Timelines & Requirements (MSCO)
The Master of Science in Cyber Operations program accepts domestic students in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters and international students in the Fall and Spring semesters.
Admission requirements
Requirements to apply
- A bachelor’s degree in computer science or cyber operations from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree.
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
- Transcripts that show completion of courses in key areas, including general programming skills such as C and assembly, data structures, operating systems, and networking.
- If you don’t have an undergraduate degree in computer science or cyber operations, you can still be accepted; however, you may be required to take foundational courses as part of your formal Plan of Study.
- Must be a US resident or hold a permanent resident card to apply.
- No GRE scores required
Application Deadlines
Domestic students
Please submit your application by:
- August 15 for admission for the following Fall semester
- November 30 for admission for the following Spring semester
- April 30 for admission for the following Summer semester
International students
Please submit your application by:
- April 15 for admission for the following Fall semester
- November 1 for admission for the following Spring semester
Application materials checklist
- Completed online application
- Submit the $36 application fee.
- After submitting your online application, you can log into your application portal to complete any remaining application documents and check the status of your application.
- Purpose Statement (in online application)
- In 200 to 300 words, share your purpose for choosing this graduate degree and how you feel prepared. Our admissions committee wants to know:
- Why are you choosing to pursue this degree?
- What role does this degree program play in your career objectives?
- What special knowledge, skills, or experiences prepare you to succeed in this program?
- This is also an opportunity to expand on how you meet the program admission requirements (e.g., your experience with low-level programming, reverse engineering, malware analysis, vulnerability analysis, networking, etc.)
- In 200 to 300 words, share your purpose for choosing this graduate degree and how you feel prepared. Our admissions committee wants to know:
- Official transcripts
Official transcripts must show a conferred bachelor's degree. Transcripts with graduate credit can be submitted for consideration for credit transfer.
Official transcripts can be submitted to DSU-GraduateAdmissions@dsu.edu.
Assistantship application deadline for on-campus/full-time students
Competitive Assistantships are available for this program for full-time, on-campus students only. You can indicate on your application if you wish to be considered for an assistantship award. A separate Assistantship Application and Resume are required in the application portal if you wish to apply.
- April 15 – deadline for Fall assistantship applications
- November 15 – deadline for Spring assistantship applications
Graduation requirements
Our MSCO program requires a total of 30 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate.
This includes:
- Successful completion of all courses listed on your MSCO Plan of Study within the five-year time limit
- Achievement of a GPA of at least 3.0 (a "B" average), with no more than six credit hours of a "C" grade and no grade below a "C" in the courses on your Plan of Study
- Satisfaction of Regental standards for residency, which allows up to nine credits transferred from other universities.
- 24 credit hours of core courses
- 6 credit hours of elective coursework
- A comprehensive exam
Program completion
You can choose to earn your MSCO as a full-time or part-time student. Full-time students can usually complete the program in two years. For part-time students, the completion time depends on the number of credit hours taken per semester.
Please note that you are required to complete the MSCO program within five years of the semester of your first course.
FAQs
DSU bills tuition per credit hour and the cost varies between online coursework and on-campus coursework. You can review the breakdown of costs per credit here: DSU Tuition Costs
No, DSU does not require a GRE score for graduate program applications.
The GRE is only required if you are applying for a graduate assistantship (outside of athletics). Preferred GRE scores should be around 320 or higher to be considered for an Assistantship. Online Students are not eligible for Assistantship Awards.Yes, please visit International Admissions Requirements for more information on English Proficiency requirements and additional application materials required for International Applicants.
For part-time students, the program can take 2-3 years to complete (1 class at a time). For full-time students, the program can take 1-1.5 years to complete (2-3 classes at a time).
Yes, Competitive Assistantships may be available for full-time, on-campus graduate students that are accepted into this program. However, assistantships are limited. GRE scores are required for consideration. Online students are not eligible for Assistantship Awards.
The application fee is required for all programs and cannot be waived by University Policy.
Depending on the program, admission decisions may take up to several weeks after submitting all application materials or after the application deadline.
You can always refer back to the portal to check on your application status, or if there are any remaining requirements needed.
Contact GradOffice@dsu.edu for additional support.