jmcomicÂþ»­

With , colleges have been steadily creating online cybersecurity degree programs to train more professionals in the field. These degrees seek to teach useful skills in threat detection, countermeasures, and policy planning. Whether you're a prospective undergraduate or graduate student, you can apply for an online cybersecurity program that features either a general curriculum or an optional concentration. Graduates of these degrees have embarked on for government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit entities.

Cybersecurity bachelor's degrees aim to teach the reasons for and best methods of securing computers and networks. In a typical program, students learn cybersecurity concepts, such as networks, data structures, cryptography, penetration testing, and cybercrime trends. With a bachelor's diploma, graduates may be eligible for a number of information technology jobs in the business, government, or nonprofit sectors.

Online cybersecurity degrees usually have fully asynchronous courses that don't meet at set times. Some classes might have occasional live discussions over video conferencing apps, but students can mostly work at convenient times as long as they respect assignment and exam due dates. 

Some degree programs offer internship or externship opportunities, though these are typically optional rather than required in cybersecurity programs. They can be a great chance to get practical experience on your resume. Note that internships almost always take place in person, even for online students. 

Interested in finding low-tuition cybersecurity degrees? Explore our rankings of the most affordable online bachelor's in cybersecurity and most affordable online master's degrees in cybersecurity.

Most entry-level bachelor’s programs do not require prior cybersecurity experience, making them accessible to true beginners. That said, students should still have basic computer literacy and comfort with operating systems, networks, or scripting concepts. 

Bachelor's degrees commonly feature 120 credit hours, with about half of all coursework in the major and the other half in general education requirements. Administrators typically market their bachelor's degrees as four-year programs, but most students most often take more than four years to finish for a variety of reasons.

College application timelines typically begin several months before classes start, which is usually but not always in the fall. Therefore, most prospective students apply to college sometime between November and February.

The application process is typically similar across schools. You'll usually need to submit the following with each online application you complete:

• Official high school or GED transcripts (minimum GPA requirements of 2.0-2.5 are common)
• A letter of recommendation from a teacher
• A personal essay on your future goals
• Official ACT or SAT scores (some schools have dropped this requirement)

Additionally, you often need to pay a $30-90 college application fee to each school, which is nonrefundable.

A Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity seeks to train thoughtful, ethical security professionals on how to learn new technology in a fast-changing threat environment. Most programs feature a general curriculum, but some schools include optional or required concentrations to help students tailor their studies. 

Network and information security professionals often find themselves scrambling to stay ahead of hackers who mean their employers harm. For this reason, a cybersecurity curriculum aims to teach critical thinking skills so that alumni can not only counter known threats but also predict the forms that future cyberattacks might take.

We've listed a few common courses below that you might encounter during your cybersecurity bachelor's degree:

• Foundations of Cybersecurity: This class introduces the basic terms and purposes of cybersecurity. Faculty typically discuss different kinds of threats and potential responses, along with enterprise security and the most common vulnerabilities.
• Network Security: Hackers often attack the vulnerable connections between computer systems, making this course a requirement in most cybersecurity bachelor's programs. Students often learn about intrusion detection and prevention, flow controls, physical versus cloud networks, and layered abstraction.
• Risk Management: Professors in this course explore the relationship between security and employer goals that might necessitate risk. Topics generally include vulnerability assessment, data collection and analysis, compliance requirements, and risk management strategy.
• Security Auditing and Assessment: This course introduces methods for testing an organization's cyber defenses, including red and blue teams and penetration testing. Many classes include a final project requiring students to organize a strategic testing regimen for a fictional enterprise. 

The best cybersecurity programs offer a mix of the technical basics alongside more strategic coursework that reflects how security work actually happens in practice. The strongest programs will also include classes in ethics, policy, and compliance to prepare students for regulatory and organizational decision-making, along with hands-on, at-home labs or projects that simulate real-world attacks and defenses. 

Schools may offer cybersecurity education in a couple of different forms. The first form is a degree in computer science, an information technology degree, or business degree — each with a concentration in cybersecurity. Another form is a cybersecurity degree with a particular specialization in a related niche, such as those listed below: 

• Computer Forensics: The courses part of this degree focus on gathering digital evidence of computer crimes. Topics usually include data recovery, the chain of evidence, and criminal trial procedures. Employers also use forensic specialists to aid in disaster recovery.
• Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance: Governance, risk management, and compliance is about designing and managing a strategic security program for an employer. As a student, you typically learn how to audit your IT staff, comply with regulatory requirements, and present risk analyses to executives.
• Network Security: Network security classes are about defending vulnerable connections between machines, including wired, Wi-Fi, and distributed networks. Professors discuss network architecture, virtual private networks, firewalls, and intrusion detection and prevention.

Concentrations can sometimes make a bachelor's program the best fit because they allow students to align their coursework with specific and personal career goals. By choosing an industry niche, cybersecurity students can begin to build targeted expertise without committing to a narrow degree path too early.

