University of San Diego · Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering

Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOn campusOnline

Overview

A 30-36 unit Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering from the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, taken 100% online or on campus (part-time evenings or a 36-unit full-time option), one seven-week class at a time.

Official program name: Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering
Awarded degree: Master of Science · major: Cyber Security Engineering
Source: sandiego.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: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
School: University of San Diego — Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Location: San Diego, CAFor 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: Security Engineering — core of the degree (“Cyber Security Engineering”)
Orientation: Technical
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Required credits: 30-36 units (36 units full-time)
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: 20-24 months (part-time); full-time on campus in 4 semesters (part-time, online or on campus)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: Spring, Summer, Fall
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated MS in Cyber Security Engineering offered 100% online or on campus.

Degree title names cyber security engineering; focuses on the engineering aspects of software and hardware security and on architecting secure network solutions.

Source: sandiego.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 · Online
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online delivery: Fully onlineAll coursework is online and the institution states no required campus attendance for the online option.
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Campus visits (online option): Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option): Not verified
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Full-time, Part-time
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Attendance requirements as published

Other attendance requirement Required
Campus part-time format meets in evening classes on campus
San Diego, CA
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Accelerated options

Combined option for USD undergraduate computer science majors to apply units to both degrees
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Academic calendar

One 7-week class at a time; classes year-round in spring, summer and fall
Source: sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Other

Full-time on-campus option (36 units, 4 semesters) required for visa-seeking international students
Source: sandiego.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”.

Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Bachelor's GPA of 3.0 or higher
Source: onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredStatement of purpose (minimum 500 words)
Source: onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required2 letters — Employer letter of support or two letters of reference
Source: onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredResume showing information technology experience
Source: onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: OptionalGRE, GMAT, MAT or LSAT may be submitted to strengthen an application if the GPA is below 3.0 or on admissions committee recommendation.
Source: onlinedegrees.sandiego.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.

Priority deadline
November 2 (international applicants October 1) · for Spring (term starting January 5)
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: onlinedegrees.sandiego.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.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Online cost per unit	$1,290	per creditCalculated tuition$38,700 = 30 credits × $1,290 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: onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu · verified October 11, 2026
On-campus (part-time and full-time) cost per unit	$2,000	per creditCalculated tuition$60,000 = 30 credits × $2,000 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: onlinedegrees.sandiego.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

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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

WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) — 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) · 2022 - 2027Validated program(s) of study: Master of Science Cyber Security Operations & Leadership (POS-CD); Master of Science in CyberSecurity Engineering (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 California.

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.

NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/masters-cyber-security-engineering/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/masters-cyber-security-engineering/apply/ — Official admissions page, verified October 11, 2026
DAPIP — WSCUC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
sandiego.edu/engineering/centers/ccset/degree-programs.php — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
sandiego.edu/engineering/graduate/ms-cyber-security-engineering.php — 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.

George Mason University

Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Campus · Fully online

Fairfax, VASchool location, not a residency requirement

Fully online as published (no separate campus-visit statement)

Duration not verified · 30 credits

Tuition not verified

No upcoming verified deadline

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

Security Engineering · AI & Security

View program

Illinois Institute of Technology

Master of Cyber Security Engineering

Master'sMASDedicated degree

Campus

Chicago, IL

Campus-based study

Duration not verified · 30 credits

$1,925 per credit · All students — Mies (Main) Campus graduate students, per credit hour, Fall 2026 · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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

Network Security · Security Engineering

View program

University of the Cumberlands

Master of Science in Cyber Engineering

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science

Online · Hybrid

Williamsburg, KYSchool location, not a residency requirement

Online attendance requirements not verified

Duration not verified · 31 credits

$355 per credit · All students — Online

No upcoming verified deadline

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

Security Engineering

View program

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