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Master of Science in Cybersecurity

Direct the Fight Against Cybercrime and Data Theft

Newly Rebuilt Curriculum Taught by Industry Leaders

Tailor Your Degree to Support Your Goals

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

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  • Duration 2 years
  • Cost per Credit $895
  • Credit Hours 30

Program Benefits

  • A top 15 ranked Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity (Fortune Education, 2022)
  • Three specializations to customize your degree
  • Hands-on learning opportunities
  • NSA/DHS designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD)

The Utica University Cybersecurity Difference

Learn what sets the Utica University M.S. in Cybersecurity apart in this video from the program director, Dr. Andrew Carr.

Earn $160,000+ on the Front Lines of Data Security

As data breaches dominate daily headlines, experts who know how to defend sensitive data are in high demand. Utica University’s Master of Science in Cybersecurity online program equips you with the skills and know-how to lead cybersecurity efforts in business, government agencies, or investigative units.

As a leader in economic crime programs for more than 25 years, Utica designed the online master’s in cybersecurity program to combine state-of-the-art practices in intelligence, forensics, and cyber operations.

This 30-credit program offers a carefully created curriculum that will give you the technical ability to protect sensitive systems from the criminals determined to corrupt them. You’ll learn how to combine a focus on cyber defense, cyber offense, and digital forensics and incident response with soft skills like critical thinking, ethics, and decision-making, which are vital to success in the field. The M.S. in Cybersecurity degree also features three career-focused specializations to enhance your skill set.

Specialization options include:

  • Digital Forensics
  • Cybersecurity Operations
  • Cybercrime and Fraud

Equipped with this sought-after skill set and real-world knowledge, you’ll graduate prepared to lead in the field of cybersecurity in less than two years.

Earn a Nationally Recognized Cybersecurity Degree

The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Utica University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) through the academic year 2024.

Our cybersecurity programs have also been recognized for their excellence by the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3). In addition, the M.S. in Cybersecurity was ranked a Best Online Master’s in Cybersecurity by Fortune.com in 2022. Learn more about why Utica University is your best choice for your online master’s in cybersecurity.

Prepare for In-Demand Cybersecurity Careers

The top 10% of Information Security Analysts earned more than $165,920 in 2021, with the number of job opportunities expected to grow 35% through 2031.1 CyberSeek’s industry heat map showed over 700,000 cybersecurity job openings were active from October 2021-September 2022. Meanwhile, there’s a 35% gap in the number of workers needed to fill cybersecurity jobs across the U.S.2

With your online master’s in cybersecurity, you’ll be ready to join the top tier of this workforce and earn more while making an impact on data security.

Cybersecurity is always evolving. Working IT security professionals who have theoretical and foundational knowledge from the online master’s in cybersecurity program and practical network and security skills have an advantage in the field over those without both.

Cybersecurity professionals must stay up-to-date on vulnerabilities, exploits, and incoming attacks. Job responsibilities might also include:

  • Serving as the primary point-of-contact for all management and technical areas in response to zero-day attacks.
  • Deploying internetworking technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to improve the organization’s external security posture.
  • Collaborating with the program and technical leadership team to evaluate staffing requirements for current and emerging projects.
  • Sustaining mission-critical and business-critical requirements, managing ad hoc triage and response teams internally and on coordinated inter-department or inter-agency cyber threat responses.
  • Developing and maintaining complex and risk-adjusted project schedules and complete detailed variance analyses.
Jobs and Income

Curriculum: Take the Next Step Toward Certification

The master’s in cybersecurity online program gives you advanced knowledge and hands-on experience in intelligence, critical infrastructures, and investigative principles as they relate to cybercrime.

Master the technical skills you’ll need on the job and prepare for industry certifications like Cloud+, CYSA+, and PenTest+. Because Utica is a CompTIA academic partner, you’ll also receive a discount on certain exams.

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Available Specializations

As a student, you’ll choose one of three specializations. Each is designed to provide the most up-to-date knowledge and skill sets so you can hit the ground running in the industry segment of your choice.

Debating Between Two or More Specializations?

Use our compare programs feature to see differences and similarities easily and find the right option for your career goals.

M.S. in Cybersecurity: Digital Forensics

Pursue your passion for collecting and preparing evidence for computer crimes such as fraud, ransomware and cyber espionage with courses that emphasize a comprehensive understanding of the forensic tools and techniques used to investigate and analyze network-related incidents and preserve digital evidence.

M.S. in Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity Operations

Examine defensive and offensive modes of cyber operations as you become a cybersecurity expert. You’ll graduate ready to detect, investigate, and prevent cybercrime for employers ranging from defense contractors to financial services to critical infrastructure.

M.S. in Cybersecurity: Cybercrime and Fraud

Master the technical, legal, and ethical aspects of electronic crime, white collar crime and fraud investigation with a focus on risk and compliance, legal issues, fraud management, and advanced fraud analysis techniques.

