Master of Science in Cybersecurity Studies

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

A 36-semester-hour online Master of Science combining network security, information assurance, cybercrime and digital forensics with cyber policy in national security, intelligence and criminal justice, ending with a paper or hands-on capstone.

Official program name: Master of Science in Cybersecurity Studies
Awarded degree: Master of Science · major: Cybersecurity Studies
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Master's
Cybersecurity focus: Dedicated cybersecurity degreeThe degree itself is in cybersecurity or a closely related security field (information security, information assurance, cyber operations, digital forensics…).
Source: catalog.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: American Public University System
Location: Charles Town, WVFor the online option this is where the school is located — not a residency requirement, and not a guarantee that you may enroll from your state.
Specializations: Incident Response — core of the degree (“Intrusion Detection and Incident Handling (ISSC642) required”)Information Assurance — core of the degree (“Information Assurance (ISSC660) required”)
Required credits: 36 semester hours
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: Not verified

Why this program is listed

Dedicated online master's degree in cybersecurity studies.

Degree titled Cybersecurity Studies; 33 core hours include offensive cybersecurity, computer forensics, intrusion detection and incident handling, and information assurance.

Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We list cybersecurity bachelor's, master's and research doctorates at institutionally accredited US schools — dedicated degrees and formal concentrations, never certificates or electives-only degrees. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.

Formats offered: Online
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online delivery: Online delivery type not verified
Campus visits (online option): Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option): Asynchronous
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

The program page does not say whether the online option requires campus visits. Ask the school before you apply — missing information is not “no requirement”.

Curriculum

33 core hours plus a 3-hour capstone
Source: catalog.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Capstone

Capstone as a formal academic paper or a hands-on project (ISSC698 or ISSC699)
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Academic calendar

Courses begin the first Monday of each month; rolling admissions
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Other

Transfer up to 15 credits
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Spanish-language learners may complete the program through select courses
Source: catalog.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Technical preparation

Prerequisite courses: RequiredOne of three options: an IT-related degree, certificate, minor or 9 credits (A); an IT or cybersecurity certification such as Security+, CISSP or CEH (B); or related education/certification with relevant work experience (C)
Source: catalog.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Prior degree: RequiredBachelor's degree from an institution whose accreditation is recognized by CHEA
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: OptionalTwo years of work experience under Option C verified by resume or CV
Source: catalog.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Application fee: Not required$0 admission fee
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: Not required
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
GMAT: Not required
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
Rolling admission · for Monthly starts
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Rolling

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Master's-level standard rateFrom the school-wide rate table for this level	$470	per creditCalculated tuition$16,920 = 36 credits × $470 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Preferred Military RateFrom the school-wide rate table for this level	$250	per creditCalculated tuition$9,000 = 36 credits × $250 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Other published fees

Graduation fee (bachelor's and master's): $350 entire program
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Technology fee per master's-level course: $85 per course
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Scholarships & funding guide

Opportunity Grant Tuition discount
10% off undergraduate or master's-level tuition
Eligibility: Prospective and current APU students
Source: apu.apus.edu · verified October 11, 2026

School-wide awards are listed because they apply at this degree level; eligibility conditions apply.

Accreditation, ABET and CAE

Three different things: the school's institutional accreditation, ABET accreditation of this exact program, and the school's NSA CAE designation.

Institutional accreditation

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

ABET program accreditation

This program does not appear in ABET's accredited-program database. ABET accreditation is program-specific and optional; the school's other programs or its institutional accreditation do not imply it.

NSA CAE designation (school)

CAE in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) · 2018 - 2028Validated program(s) of study: B.S. in Cybersecurity, General Concentration (POS-CD)Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

A CAE designation belongs to the institution and its validated program of study; it is not accreditation and does not certify every degree. Accreditation & CAE explained

State authorization (online students)

Not verified — check the school's state authorization page before applying from outside West Virginia.

International applicants

Not verified for the online option.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 11, 2026.

catalog.apus.edu/apu/academic-programs/masters/master-of-science-in-cybersecurity-studies/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
apu.apus.edu/admissions/graduate-requirements/ — Official admissions page, verified October 11, 2026
apu.apus.edu/online-masters-programs/master-of-science-in-cybersecurity-studies/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
apu.apus.edu/tuition-and-financing/tuition-and-fees/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 11, 2026

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Cybersecurity Degrees is independent and not affiliated with American Public University System. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.