Online MS in Cybersecurity Management Degree
Specialize Your Leadership Skills With a Master’s in Cybersecurity Management
Grand Canyon University’s (GCU’s) Master of Science (MS) in Cybersecurity Management teaches you how to become a cybersecurity professional. This advanced degree can prepare you to handle security risks facing corporate institutions, as well as government and military entities.
This program may be ideal for those who are interested in information security, and who seek to learn how to stop cyber threats, employ effective data protection strategies and lead others to lessen the impact of cybercrime for corporations and government entities.
Earn Your Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management at GCU
Your online MS cybersecurity courses are taught by knowledgeable GCU faculty. Through their teachings and hands-on learning practices, you are taught to analyze and evaluate risk assessment methods, compare aspects of cybersecurity at the federal, state and international levels, perform in-depth evaluations to assess a network’s security and effectively secure data.
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Course Topics in the Cybersecurity Management Masters
In this degree, you will study coursework in a multitude of areas related to cybersecurity. Coursework surrounding these topics aims to prepare you to take on challenges, solve complex problems and be ready to face critical security breaches in your cybersecurity career. Course topics this program covers includes:
- Information security
- Risk management
- Consumer theft
- Enterprise infrastructure design
- Policy management
- Information technology
- Data management
- Management and leadership in IT
- Cyber warfare
- Development and management of information security practices
- Incident management and recovery
- Compliance
- Governance
This program culminates with a cybersecurity capstone course. This course can provide you with an opportunity to gain integrative, practical cybersecurity leadership experience. You can work to acquire a holistic view of information assurance and cybersecurity by performing leadership duties in the industry, applying all that you’ve learned in the program to real-life scenarios.
Career Opportunities With an MS in Cybersecurity Management
As a graduate of this master’s degree, you will have been taught how to defend institutions against large-scale cyberattacks and ensure data security. Additionally, your coursework teaches you how to be prepared to handle large-scale security risks or breaches when they occur.
After graduation, you may move on to pursue important roles in a corporate, government or military setting in the cybersecurity industry, such as the following:
- Computer and information systems manager
- Information security analyst
- Network and computer systems administrator
- Computer network support specialist
Graduate With an MS in Cybersecurity Management From an Accredited University
At GCU, you have the opportunity to complete your cybersecurity management courses from an institutionally accredited university. GCU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1968, demonstrating our commitment to providing our students with a quality education and a well-rounded academic experience. To learn more, visit our accreditation page.
Online MS in Cybersecurity Management Degree FAQs
If you look forward to helping lead others prevent and lessen the impact of cyber threats, read through our frequently asked questions to learn about earning your graduate cybersecurity management degree.
The field of cybersecurity is becoming increasingly relevant as the years go by. Earning your cybersecurity management degree can put you in a position to help various businesses and people alike protect themselves against the theft of information and other cybercrimes.
Additionally, salary expectations for cybersecurity professionals may be notable as well. In May 2022, computer and information systems managers had a median annual wage of $164,070, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.1
Although both programs will cover important concepts in cybersecurity, the MS in Cybersecurity Management program’s focus is solely on cybersecurity. This program dives deep into all the compliance and governance, theories, policies, frameworks and strategies that go into keeping information secure and preventing cyberattacks. You may also learn how to lead others to inspire positive change in an organization.
Meanwhile, an MBA with an Emphasis in Cybersecurity program can provide you with a business-focused background. You will take courses in various areas of business, such as accounting, finance, economics and accounting, while also being taught material related to cybersecurity through two introductory courses.
The online master’s in cybersecurity management program consists of 34 total credits to completion. When taking your courses online, the majority of the courses are eight weeks in length.
To qualify for the master’s in cybersecurity management program, you must first have an undergraduate degree. We recommend reviewing our graduate admissions requirements to view any additional requirements for your program.
To learn more about gaining admission into the cybersecurity management program and to get in contact with a university counselor, fill out the form on this page.
1 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Computer and Information Systems Managers, as of May 2022, retrieved on May 5, 2023. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2021 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as computer and information systems managers, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the College of Business. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
With a brief introduction to cybercrime and cybersecurity, this course will provide students with an overview of the various attacks and the countermeasures organizations can use to defend themselves. Exploring concepts such as defense-in-depth, layered security, vulnerability assessments, risk management, governance and compliance, and encryption; students will become familiar with prevention and protection theories, best practices, and strategies to securing corporate data (intellectual property). This course will conclude with an exploration of the various hacker psychologies and the differences between black-hat, grey-hat, and white-hat (Hackers with Halos) hackers. Prerequisite: UNV-504 or UNV-507 or enrollment in certificate program.
Course Description
This course introduces enterprise infrastructure design; including hardware, software, policies, and business processes. Emphasis is placed on integrating security solutions and theories in alignment with business objectives to achieve sustainability, reliability, and availability while deterring threats from cyber-attacks. This course also introduces students to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, providing a foundation to formulating a strategy for cybersecurity program design. Prerequisite: CYB-505.
Course Description
This course introduces a policy perspective on security design. Students will consider cybersecurity frameworks, policies, cyber law, regulations, and standards in the configuration, development, and design of an enterprise policy infrastructure. In addition, students will examine the impact of policy implementation on enterprise systems and personnel management. Prerequisite: CYB-515.
Course Description
This course introduces key issues in managing information technology and data within contemporary organizations. Students examine the role of leveraging IT and data analytics to drive innovation and add value to organizations through addressing business and market needs. Challenges regarding technology adoption and best practices for utilizing data for organizational decision making are also addressed.
Course Description
This course introduces leadership and team management skills relevant to leading information technology teams and departments. Students examine various structures of IT organizations and consider strategies and tactics for leading virtual and co-located technology teams, encouraging high employee performance, and managing conflict within dynamic business environments. Ethical issues in leadership and management are also considered.
Course Description
This course explores the human and enterprise aspects of cybersecurity management. From information security awareness to strategic planning; students will begin with the examination of the ideologies behind cybercrime, where attacks come from and why, followed by implementation techniques to best align cybersecurity applications with business objectives. This course provides a look at the strategies security professionals use to identify the attack vectors and plan accordingly to secure information systems using various industry compliances, regulations, and standards to design and implement cost effective controls, policies, and training to implement defense-in-depth techniques. This course ends with an impact analysis of when security measures fail, which includes legal elements and liability and ethical issues relating to forensic investigations. Prerequisite: CYB-535.
Course Description
This course examines core issues related to information security within the framework of effective IT governance. Students evaluate security mechanisms, operational issues, and policies and plans related to cybersecurity within organizations. There is also emphasis on threat analysis, assessing system vulnerabilities, forensics, and recovery. Prerequisite: MIS-602. Prerequisite: MIS-602.
Course Description
This course is an integrative, practical, cybersecurity leadership experience. It provides a holistic view of information assurance and cybersecurity through the practical application of leadership duties in the information security industry.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.