The rakes in many billions of dollars each year, so specialists in this field have plenty of options once they earn a degree. Some graduates choose to pursue advanced degrees, while most enter the job market right away. We examine both paths in this section.

A cybersecurity degree is most closely aligned with job titles such as information security analyst, network security administrator, or data security officer. But these programs teach technical skills that translate well to a variety of computer and information technology roles, most of which deal with security issues on a daily basis. These occupations include network architect, database administrator, and computer systems analyst in industries ranging from tech consulting to government.

• Further Education: Most entry-level cybersecurity jobs call for a bachelor's degree or even less education supplemented with certifications. Therefore, it's fairly uncommon for cybersecurity graduates to immediately enter graduate school. But an advanced degree might open up further opportunities, so it's worth understanding the possible benefits.
• Master's Degree in Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity master's degrees online or in-person tend to highlight leadership skills and require a concentration in specific subject matter, such as network infrastructure or compliance management. They may take two years with a full-time schedule. Administrators often design these degrees for working professionals, so part-time and fully online master's in cybersecurity programs are relatively common. 
• Doctorate in Cybersecurity: Doctoral degrees are only for students who want to be researchers and professors. The curriculum is heavy on research skills and projects, and most doctoral students do some teaching and teacher assisting.

There's no single answer that's true for everybody. However, an education in cybersecurity may help you join a well-compensated cohort of professionals whose services are in high demand. If this prospect sounds intriguing, consider our list of pros and cons as you plan your education.

Potential Benefits of a Cybersecurity Degree Online 

• The cybersecurity job field is growing very rapidly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), can look forward to 29% growth in new jobs in the next decade. This is by far the fastest-growing computer or IT career the BLS tracks.
• These roles tend to pay well. pull median annual salaries of $124,910, which is well over the $49,500. median pay for all U.S. jobs combined. Even the lowest 10% of earners in this field still made around $69,660, while the highest 10% of earners brought home more than $186,420.
• Occupations with similar skill sets also feature high wages. For example, make a median wage of $130,390 per year, while earn $104,620. 

Potential Drawbacks of a Cybersecurity Degree Online 

• Studying online may limit your ability to network, which can potentially affect your career opportunities. Without live meetings, you have fewer chances to interact either formally or informally with classmates and faculty. You may also find that you prefer the chance to have your questions answered in real time.
• This field, in particular, changes faster than most degree curricula. Specific tools, threats, and platforms can become outdated quickly, so graduates often need continuous self-learning, certifications, and hands-on practice to stay competitive.
• The work can become high-pressure at times, involving incident response, on-call rotations, and high stakes when breaches occur. This isn’t the best fit for everyone. 

Cybersecurity degrees require students to master many challenging technical concepts, including software and coding tools that may be new. But most students tend to perform better in academic subjects that interest them, so you might find a bachelor's program relatively easy work if you love what you're studying.

You may be able to secure some positions with a combination of a high school diploma or academic certificate and industry certifications. Employers may ask to see a portfolio of work, which you can also develop on your own outside of college. Keep in mind that a bachelor's degree in the field may be an absolute requirement for some roles. 

Colleges across the U.S. offer cybersecurity programs via distance learning, and most online programs feature asynchronous courses, which means they don't have live class meetings. Instead, you log in to a learning management system at your convenience to complete coursework and watch recorded lectures. This learning mode may be well suited to cybersecurity because it's a technical discipline with more emphasis on computer-based practice than group discussion. 

Some cybersecurity degree programs feature hybrid programs, which are a mix of asynchronous and live elements such as presentations over video conferencing. In addition, you typically need to complete any internship requirements in person at an approved location near your home. . 

There's no single set of criteria to guarantee a perfect decision about college. But asking the following questions may help you decide whether individual programs meet your expectations.

Is this college and program accredited? Institutional accreditation refers to colleges that meet an independent agency's quality standards for faculty, curriculum, and services. Accredited online schools undergo regular reviews, so check the most recent accreditation status using the .

A few individual cybersecurity programs have earned Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation. But this is relatively uncommon: ABET is a major force in engineering education but has only accredited cybersecurity programs since 2018. Graduating from a program without ABET accreditation is unlikely to affect your employment prospects. 

Do I want to study online? Online learning is often great for people balancing school with work and other responsibilities because it lets them study at convenient times. But it can be more isolating than traditional, campus-based education, and it might be tough to forge the kinds of relationships that can pay off later in your career. 

Should I do a bootcamp instead? Tech bootcamps offer condensed training in a focused topic, and there are many online and in-person options for cybersecurity around the country. These might be good ways to gain the knowledge and skills you need to pass the cybersecurity certification tests that are so important in this field.

However, there are potential downsides to bootcamps. Because of their intense pace, it's basically impossible to maintain a full-time job while attending one. In addition, they don't provide the rounded education you get with a bachelor's degree, which includes general education in the liberal arts.

Learn about similar degree programs to cybersecurity, including computer science degrees, information technology degrees, and computer engineering degrees.