See Courses & Program Info
View a complete list of program courses, program-specific and degree-level requirements, and more.
This program requires a total of 120 credits.
- 33 Required Major Credits: Review the required major courses outlined below or view the recommended course sequence to progress through this program.
- 41 General Education Credits: Review the options available to fulfill the 41 credits of general education coursework requirements for bachelor's degrees.
- 46 Minor & Elective Credits: Review a list of available academic minors or see the course catalog or Schedule of Classes to help you select elective courses.
Required Major Courses
- (3 Credits, CSIA 300)
- (3 Credits, IFSM 304)
- (3 Credits, CMIT 265)
- (3 Credits, CMIT 320)
- (3 Credits, CSIA 310)
- (3 Credits, CSIA 350)
- (3 Credits, CSIA 360)
- (3 Credits, CSIA 413)
- (3 Credits, CSIA 459)
- (3 Credits, CMIT 425)
- (3 Credits, CSIA 485)
Not ready to get started on a bachelor’s degree? You can pair a 15-credit minor in cybersecurity with another major at UMGC.
Accelerated Pathway
Through an accelerated pathway, students who complete this program may be eligible to reduce their total coursework for a master's degree in Cybersecurity Management and Policy by up to 9 credits.
This cybersecurity program is designed to help prepare you for the following certification exams:
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- EC-Council Associate Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO)
- EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (ECIH)
- EC-Council Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA)
- IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional/US (CIPP/US)
- ISC2 Certified in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (CGRC)
- PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®*
* PMI-PBA® is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute
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)
Develop Career-Ready Skills in Cybersecurity Management & Policy
Employers highly value the knowledge and skills that you will cultivate in the online cybersecurity management and policy bachelor’s degree program, which can easily translate to almost any modern industry. Program graduates develop crucial skills in policy development and implementation, leadership, communication, incident response and management and risk assessment. Our cybersecurity management and policy degree program directors refresh and update the curriculum regularly, with a focus on helping students achieve the following:
Advance Your Career
This program is designed to help you develop skills to manage the people and technologies required to protect information systems, information, and cyber infrastructures. It is ideal for students who want to leverage previous work experience into career growth and move to a leadership or management role within a corporate organization or government agency. Potential cybersecurity management and policy job titles include cybersecurity analyst, program manager, compliance manager, information systems security manager, and cybersecurity risk management analyst.
33%
Job Growth
Job openings for information security analysts are projected to grow 33 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than average for all occupations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | “Occupational Outlook Handbook” | Last Reviewed: September 9, 2024
3.5M
Open Positions
There will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity-related positions through 2025.
Source: Cybersecurity Ventures & eSentire | 2023 Official Cybersecurity Jobs Report | 2023
$10.5T
Annual Cost of Cybercrime
The annual cost of damages resulting from cybercrime is set to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025.
Source: Cybersecurity Ventures & eSentire | “2023 Official Cybercrime Report” | 2023
Practice Real-World Skills in Your Cybersecurity Management & Policy Courses
Throughout your curriculum, your instructors will assign coursework that will help you prioritize real-world skills and experience. In past courses, students have been able to complete the following course projects:
- Apply business analysis principles and methods to cybersecurity problems in business and industry and perform an e-commerce risk analysis.
- Compare and contrast two state government IT security policies.
- Develop metrics and measures for information security programs.
- Develop organization-level security policies for enterprise IT governance and audit IT compliance practices and processes.
- Develop security strategies, plans, policies, and processes for the protection of an organization's critical information and assets.
- Research, evaluate, and recommend emerging technologies and determine secure implementation strategies for best-fit business solutions.
Explore UMGC Cybersecurity Insights
Gain insight from our faculty and staff and delve deeper into a range of topics, including the career potential of cybersecurity management and policy majors and how to apply major-related principles to everyday activities.
FAQs
Get answers to questions that current and prospective students are asking about program admission, credibility, student organizations, and more.
An online bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity management and policy is a college degree students can earn online that can help them prepare to become leaders in data protection. UMGC’s innovative 120-credit program uses a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from fields such as management, law, science, business, technology, and psychology. Designed with input from employers, industry experts, and scholars, the curriculum combines theories with real-world applications to provide you with skills for protecting critical cyber infrastructure in both the private and public sectors.
UMGC's online bachelor's degree in cybersecurity management and policy is a 120-credit program with courses offered year-round. The time it will take you to complete your degree will depend on several factors, including your goals, how many transfer credits you have, your course load each semester, and whether you are able to benefit from one or more of our fast paths to credit, including credit for prior learning and credit for military education and training.
At UMGC, we're proud to offer competitive, affordable tuition rates to students who want to earn an online cybersecurity management and policy bachelor’s degree. We offer scholarships for those who qualify, an interest-free monthly payment plan, and no-cost digital materials instead of most textbooks to help make online bachelor's degrees even more affordable. You can see our affordable tuition rates, including a low in-state rate for Maryland residents and a reduced tuition rate for military service members and their spouses and dependent children, at the top of this page.
You do not need any background or experience in cybersecurity to apply for and graduate with an online bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity management and policy. As long as you meet our undergraduate admission requirements, you can enroll in this program.
You do not need any prior certifications to enroll in or complete this program.
Computing Club
The Computing Club provides a dynamic environment where members can work collaboratively, share innovative ideas, enhance their career-readiness, and gain marketable experience in their respective fields. It is available to graduate or undergraduate students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. Students and alumni can join the Computing Club group on CareerQuest.
Cyber Competition Team
The Cyber Competition Team represents UMGC at various cybersecurity events and tournaments nationwide. Being a member of the team gives students an opportunity to develop their cybersecurity skills and network with other students. The team is open to undergraduate and graduate students and alumni through a tryout process. Email jesse.varsalone@umgc.edu or visit the team webpage to learn more.
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 concentration 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.
Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS)
The Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Student Chapter at University of Maryland Global Campus aims to build a community within UMGC that promotes women’s education, participation, and leadership in the field of cybersecurity. It is available to graduate or undergraduate students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. Interested students and alumni are invited to join the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) group on CareerQuest.