Cyber Defense, MS
Program Quick Facts
Credits
30
Start Terms
Fall
|Spring
|Summer
Available
On Campus
|Online
Tuition
$3,365.10
estimated cost per semester
Cybersecurity has become increasingly important, yet there is a shortage of skilled professionals to meet the growing demand. Dakota State University’s Master of Science in Cyber Defense program is designed to help address this gap.
This advanced program provides hands-on experience in key areas such as risk management, intrusion detection, penetration testing, and digital forensics. Students learn how to protect critical systems while upholding essential cybersecurity principles, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Taught by nationally recognized faculty, the program prepares graduates to take on leadership roles in a high-demand field, whether they are advancing their current careers or making a transition. The degree equips students to tackle today’s cyber threats and develop defenses for the future.
Choose your path in cyber defense
The specialization equips students with advanced expertise in areas such as network security, penetration testing, digital forensics, and malware analysis, enabling them to apply specific technological controls to enforce cybersecurity policies and procedures within an organization.
The specialization equips students with advanced expertise in managing security operations, ensuring compliance with industry standards for security and privacy, and conducting audits to mitigate risks in today’s complex cybersecurity landscape.
Why choose DSU for cyber defense?
Graduate with recognized excellence
At DSU, we have a recognized excellence in cybersecurity, education, and research— that is central to our mission. The National Security Agency (NSA) has designated our Master of Science in Cyber Defense as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
LEARN MORE ABOUT DSU'S CAE DESIGNATIONS
Affordable cyber defense education
The cyber defense master’s program offers affordable, flexible learning options designed for working professionals. Students can complete the program fully online or on campus while gaining hands-on experience in high-demand areas of cybersecurity. Recognized among the Top 25 Most Affordable Online Cybersecurity Master’s Programs in the nation, DSU provides a high-quality, career-focused education built to fit your schedule.
Notable courses
This course introduces the principles and practices of ethical hacking and offensive cybersecurity operations. Students gain hands-on experience with penetration testing techniques, including reconnaissance, vulnerability assessment, exploitation, and post-exploitation analysis using current industry tools and methodologies.
This course focuses on modern threat detection and network monitoring techniques used in cybersecurity operations. Students learn intrusion detection, threat hunting, cyber threat intelligence, and the identification of indicators of compromise through hands-on analysis of host and network activity.
This course examines the processes and procedures used to respond to and recover from cybersecurity incidents. Students learn incident handling, mitigation strategies, investigative techniques, and response coordination through both technical and managerial perspectives.
This course introduces the methods used to identify, preserve, and analyze digital evidence from computers and networks. Topics include forensic investigation techniques, evidence handling, file system and memory analysis, and the legal considerations of digital forensics.
This course provides foundational knowledge of malware analysis and cyber threat investigation. Students explore static and dynamic analysis techniques, reverse engineering concepts, and industry-standard tools used to analyze malicious software and attacker behaviors.
Faculty
Career paths with an MS in cyber defense
Earning a masters in cyber defense opens the door to a wide range of high-demand, high-impact career paths. Graduates are well-prepared to step into cyber roles that are critical in protecting organizations from cyber threats and ensuring the integrity of digital infrastructure. Or continue your education and further your specialization with our cyber defense doctorate. Whether you're aiming to shape national security policy or drive innovation in the private sector, our master's program provides the knowledge and credentials to get you there.
Your future at DSU begins today.
- A bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or software engineering (or a closely related field).
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- If you don’t meet all requirements, you may still be accepted but might need to take foundational courses.
- International applicants must have a degree equivalent to a U.S. four-year degree.
- No GRE is required.
Timelines & requirements
Next steps
Application deadlines
- August 15 (April 15 for international students) for admission the following fall semester
- November 30 (November 1 for international students) for the following spring semester
- April 30 for the following summer semester
