Cybersecurity Management Certificate

The online Cybersecurity Management Certificate is ideal for cybersecurity professionals who want to move into leadership, managers who may soon be assigned cybersecurity duties, and career changers who seek entry-level and mid-level positions in the industry. As a student, you will raise your cyber security digital acumen, learning the essential skills needed to identify cyber threats, devise appropriate defense strategies, develop policy, and plan and conduct assessments. You will also gain familiarity with the ethical, legal, and regulatory environment as it relates to operating in cyberspace.

In our current world, Cybersecurity touches all areas of our daily lives, both personally and professionally. Reflecting this universality, students in the Cybersecurity Management program bring a diverse array of backgrounds, enhancing the class experience. 

EXTENDED 2025 APPLICATION DEADLINE: Apply by April 8, 2025 to begin courses this summer.

Key Takeaways

• 18 graduate credits / 6 courses / 12-18 months average to complete
• Start dates in January, May, August
• Prepare for critical certifying exams including CISSP and CISM
• Courses are mapped to the National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework as part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies
• Scholarships for the summer 2025 term are available - see details below!

Key Industry Information

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Initiatives states, "There is no better time to pursue a career in cybersecurity, as you will potentially have a wide variety of career options when you are ready to enter the workforce."

According to the ISC2 annual Cybersecurity Workforce study, 92% of professionals polled reported having cybersecurity skills gaps within their organizations.

One common position is an Information Security Analyst, which helps businesses to identify ways of securing their information technology systems. The need for this type of job is expected to grow at rate much faster than other jobs in the next ten years. 

(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor: Information Security Analysts.)

SCPS’ Program Offers Advantages:

• Flexible programming: with core courses offered regularly, you can stay on your desired learning journey.
• One tuition rate: you’ll pay the same tution whether you reside in Virginia or out-of-state.
• Expert Faculty who understand adult learners: learn from Faculty who are experts in their industries and are experts at teaching. They understand the demands adult learners need to juggle and structure courses so you can balance your personal and professional life while learning.
• Synchronous learning opportunities: you’ll join online classes and can ask questions, dig deeper, and learn from instructors and classmates.

Tuition & Fees

• Estimated cost: $629 per credit hour or $11,322 for the entire program. Students pay per course, per semester.
• Pay the same tuition rate whether you are in-state or out-of-state.
• This program is not eligible for financial aid
• You may take advantage of an optional, interest-free semester-based payment plan offered by the University to help spread the cost of eligible charges over monthly payment.
• Additional fees may apply, including course materials. Tuition rates are adjusted annually.

See Tuition Details

Scholarships

Summer 2025 term scholarships are available to support students who may be experiencing unexpected financial challenges and/or recent job displacement due to government downsizing or layoffs in the private sector.

New and returning students in certificate or degree programs in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies are eligible to apply for the Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship Program. 

Admission Requirements & Deadlines

DEADLINE INFORMATION

• To begin in the fall (August): application must be submitted by July 1
• To begin in the spring (January): application must be submitted by November 1
• To begin in the summer (May): application must be submitted by April 1 - UPDATE: the 2025 deadline has been extended to April 8, 2025

APPLICATION INFORMATION

This is a graduate-level certificate course. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent.

To apply:

1. Complete an online application, including:
   1. Submit your unofficial transcripts. Offers of admission are not binding until official transcripts are received and verified.
   2. Application for Virginia In-State Education Privileges to establish residency.

START YOUR APPLICATION

Required Courses (4)

• Required courses in this programs focus on the Oversight and Development category within the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework. 
• Current and prospective students may contact scpsinquiry@virginia.edu with questions related to their journey and course schedule. 

BUS 5010 - CYBERSECURITY MANAGEMENT

Provides managers with the essential framework needed to design and develop an effective cybersecurity program. Explores methods used to raise general security awareness, review current industry practices, and develop expertise needed to adapt policies to achieve confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational assets and data. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Oversight & Development: Security Program Management)

BUS 5020 - SECURITY POLICY DEVELOPMENT & ASSESSMENT

Examines the steps required in policy development including password protection, acceptable use of organization information technology assets, risk acceptance, identification of  threats, countermeasures, intellectual property, proprietary information and privacy issues, compliance reporting, and escalation procedures. Discusses access controls, security standards, and policy implementation. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Oversight & Development: Strategic Planning & Policy Development).

BUS 5040 - CREATING & CONDUCTING A SECURITY ASSESSMENT

Reviews the essential components of a security assessment and explores how to integrate methodology with company needs. Covers the pitfalls connected with conducting a security assessment. Addresses how to create security assessment reports, identifying threats and vulnerabilities and managing organizational audits and compliance metrics. Case studies are used to illustrate course concepts. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Protect & Defend: Vulnerability Assessment & Management).

BUS 5100 - CYBER LAW, REGULATION & ETHICS

An overview of the ethical challenges in the information age and introduces the complex and dynamic state of the law as it applies to behavior in cyberspace. Topics include the legal pitfalls of doing business in an interconnected world and an introduction to the various organizations and materials that can be turned to for assistance in understanding how to ethically and legally provide services and operate modern computer-based systems and networks. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Oversight & Development: Legal Advice & Advocacy).

Elective Courses (2)

Elective courses allow students the flexibility to expand their knowledge of more technical content found within the Protect and Defend, Securely Provision or Investigate categories of the NICE framework based on their own backgrounds and interests.

BUS 5030 - DESIGNING DYNAMIC SECURITY ARCHITECTURE

Explores the building blocks needed to implement security within the System Development Life-Cycle (SDLC). Focuses on how to analyze internal applications, computing platforms/network infrastructure, and corporate objectives with an eye toward designing flexible security architecture that is best suited for the enterprise. Studies in-depth defense techniques and how they are applied to optimize security architecture. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Securely Provision: Systems Security Architecture).

BUS 5060 - UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGY USED IN AN OPEN ACCESS ENVIRONMENT

Covers the technologies enabling the migration of computing applications, communications, and information to the cloud environment. Explores the technologies that facilitated back-end integration and front-end deployment. Reviews the information assurance challenges and popular solutions of cloud computing. Discusses communications concepts such as TCP/IP, ISP delivery channels, and wireless technology. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Securely Provision: Information Assurance Compliance)

BUS 6000 - APPLIED WIRELESS NETWORK SECURITY

Provides students with practical, real-world experience with the various wireless network security core competencies. Specifically, the course provides the most popular hacking, cracking, and wireless security network analysis tools on a CD ROMM and trains students to use them to assess and secure wireless networks. (Aligns with the NICE Framework Protect & Defend: Vulnerability Assessment & Management)

The information contained on this web site is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements.

Meet the Faculty