Admission Requirements

Taking the next step in your cybersecurity career with Utica University is simple. Previous cybersecurity work experience is recommended but not required. To apply, you’ll need:

Don’t have a bachelor’s degree? Consider Utica’s B.S. in Cybersecurity program.

*Individuals with an unrelated bachelor’s degree may be accepted on a case-by-case basis with 3-5 years of cybersecurity work experience.

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Tuition and Financial Aid

This 30-credit program costs $895 per credit hour. Utica University is dedicated to making an advanced education accessible and affordable and offers many avenues for financial aid.

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Faculty: Experts From the Front Lines

You’ll benefit from the years of hands-on experience each faculty member in our master’s in cybersecurity online program brings to class.

Our instructors have diverse backgrounds throughout the cybersecurity industry, and many are still engaged in the field. The faculty of this program is made up of experts in information security, digital forensics, and attack methodology.

Andrew Carr

Andrew Carr, M.S., GCIH, CTCE

Director, Cybersecurity Graduate Programs/ Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity

Andrew Carr, MS, has 15 years of experience working in the public, private, and academic sectors in digital forensics and incident response.

Andrew Carr, MS, has 15 years of experience working in the public, private, and academic sectors in digital forensics and incident response. His work has ranged from high profile homicide investigations to multi-million-dollar negotiations with emergent ransomware gangs.

Mr. Carr currently holds the role of Director, Cybersecurity Graduate programs and Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity focusing on the field of digital forensics and incident response. Andrew has taught in the field of cybersecurity for more than a decade.

Andrew spent several years in supervisory roles at leading firms within the demanding field of incident response. In these roles Andrew maintained expertise in digital forensic analysis, threat actor tactics, techniques and procedures, ransomware negotiations, application of data privacy law in relation to breach events, OFAC compliance, financial audit considerations for cyber incidents, intellectual property theft investigations, and cryptocurrency tracing.

Prior to his time in the private sector, Andrew spent approximately eight years as a senior computer forensic examiner at the Wallie Howard Jr. Center for Forensics Sciences. In that role Andrew performed forensic examinations on a multitude of digital devices while upholding strict accreditation requirements under ISO/IEC 17025 standards and routinely testified in federal and state courts. During this time, he also worked as part of the New York State Digital and Multimedia Technical Working Group to help further the science of computer forensics and assist agencies in preparing for accreditation in conducting computer forensic analysis. He ultimately trained for and became a technical assessor for the ANSI National Accreditation Board for testing laboratories operating under ISO/IEC 17025 standards in the discipline of digital forensics.

Jacob Benjamin

Jacob Benjamin, Ph.D., CISSP

Dr. Jacob Benjamin is a Director of Professional Services at the industrial cyber security company Dragos, Inc. where he leads a team of analysts in performing active defense inside of ICS/SCADA networks.

Dr. Jacob Benjamin is a Director of Professional Services at the industrial cyber security company Dragos, Inc. where he leads a team of analysts in performing active defense inside of ICS/SCADA networks. In this capacity he is responsible for a range of services including penetration testing and proactive assessments for the industrial community.

Prior to joining Dragos, Dr. Benjamin was a nuclear cybersecurity researcher at Idaho National Laboratory and a nuclear cybersecurity specialist for Duke Energy. Over the last ten years, Jacob has performed a variety of cyber-related tasks at many domestic and international critical infrastructures. He has substantial experience developing cybersecurity programs for nuclear power plants as well as performing cybersecurity risk assessments for critical digital assets, systems, and networks within industrial environments. Dr. Benjamin has provided his expertise for the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Jacob remains active in the industrial control system security community as an author on several research publications and a speaker at various industry conferences. He continues to act as a part-time lecturer and subject matter expert for industrial cybersecurity workshops affiliated with Idaho National Laboratory.

Jeff Foley, MS

Jeff Foley’s career in cybersecurity spans decades in the public and private sector in SME roles within the fields of offensive cyber warfare research, penetration testing, and attack surface management. He is currently the Vice President of Attack Surface Protection at ZeroFox and the Project Leader for Amass, an OWASP Foundation Flagship Project. Mr. Foley is regularly asked to speak at academic institutions and conferences such as DEF CON.

Jeff Foley served the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory from 2001 to 2017 as a contractor specializing in cyber warfare research and capabilities engineering. He concluded his government contracting at Northrop Grumman Corporation where he performed the roles of Subject Matter Expert for Offensive Cyber Warfare Research & Development and Director of Penetration Testing. In these roles, he developed penetration testing training curriculum for Northrop Grumman Cyber Academy and taught trainers to utilize the material across the international organization. Mr. Foley has also taught and spoken in various academic institutions on the topics of offensive security and penetration testing during his time in this profession.

