Master of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOn campus

Overview

A 30-credit resident M.S. at University Park that takes one to two years, with a thesis or scholarly paper. Applicants are expected to have completed two introductory programming courses in the same language.

Official program name: Master of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations
Awarded degree: Master of Science · major: Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations
Source: bulletins.psu.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: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: Penn State University
Location: University Park, PA
Specializations: None mapped from official curriculum evidence
Required credits: 30 credits
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: one to two years
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated resident M.S. at University Park.

Degree title names cybersecurity; required courses in software security, network management and security, information security and assurance, cybersecurity analytics and web application security.

Source: bulletins.psu.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: On campus
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

Curriculum

Required courses include IST 543 Foundations of Software Security, IST 554 Network Management and Security and IST 815 Foundations of Information Security and Assurance.
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Thesis and non-thesis options

Thesis or scholarly paper
Source: ist.psu.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

Programming prerequisite: RequiredTwo introductory-level programming courses in the same language
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Minimum GPA: RecommendedMinimum 3.5 — Expected overall GPA of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of reference
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredCurrent resume
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Writing sample: RequiredSample of the applicant's writing
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

TOEFL iBT: RequiredInternational applicants; IELTS accepted but TOEFL iBT preferred; exceptions per the Graduate School.
Source: ist.psu.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
March 1 (final deadline; applications reviewed on a rolling basis from June 15) · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: ist.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed

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.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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

CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) at Penn State Service scholarship
Tuition and fees; annual stipend (undergraduate: $27,000, graduate: $37,000); professional development allowance up to $6,000 per year
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents studying cybersecurity (broadly defined) in bachelor's, master's or Ph.D. programs at Penn State
Obligation: Work in a qualified cybersecurity position for federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies (or qualified national laboratories / state universities) for a period matching the supported time; summer government internships while enrolled
Source: sfs.ist.psu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) at Penn State - stipend Service scholarship
Annual stipend (undergraduate: $27,000, and graduate: $37,000)
Obligation: The work requirement time period matches the supported time period.
Source: sfs.ist.psu.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

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — 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) · 2003 - 2028Validated program(s) of study: Security and Risk Analysis, B.S., with Information and Cyber Security Option (ICS) (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

Sources and verification

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

bulletins.psu.edu/graduate/programs/majors/cybersecurity-analytics-operations/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
ist.psu.edu/admissions/master-of-science — Official admissions page, verified October 11, 2026
ist.psu.edu/degree-programs/graduate/m-s-cybersecurity-analytics-and-operations — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
sfs.ist.psu.edu/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile

Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

American National University

Master of Science in Cybersecurity

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Online · Mixed (live + self-paced)

Salem, VASchool location, not a residency requirement

Internship required

Duration not verified · 56 credits

$411 per credit · All students — Cybersecurity Master of Science, cost per credit hour

No upcoming verified deadline

No ABET or CAE record found

No specialization mapped

View program

American Public University System

Master of Science in Cybersecurity Studies

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Online · Asynchronous

Charles Town, WVSchool location, not a residency requirement

Online attendance requirements not verified

Duration not verified · 36 credits

$470 per credit · All students — Master's-level standard rate

Rolling admission (as published)

School designated CAE-CDNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation

Incident Response · Information Assurance

View program

Carnegie Mellon University

M.S. in Information Security (MSIS)

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Campus · Full-time, Part-time

Pittsburgh, PA

Campus-based study

Part-time: can be completed in just 2 years or up to 6 years (part-time option) · 123 credits

$30,755 per semester · All students — INI tuition, 2026-27 · 2026-2027

December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027

School designated CAE-CD, CAE-CO, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation

Cyber Defense · Cyber Operations · Digital Forensics · Incident Response

View program

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