Skip to content
CybersecurityDegrees
Virginia Commonwealth University campus — Linden Street, which is closed to vehicle traffic. It's now a broad sidewalk leading into the VCU Commons Plaza.
Linden Street, which is closed to vehicle traffic. It's now a broad sidewalk leading into the VCU Commons Plaza.. Campus photograph. · Photo: Will Weaver from Glen Allen, VA, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Virginia Commonwealth University logo

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VAPublic SACSCOC

NSA CAE-CD · 2019 - 2029NSA CAE-R · 2020 - 2030

Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond offers a Master of Science in Computer and Information Systems Security jointly through the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Information Systems, a cybersecurity concentration in the BS in Computer Science, an information risk, security and assurance concentration in the MS in Information Systems, and a digital forensics and incident response concentration in the MS in Forensic Science.

Verified cybersecurity degrees

4 programs verified so far (1 bachelor's, 3 master's). The school may offer more cybersecurity programs than we have verified; certificates and associate degrees are not listed.

Virginia Commonwealth University logo

Virginia Commonwealth University

BS in Computer Science — Cybersecurity Concentration

Bachelor'sBSConcentrationBachelor of Science
Format: Campus
Location: Richmond, VA
Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: Duration not verified · 120 credits
Tuition: Tuition not verified
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation and designation: School designated CAE-CD, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation
Specializations: Network Security
View program
Virginia Commonwealth University logo

Virginia Commonwealth University

Computer and Information Systems Security, Master of Science (M.S.)

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science
Format: Campus · Full-time, Part-time
Location: Richmond, VA
Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: as little as one year by full-time students (full-time) · 30 credits
Tuition: $23,000 entire program · In-state — Estimated cost, resident
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation and designation: School designated CAE-CD, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation
Specializations: Network Security · Cryptography
View program
Virginia Commonwealth University logo

Virginia Commonwealth University

MS in Forensic Science — Digital forensics and incident response Concentration

Master'sMSConcentrationMaster of Science
Format: Campus · Full-time
Location: Richmond, VA
Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: full-time, two-year program (full-time) · 42 credits
Tuition: Tuition not verified
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation and designation: School designated CAE-CD, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation
Specializations: Digital Forensics · Incident Response
View program
Virginia Commonwealth University logo

Virginia Commonwealth University

MS in Information Systems — Information risk, security and assurance Concentration

Master'sMSConcentrationMaster of Science
Format: Campus · Online · Hybrid · Synchronous (live sessions) · Full-time, Part-time
Location: Richmond, VASchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Online attendance requirements not verified
Duration: typically 1 year/3 semesters full-time; 2 years/6 semesters part-time (full-time) · 30 credits
Tuition: Tuition not verified
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation and designation: School designated CAE-CD, CAE-RNSA CAE designation of the institution, not accreditation
Specializations: Information Assurance
View program

Accreditation

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

    Institutional accreditation — accredited · since January 1, 1953 · next review 06/01/2030

    Recognized by: U.S. Department of Education

    Source: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

ABET program accreditation

None of this school's listed cybersecurity programs appears in ABET's accredited-program database. ABET accreditation is optional and program-specific; its absence does not make a program ineligible here.

Institutional accreditation covers the institution. It does not mean every program is ABET-accredited — ABET accredits individual programs, and we show it only for the program ABET lists.

NSA Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE)

CAE designations are awarded by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program (NSA, with CISA and partners) to an institution and its validated program of study. A designation is not accreditation and does not apply automatically to every degree.

  • CAE in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD)

    Designation period: 2019 - 2029 · Designation for institutions whose validated program of study meets the NCAE-C cyber defense criteria.

    Validated program(s) of study listed in the directory: B.S. in Computer Science with a Concentration in Cybersecurity (POS-CD)

    Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

  • CAE in Cyber Research (CAE-R)

    Designation period: 2020 - 2030 · Designation for institutions with a cybersecurity research program meeting the NCAE-C research criteria (typically doctoral-granting).

    Validated program(s) of study listed in the directory: B.S. in Computer Science with a Concentration in Cybersecurity (POS-CD)

    Source: maps.caecommunity.org · verified October 11, 2026

The school states: “NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and in Cyber Research” Source: egr.vcu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Online student services

Services the university publishes for online students. Availability can depend on program and enrollment status.

Online student services: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Offerings we reviewed but do not list

This directory lists cybersecurity bachelor's, master's and PhD programs. These offerings were checked against official pages and fall outside that scope (certificates, associate degrees, electives-only degrees…).
  • Cybersecurity, Certificate in (Post-baccalaureate certificate)Post-baccalaureate certificate, not a degree.Source: egr.vcu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
  • Cybersecurity, minor inMinor, not a degree.Source: egr.vcu.edu · verified October 11, 2026
  • Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, B.A. and M.A.Homeland security and emergency preparedness degrees without a substantial cybersecurity curriculum.Source: bulletin.vcu.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Institution

Official name
Virginia Commonwealth University
Control
Public
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026
Main location
910 W Franklin St, Richmond, VA 23284-2512
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026
Students enrolled exclusively in distance education
2,635 of 28,238 students (Fall 2023)
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Sources

Last verified October 11, 2026. Program facts and their sources are on each program page.
  1. bulletin.vcu.edu/azindex/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
  2. bulletin.vcu.edu/graduate/college-humanities-sciences/forensic-science/forensic-science-ms-concentra — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
  3. bulletin.vcu.edu/graduate/school-engineering/computer-science/computer-information-systems-security- — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
  4. business.vcu.edu/academics/information-systems/ms-in-information-systems/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  5. egr.vcu.edu/future-students/first-year/undergraduate-degrees/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  6. egr.vcu.edu/future-students/first-year/undergraduate-degrees/cybersecurity-bachelors/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  7. egr.vcu.edu/future-students/graduate/graduate-degrees/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  8. NCAE-C institution directory (National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity) — Source, verified October 11, 2026
  9. IPEDS 2024–25 Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), via College Navigator — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  10. IPEDS Fall 2023 enrollment by distance-education status (EF2023A_DIST) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  11. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026

Request a correction · Claim this profile