Program Overview
The demand for skilled professionals who can detect, respond to, and prevent cyberattacks has never been greater. Build the technical foundation for security, privacy, and threat intelligence to protect your organization’s computer systems, networks, and data.
Through the Cybersecurity Master’s Degree Program, you’ll:
- Acquire the knowledge and skills to plan, manage, and maintain the security of an organization’s computer infrastructure, networks, and applications.
- Build an understanding of data network infrastructure and communications technology, architecture, and management.
- Develop strategies to mitigate security risks for traditional and cloud-based environments.
- Develop clear, effective enterprise information security policies that address threats at the local and global level.
- Graduate with a Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies in the field of Cybersecurity.
Courses
You can customize your course curriculum on your path to earning a cybersecurity degree. Learning — in online classes and the capstone project experience — is collaborative and hands-on.
Example Courses
- Artificial Intelligence, the Internet-of-Things, and Cybersecurity
- Cloud and Generative Artificial Intelligence Security Architectures
- Secure Applications: Managing the Deployment Infrastructure
- Crypto and Blockchain: Understanding the Technology and the Challenges It Presents
- Introduction to Kali Linux and Ethical Hacking
Stackable Certificate
You can take courses that count toward both the degree program and the Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate — enabling you to earn a secondary professional credential on your path to the degree.
Admissions: Starting Your Degree
The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program. You’ll earn your way in through our performance-based admissions, completing the following coursework for admission and demonstrating your readiness. You'll begin with:
- CSCI 159 Introduction to Cybersecurity: Intrusion, Hacking, and Detection
- CSCI 155 Networks and Cloud Security
Earn a Microcertificate
The Cybersecurity Foundations Microcertificate comprises these two courses.
Make Progress Toward Your Degree
These courses count toward your degree, so you’re earning credit toward graduation from your first course.
Next Start Term
You can enroll in your first admission course this fall.
Fall course registration is open July 20 to August 24.
Featured Faculty
Our cybersecurity instructors include industry professionals holding titles such as vice president, engineering manager, and principal security technologist at organizations like the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, NetApp Cloud Solutions, and Amazon. They bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes
The demand for cybersecurity experts is growing rapidly with no signs of slowing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 29 percent increase in employment for cybersecurity-related roles by 2034.
Career-Aligned Skills for Advancement
Our online cybersecurity degree program covers a variety of foundational topics for early-career professionals as well as advanced topics for senior managers.
Foundational Topics:
- Networking and cloud security
- Ethical hacking
- Incident response
- Secure application development
Advanced Topics:
- Data privacy and security
- Regulatory compliance
Ethics
Sample Cybersecurity Roles
Those with a strong background in cybersecurity will likely have their pick of diverse job opportunities, including such roles as:
- Information Security Engineer
- Cyber Incident Responder
- Cyber Vulnerability Analyst
- Data Security Officer
- Cyber Risk Analyst
- Cybersecurity Compliance Lead
Alumni of the cybersecurity program work in a variety of roles, including :
- Security Analyst
- Director of Technology
- Senior Software Engineer
- Technical Consultant
My journey at Harvard Extension School went beyond achieving a milestone; it acted as a catalyst for advancing my career.
Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in the field of Cybersecurity, '24; Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity, '23
Program Benefits
Develop a capstone project with peers and real-world industry partners.
Explore entrepreneurial opportunities through the Harvard Innovation Labs.
Become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).
Tuition & Financial Aid
Learn more about the cost of attendance.
FAQs
Who pursues the master’s degree in cybersecurity?
Students in the cybersecurity degree program are accomplished professionals with an average 15 years of experience in the field. They are pursuing the degree for career advancement (41 percent) or to deepen their expertise (31 percent). About 70 percent of students have professional experience in the field of cybersecurity.
How long does it take to complete the cybersecurity graduate program?
Program length is ordinarily anywhere between 2 and 5 years. It depends on your preferred pace and the number of courses you want to take each semester.
For an accelerated journey, we offer year-round study, where you can take courses in fall, January, spring, and summer.
While we don’t require you to register for a certain number of courses each semester, you cannot take longer than 5 years to complete the degree.
What coding skills do you need prior to applying for the cybersecurity master’s degree program?
The cybersecurity degree program is for individuals who already know object-oriented programming using C++, Python, or Java. If you need to strengthen this background, you can complete our programming certificate.
Careers in cybersecurity require strong coding skills in a variety of languages, programming and database languages, knowledge of operating systems, system platforms, and cloud service providers, and a firm understanding of database management.
What can you do with a master’s degree in cybersecurity?
A master’s degree in cybersecurity can prepare you for a variety of careers. Cybersecurity jobs are not limited to the tech sector. Every industry is in need of professionals with advanced cybersecurity skills to protect their networks, data, and online transactions. Healthcare, finance, state and local governments, fitness and hospitality, and even the Internet of Things all require protection from cyberattacks and data breaches.
A career in cybersecurity will allow you to utilize your technical skills in almost any industry that interests you.
Is a degree in cybersecurity useful?
Businesses today must devote an increasing amount of resources — in time, money, and talent — to detecting and preventing cyberattacks. The result has been a boom in demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. With a master’s degree in cybersecurity, you will likely have the opportunity to take advantage of the skills gap and can also expect more job opportunities. You may even be able to negotiate a higher salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual salary for information security analysts and related professions was $124,910 in 2024.
