practices to maintain operations in the presence of risks and threats
  • Investigate digital evidence with appropriate tools to detect and analyze security incidents
  • Design secure cyberinfrastructure by applying security principles

As a cybersecurity graduate, you will be fully prepared for in-demand technology roles, such as:

  • Incident Analyst
  • Information Security Manager
  • Network Engineer
  • IT Auditor
  • Cyber Crime Analyst
  • Cybersecurity Specialist/Analyst
  • Cybersecurity Engineer
As a cybersecurity graduate, you will be fully prepared for in-demand technology roles, such as:+
  • Incident Analyst
  • Information Security Manager
  • Network Engineer
  • IT Auditor
  • Cyber Crime Analyst
  • Cybersecurity Specialist/Analyst
  • Cybersecurity Engineer

+

Also available:

Northern Kentucky University offers a variety of technology programs online. Learn more about our online technology programs.

Total Tuition $15,500
Program Duration In as few as 12 months
Credit Hours 30

Accreditation

Northern Kentucky University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC™) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. Contact SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of NKU.

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Need More Information?

Call 800-985-7215

Call 800-985-7215

Tuition

Benefit from top quality courses at an outstanding value

The NKU online M.S. in Cybersecurity program offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included in the total cost. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify.

View additional tuition information+

Program Per Credit Hour Required Fees Total Program with Fees
M.S. in Cybersecurity $474 $1,280 $15,500

Tuition and fees subject to change at any time.

Tuition Breakdown:

Total Tuition $15,500
Per Credit Hour $474
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“Top Public College”

Ranked among the “Top Public Colleges” by Forbes, 2022

Calendar

Select the start date that meets your timeline

With six start dates a year, the M.S. in Cybersecurity online course schedule is flexible and convenient. View the calendar to find the best start date for you and note your corresponding deadlines.

View full calendar  + 

SessionProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment Due
Spring 23/11/242/29/243/4/243/8/243/11/24
Summer 15/6/244/24/244/30/245/3/245/6/24
Summer 26/24/246/12/246/18/246/21/246/24/24
Fall 18/19/248/7/248/12/248/16/248/19/24
Fall 210/16/2410/3/2410/8/2410/11/2410/16/24

Now enrolling:

Apply Date 4/24/24
Class Starts 5/6/24
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Admissions

Gather these admission materials for the M.S. in Cybersecurity online

We’ve streamlined the admission process for the M.S. in Cybersecurity online program so you can get started right away.

Admission Requirements:

  • Minimum 2.5 GPA for overall undergraduate credit
  • Official transcripts of all coursework from accredited institutions
View all admission requirements +

M.S. in Cybersecurity Online Admission Requirements

  • Complete application for admission
  • Pay the $40 application fee
    • If you are an NKU alum or active/veteran military member, your application fee will be waived
  • Official transcripts showing an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA for overall undergraduate credit and at least 3.0 in any graduate work in the same field
  • Demonstration of English proficiency for non-native English speakers

Official documents may be mailed or emailed to:

    NKU Office of Graduate Education
    302 Lucas Administrative Center
    Highland Heights, KY 41099

    [email protected]

    Have a question? Call us at 800-985-7215.

    Courses

    Read about our online cybersecurity courses

    For the M.S. in Cybersecurity online, the curriculum is comprised of 10 courses (30 credit hours), including eight required courses (24 credit hours) and two elective courses (6 credit hours).

    Expand All

    Students must take the following courses:

    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    This course will introduce students to cybersecurity concepts and provide an overview of the field, including both social and technical topics. It provides a broad coverage of authentication, access control, application security, vulnerabilities, malware, risk management, basic cryptographic concepts, social engineering, security policies, and legal and ethical issues in cybersecurity.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn web security, security standards-SSL/TLS, and SET, intruders and viruses, PGP and S/MIME for electronic mail security, firewalls, IDS secret key and public/private key cryptography, hashes and message digests, authentication systems (Kerberos), digital signatures and certificates, Kerberos and X.509v3 digital certificates. Hands-on labs and exercises are used to reinforce lectures and provide practical experience.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn cloud infrastructure and technologies used in cloud computing. Students will use cloud services (compute, networking, storage) to build IT systems in the cloud. Hands-on labs will show students how to use CLI (Command Line Interface) to manage cloud services.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn cloud security concepts and best practices to secure cloud services and data. Hands-on labs will show students how to effectively implement cloud security solutions and troubleshoot cloud security issues.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn about Data Privacy/Anonymization principles and algorithms: ARX, De-Identification, Re-Identification Attacks and Types of Threats, Practical Anonymization of Datasets, Synthetic Generation of Data, Practical Exercises and Case-Studies, GDPR & technological implications, relation of GDPR to Privacy, Background on Privacy Issues in Different Domains - Internet, Public Surveillance, Healthcare, etc., GDPR implementations and applications in various computing domains and connection to AI: Data Processing, Data Protection Principles, Data Breaches & Responses, GDPR Compliance and Assessment/Analysis Tools-Measures, Security Incident Response for GDPR data protection.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn the steps towards designing a secure system architecture, through secure design principles, data flow analysis and vulnerability mapping, security models towards safeguarding security, privacy, and assurance, security evaluation, and documentation. Exercises and projects will be used to reinforce concepts in real-life examples.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn step-by-step processes for incident response, based on how threat actors attack systems. Hands-on labs will show students how to detect and respond to attacks. Students will use a combination of event log and network data in these labs.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Study phases of cyber-attacks and different techniques used for hacking operating systems, servers, networks and applications. Gather information for ethical hacking and be able to use tools to perform vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. Identify countermeasures to host-based, network/web-based and malware attacks.

    Students must take two of the following courses:

    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn about risk management frameworks & standards, risk assessment processes, appropriate security controls for risk mitigation, and planning for disaster recovery, so that they can identify cybersecurity risks, asses those risks, then make risk mitigation decisions based on available resources and business requirements. Students will learn about. Students will study the broad topic of risk management, including how risk, threats & vulnerabilities impact information systems, how to assess & manage risks based on defining an acceptable level of risk for information systems.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn technologies behind web applications and servers, how applications and servers are exploited, and the defense mechanisms which can be used for server and application hardening. Hands-on labs on vulnerability detection and exploitation will be used to provide practical experience.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Students will learn about the fundamentals of administering and protecting both desktop and server systems, including access control, identify and access management, configuring and installing services, logging and auditing systems, virtualization and containerization, and how to harden OS images.
    Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
    Credit Hours: 3
    Collecting volatile and non-volatile data related to an incident that involves the use of computers and networks. In-depth disk, memory, registry, and file system forensic analysis techniques are introduced.

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