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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 the University'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.

Apply IT certificates to your online cybersecurity degree

IT certificates help you pursue an IT career specialized to your goals. Many IT certificates align with skillsets employers want. Many certificates can be applied toward cybersecurity degree requirements, saving you time and money, and adding no extra time to completing your degree.

Select an IT certificate for specific skills you want to develop as you earn your Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Network Forensics prepares you with skills to plan, implement and monitor network security measures. Coursework in this program is aligned to the EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA) certification exam. So you’ll graduate ready to pursue an industry certification on top of your certificate.

Cybersecurity Digital Forensics prepares you with skills in the computer forensics investigative process and proficiency in handling and responding to various security incidents. The certificate is aligned with the EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (ECIH) and Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) certification exams.

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. University of Phoenix is a proud EC-Council partner and Circle of Excellence award-winner.

EC-Council | Academia Partner Logo
Academia Circle of Excellence EC-Council 2022

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

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

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.

Affordable, fixed tuition

Lock in the peace of mind that comes with fixed, affordable tuition. You’ll enjoy one flat rate from the moment you enroll until the day you graduate with a cybersecurity degree. That’s your Tuition Guarantee.

Tuition Guarantee Emblem

University of Phoenix cybersecurity degree vs other universities

Phoenix ASU Online (BAB) Capella DeVry GCU Purdue Global SNHU Strayer
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
$398
Cost per credit
$563
Cost per credit
$365/415[1]
Cost per credit
$514
Cost per credit
$485
Cost per credit
$371
Cost per credit
$330
Cost per credit
$328.89
Credits per course
Credits per course
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3-6
Credits per course
2-4
Credits per course
4
Credits per course
5-6
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
4.5
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
$1,194
Tuition per course
$1,698
Tuition per course
$1,095-
$2,490
Tuition per course
$1,028-
$2,056
Tuition per course
$1,940
Tuition per course
$1,855-
$2,226
Tuition per course
$990
Tuition per course
$1,480
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
124
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
5
Length of course in weeks
7.5
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
7-8
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
11
Fees
Fees
Fees
One fee per course
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
YES
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO

Data pulled on December 26, 2023

[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 or course catalog for additional info.

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 degree with University of Phoenix.

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 degree with University of Phoenix.

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
  • Systems Analyst
  • Information Systems Supervisor

32% growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for IT security analysts is projected to be much faster than average between 2022 and 2032.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2022-2032 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 University of Phoenix 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. 

Phoenix provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

IT professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 28 years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Kathryn Uhles

I’m dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to meet their career goals.

Kathryn Uhles
Dean, College of Business and IT, University of Phoenix

I’m dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to meet their career goals.

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

Count on the quality of your education

University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.

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Frequently asked 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 University of Phoenix, 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.

University of Phoenix offers career-relevant education, provides career 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 offer exceptional 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 our tuition savings and 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.