Industry Snapshot
This program is designed to help you prepare for a career as a cyber defense analyst, forensics analyst, incident responder, cyber operator, or secure software assessor.
508K
Job Openings
U.S. employers advertised nearly 508,000 job openings for cybersecurity workers between June 2019 and May 2020.
Source: Burning Glass Technologies | "CyberSeek™ Releases New Cybersecurity Job Market Data" | July 15, 2020
Additional Program Information
- Experience Recommended for Success
- Technology Requirements
- Student Organizations
Ideally, you should have recently completed an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related discipline. You are also expected to be familiar with cybersecurity and computer science concepts and be comfortable developing code in at least one programming language. Experience performing cybersecurity tasks in a work environment would also enhance your learning experience in this program.
For some of the upper-level cybersecurity and IT courses in this program, you will need equipment that meets the following specifications. Courses in graphics- or computing-intensive disciplines may require a higher processing speed, more RAM, and/or better screen resolution.
Hardware Requirements
- 64-bit processor, Intel Core i5 (7th generation or higher), or equivalent (e.g., AMD, M1)
- Processor speed: 1.5 GHz or higher (2 GHz recommended)
- Storage: At least 250 GB (SSD [preferred] or HD), with at least 30 percent free space
- RAM: At least 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
- Display/monitor: Minimum 13”
- Screen resolution: Minimum 1280 px x 1024 px
- Keyboard and mouse/trackpad
- High-speed Internet connection (Ethernet or Wi-Fi)
- 32-bit video card
Operating System
Choose one of the following:
- Windows 10 (recommended; version 1909 or higher required for any course using Adobe Creative Cloud)
- Mac OS X 10.15 or higher
- Ubuntu 18.04+ (or other Linux LTS)
Software
- Microsoft Office 2019 or later (Office 365 Education is available for free with your student email address.)
- Most recent version/update of a web browser (Firefox, Safari, or Chrome)
- Antivirus software
- Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader
Additional Recommendations
- Built-in camera (or USB port for a webcam)
- Built-in microphone and speakers (or USB ports for external audio devices)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon (Computing & Technology Disciplines)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the international honor society for the computing and IT disciplines, is designed to promote the computing and information sciences and to encourage the enhancement of knowledge in the field. Upsilon Pi Epsilon is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the computing and information science disciplines. Membership is by invitation only.
Undergraduate membership is open to students majoring in one of the computing disciplines who have completed at least 45 credit hours towards their degree, including 30 or more credits at UMGC (in graded coursework) and at least 15 credits from information technology and computer science courses. Undergraduate students need to have a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all coursework taken from the information technology and computer science courses.
Graduate student membership is open to students pursuing a master's degree in cloud computing systems, cyber operations, cybersecurity management and policy, cybersecurity technology, data analytics, or digital forensics and cyber investigation; a master's degree in information technology with a specialization in database systems technology, informatics, information assurance, software engineering, or systems engineering; or a legacy master's degree in cybersecurity. Graduate students must have completed at least 18 resident credits towards their degree at UMGC, with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher.
For more information, please email upe@umgc.edu.
Ideally, you should have recently completed an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related discipline. You are also expected to be familiar with cybersecurity and computer science concepts and be comfortable developing code in at least one programming language. Experience performing cybersecurity tasks in a work environment would also enhance your learning experience in this program.
For some of the upper-level cybersecurity and IT courses in this program, you will need equipment that meets the following specifications. Courses in graphics- or computing-intensive disciplines may require a higher processing speed, more RAM, and/or better screen resolution.
Hardware Requirements
- 64-bit processor, Intel Core i5 (7th generation or higher), or equivalent (e.g., AMD, M1)
- Processor speed: 1.5 GHz or higher (2 GHz recommended)
- Storage: At least 250 GB (SSD [preferred] or HD), with at least 30 percent free space
- RAM: At least 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
- Display/monitor: Minimum 13”
- Screen resolution: Minimum 1280 px x 1024 px
- Keyboard and mouse/trackpad
- High-speed Internet connection (Ethernet or Wi-Fi)
- 32-bit video card
Operating System
Choose one of the following:
- Windows 10 (recommended; version 1909 or higher required for any course using Adobe Creative Cloud)
- Mac OS X 10.15 or higher
- Ubuntu 18.04+ (or other Linux LTS)
Software
- Microsoft Office 2019 or later (Office 365 Education is available for free with your student email address.)
- Most recent version/update of a web browser (Firefox, Safari, or Chrome)
- Antivirus software
- Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader
Additional Recommendations
- Built-in camera (or USB port for a webcam)
- Built-in microphone and speakers (or USB ports for external audio devices)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon (Computing & Technology Disciplines)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the international honor society for the computing and IT disciplines, is designed to promote the computing and information sciences and to encourage the enhancement of knowledge in the field. Upsilon Pi Epsilon is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the computing and information science disciplines. Membership is by invitation only.
Undergraduate membership is open to students majoring in one of the computing disciplines who have completed at least 45 credit hours towards their degree, including 30 or more credits at UMGC (in graded coursework) and at least 15 credits from information technology and computer science courses. Undergraduate students need to have a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all coursework taken from the information technology and computer science courses.
Graduate student membership is open to students pursuing a master's degree in cloud computing systems, cyber operations, cybersecurity management and policy, cybersecurity technology, data analytics, or digital forensics and cyber investigation; a master's degree in information technology with a specialization in database systems technology, informatics, information assurance, software engineering, or systems engineering; or a legacy master's degree in cybersecurity. Graduate students must have completed at least 18 resident credits towards their degree at UMGC, with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher.
For more information, please email upe@umgc.edu.
FAQs
An online master's degree in cyber operations is an online graduate degree that can help you build the skills you need to perform critical cyber operations tasks. UMGC’s online master's degree in cyber operations is a 36-credit program that covers topics like global cyberwarfare, cybersecurity defense, and cyber law. Graduates may be well-prepared for careers in cyber defense analysis, forensics, or software security.
UMGC's online master's degree in cyber operations is a 36-credit program with courses offered year-round. Depending on how many credits you complete each term and the number of credits you may be able to transfer, you can expect to graduate in as little as 18 months. Plus, if you completed your undergraduate degree at UMGC with a major in cybersecurity technology, you may be able to take advantage of an accelerated pathway that could reduce your coursework for this program by up to 6 credits, saving you time and money.
UMGC is committed to keeping our tuition and fees as affordable as possible. The online master's degree in cyber operations follows the standard graduate program tuition rates, which appear at the top of this webpage. We also offer scholarships, an interest-free monthly payment plan, and no-cost digital materials in place of most textbooks to help make your education more affordable.
You don't need to have majored in a specific area to be successful in the online master's degree in cyber operations program at UMGC. Ideally, you should have recently completed an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related discipline. We also recommend you have work experience in information technology, computer networks, or cybersecurity, and previous coursework in programming. Strong writing skills are also encouraged in this program.