Top 10 Universities in USA for MS in Cyber Security

MS in Cyber Security in USA Highlights

Total US universities offering MS in Cybersecurity	143
Duration	1 - 1.5 years
Modes of Offering	On-campus and online
Admission Requirements	Bachelor’s + GRE / GMAT + ELP scores
Median Annual Pay (2021)	USD 102,600
Scholarships	Available for international students
Top Jobs	Cybersecurity Analysts & Information Security Analysts
Average Increase in Job Opening Annually	16%
Average Salary	USD 97,652
Job Vacancies to Open by 2025	Around 91,077

Why Study MS in Cyber Security from USA?

With evolving technology and increasing use as well, it has become mandatory to have specialised persons who can help people protect from scams, fall prey to hackers and lose all personal information. The top reasons to study MS in Cybersecurity in USA are as follows:

• As per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average job positions for information security analysts will increase at a rate of 33% over the next eight years.
• It is forecasted that there will be around 3.5 million job openings in the cybersecurity field by the year 2025 across the globe. 
• MS in Cybersecurity in the USA is offered across universities where the program is online and offers additional pathway options too.
• On average, around 19,500 jobs would be open for MS in Cybersecurity grads in USA annually.
• The admissions are tough at US universities for STEM courses like MS in Cybersecurity but the ROI and future prospects are quite strong.

Thus, applicants should weigh all pros and cons before applying for these courses and set a goal as to what they will do after the course completes as well.

Top 10 Universities in USA for MS in Cyber Security

Following is a list of the top 10 universities in USA offering MS in Cyber Security to international students:

Best Universities in US for MS in Cybersecurity	Courses Offered
University of Arizona	Master's in Cybersecurity
University of Houston	Master of Science in Cybersecurity
University of California, Berkeley	Master of Information and Cybersecurity
Illinois Institute of Technology	Masters (MAS) in Cybersecurity
New York University	Master of Science in Cybersecurity
University of Texas at Dallas	Master of Science in Cyber Security, Technology and Policy
Johns Hopkins University	Online Master’s in Cybersecurity
Georgia Institute of Technology	Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)	MS in Cyber Security and Privacy (MS CSP)
Northeastern University	Master of Science in Cybersecurity

MS in Cyber Security in USA Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for MS in Cyber Security are more or less the same for all US universities offering this course. Check out the following requirements for reference: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant course as specified with GPA above 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale. 
• Academic coursework and performance
• Transcripts and mark sheets 
• Work experience level
• Resume 
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Letters of recommendation (LOR)
• GRE or GMAT score (may be optional)
• English language proficiency tests - TOEFL / IELTS / Duolingo

There may be additional requirements based on the university the applicant is applying to for an MS in Cybersecurity in USA, thus, applicants are advised to check all admission requirements carefully before beginning to apply.

 

How to Apply for MS in Cyber Security Universities in USA?

In the majority of cases, the applicants can apply for MS in Cybersecurity courses through the respective university websites. The procedure to apply is simple, applicants can follow the below-given steps:

• Log on to the website of MS in the Cybersecurity offering department and click on apply.
• You will be prompted to the signup page.
• Sign up and generate your application credentials. 
• Log in using the credentials and begin filling out the application form.
• Attach the necessary documents in the required format. 
• Once done, pay the application fee and take a printout.

Thus, if there is anything beyond this, the university in question will give out clear directions on their websites.

Popular MS in Cyber Security in USA Specialisations

Though in USA, MS in Cybersecurity is an online course in a lot of top US universities, thus, only a handful of specialisations are offered and in turn, popularly opted for by international students. Following is a list of MS in Cybersecurity specialisations available in USA for international students:

• Security and Risk Management
• Asset Security
• Security Architecture and Engineering
• Communication and Network Security
• Identity and Access Management
• Security Assessment and Testing
• Security Operations
• Software Development Security

The US university in question may or may not offer all of these specialisations, hence, applicants must check out the details about the course and then apply.

Career Options after MS in Cyber Security in USA

There are various career options that an applicant can go for after MS in Cybersecurity from the US, they are as follows:

• Become a security architect 
• Opt for the engineering stream and apply cybersecurity knowledge there 
• Become a cryptographer
• With official agencies becoming an expert in cyber legal services
• Get on with ethical hacking 

Also, you can opt for security software development if you have interest in this area of functioning. 

Salaries by Job Roles for MS in Cyber Security Grads in US

Once the applicant chooses his/her career path after MS in Cybersecurity, they can check out the following job roles along with their corresponding starting annual salaries in the USA:

MS in Cybersecurity in USA Job Roles	Starting Annual Salaries
Information Technology Security Consultant	USD 159,261
Computer Information Systems Manager	USD 154,230
Security Architect	USD 151,037
Cybersecurity Engineer	USD 131,625
Computer Network Architect	USD 117,800
Computer & Information Systems Manager	USD 117,491
Research & Development Engineer	USD 116,902
Software Developer	USD 112,245
Research Scientist	USD 108,345
Cybersecurity Analyst	USD 96,777

Overall, we can conclude by saying that this is one of the popularly opted courses among Computer Science and Engineering graduates and the prospects are only positive in the long run. Hence, there is a good possibility of a high-paying job in a reputed company or official governmental agency.

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