During the last six years, Mr. Foley saw a lack of situational awareness in traditional information security programs and shifted his attention to this important focus area. He is the Project Leader for Amass, an OWASP Foundation Flagship Project that performs in-depth attack surface mapping and asset discovery. Mr. Foley has assisted various companies with attack surface management and has been invited to speak at conferences such as DEF CON. Currently, he is the Vice President of Attack Surface Protection at ZeroFox, the company that delivers proactive cybersecurity outside the traditional corporate perimeter. Previously, he was the Global Head of Attack Surface Management at Citi, one of the largest global banks – an institution connecting millions of people across hundreds of countries and cities.

Andrew Orechovesky

Andrew Orechovesky, D.Sc., CISSP

Dr. Andrew Orechovesky was a software developer for 29 years and has written thousands of lines of code during his career.

Dr. Andrew Orechovesky was a software developer for 29 years and has written thousands of lines of code during his career. He moved to cybersecurity late in his career, and believes the combination of software development, systems engineering, and cybersecurity help to secure applications used by his clients in the DoD. In addition to engineering secure software solutions, he is also involved in various technologies and enablers, including data meshes, microservices, DevSecOps, containers, and cloud capabilities. Andrew has supported the DoD for the last 40 years, retired from the US Navy, and worked for Mantech, Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Microlink, and Shonborn-Becker Systems. Andrew is currently a Senior Systems Engineer employed by CACI Federal supporting the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

Michael VanDusen

Michael VanDusen, Ph.D.-IT, CISSP, CISM, CCSP

Michael VanDusen has been working in the cyber field for over 20yrs.

Dr. Michael VanDusen has been working in the cyber field for over 20yrs. Michael’s experience has ranged from acting as a Information Security Manager for DOD clients and, as of recent works for EY as a Senior Manager in Cyber Security-Cloud Services (Leader). Michael loves teaching students about what he has learned in the field. As of the last 15 years Michael has been focused on the cloud domain from an architecture and engineering perspective. Michael holds many of the relevant certifications referencing the above technologies and experience.

Donnie Wendt

Donnie Wendt, D.Sc, CISSP

Donnie Wendt is a Principal Security Researcher for Mastercard, where he has worked since 2004.

Donnie Wendt is a Principal Security Researcher for Mastercard, where he has worked since 2004. In this role, Donnie researches the latest security threats, technologies, products, services, and innovations to drive the company’s long-range security roadmap. He has over 30 years of experience in information technology spanning the military, telecommunications, and financial services sectors. Donnie earned his doctorate in Computer Science from Colorado Technical University in 2020, where his research focused on security automation and adaptive cyber defense in the financial sector. He is a proud alumnus of Utica University, where he earned an MS in Cybersecurity with a concentration in intelligence in 2016.

Benefits of Being an Online Student

Whether you are advancing your career or switching it, online learning gives you a unique perspective from your instructors and fellow students. You’ll get the same high-quality education, credentials, and faculty support without slowing down your life.

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Planning Your Budget

Paying for an online education doesn’t have to be stressful. We’ve compiled helpful resources that can get you well on your way to financing your education. Learn more about available options and how you can get started.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Advancing your life and career with an online master’s in cybersecurity degree comes with lots of questions, and we want to ensure your search for answers is effortless. If you have a question we haven’t covered, call (866) 295-3106 to speak with an enrollment counselor.

The online M.S. in Cybersecurity program is designed for professionals who work full-time and is offered part-time, which allows you to achieve a realistic balance between work, school, and personal responsibilities and gives you the opportunity to fully absorb the information in your coursework. To see the curriculum, view our courses page.

Our M.S. in Cybersecurity is ranked #13 for Best Online Master’s in Cybersecurity Degrees in 2022 by Fortune Education.

Additionally, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Utica University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) through the academic year 2024.

Our cybersecurity programs have also been recognized for their excellence by the:

  • Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3)
  • EC-Council, one of the premier certifying cybersecurity bodies

Read more about the M.S. in Cybersecurity.

The first step toward applying to the M.S. in Cybersecurity is to start your online application. Then, you’ll need to gather official transcripts, a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, and a résumé. Read more about admission requirements for the M.S. in Cybersecurity.

Yes, the M.S. in Cybersecurity offers these specializations:

  • Digital Forensics
  • Cybersecurity Operations
  • Cybercrime and Fraud

You can review courses now.

No, there is no residency component for the M.S. in Cybersecurity. Learn more about the curriculum.

The M.S. in Cybersecurity prepares you for industry certifications like CompTIA A+, Security+, and CISSP—among others.

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Sources

  1. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022 September). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Information Security Analysts. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm#tab-1.
  2. CyberSeek (n.d.). Cybersecurity Supply/Demand Heat Map. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html.