Top 10 MBA Programs for Cybersecurity

The world’s best business schools are adding digital security skills to the syllabus as high-profile cyber-attacks become a boardroom issue. 

There has long been a shortage of cybersecurity experts with technical knowledge, but there’s also a lack of management executives who know how to combat hacking, and who can communicate with technology teams. 

Several high profile cyber-attacks have been successfully carried out recently, including data breaches at Yahoo and Sony. Grant Thornton, the consulting and accounting firm, reckons hacking costs global businesses $280bn a year. The reputational damage can be just as bad as the monetary cost of a breach. 

In the past few years, a number of business schools have begun offering MBA programs in the cybersecurity space. Some of these programs are offered in-class, while others are offered online.

These emerging MBA courses in Cybersecurity are designed to deal with these very complex issues. Here are 10 of the best options: 

Madrid, Spain 114 Followers 366 Discussions
IE

At IE Business School in Madrid, cybersecurity is taught in a most innovative way. Rather than establishing a standalone MBA program in the subject, IE offers full-time MBA students a digital innovation class in which professor Jose Esteves hacks into the accounts of his own students to show them how easy it is. IE also established a cutting-edge standalone master’s degree in cybersecurity, which its students can pair with an MBA. 

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Washington, District of Columbia 37 Followers 64 Discussions

This business schools runs a World Executive MBA in Cybersecurity, which is a 16-month program run in partnership with the business school and George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security. Students will delve into global cybersecurity strategy, policy, law and become familiar with the full range of digital threats and the hackers behind them. 

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Washington, District of Columbia 7 Followers 24 Discussions

American University’s Kogod School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, which ensures high quality standards. The school also runs an Online MBA in cybersecurity, providing students with flexibility, so they do not have to quit their jobs and forgo a salary to earn the credential. The MBA coordinates with the Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center, which provides relevant and valuable research. 

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Harrisonburg, Virginia 1 Follower 5 Discussions

James Madison University’s College of Business is also accredited by AACSB. It offers a dedicated MBA in Security and Intelligence that provides students with the business fundamentals but also the technical skills to protect businesses from hackers. The course has been offered since 1997, and is ranked by US News as the best Online MBA in the state of Virginia. 

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Oxford, United Kingdom 70 Followers 277 Discussions
Oxford - Said

The UK school has made it mandatory for full-time MBA students to study a cybersecurity module. The course is taught by professor David Upton, who helped design a board-level cybersecurity course that Oxford also runs. The MBA classes draw on the expertise of Oxford, with its Global Cyber Security Capacity Center, which helps to enhance safety and security in cyberspace for companies and governments. 

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Tampa, Florida 11 Followers 13 Discussions
South Florida USF

AACSB-accredited USF Muma College of Business runs an Online MBA with a Cybersecurity concentration. The MBA program is uber-flexible: candidates can finish the degree full-time in as little as a year and a half, or part-time over three years. The cybersecurity concentration incudes a capstone course that focuses on bringing academic theory to life through practical projects. Students also have the option to earn a Graduate Certificate in Information Assurance, alongside the MBA. 

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Baltimore, Maryland 11 Followers 4 Discussions

UB’s Merrick School of Business runs an online MBA in Cybersecurity and Organizational Resilience, which prepares graduates to spot and solve digital data risks. Students can take the course on-campus, online or through a combination of these formats. In 2018, both CEO Magazine and US News ranked the course as among the best in America.  

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Springfield, Missouri 6 Followers 8 Discussions

Those on the MBA program at Missouri State University’s College of Business, can add a Certificate in Cybersecurity to their MBA. The degree itself can be taken entirely online, with about 25 percent of current students opting for the digital format.

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Worcester, Massachusetts 4 Followers 3 Discussions

The school runs an Online MBA with an Information Security Management focus. It is one of the pricier programs, but graduates have reported an average salary of $74,800 shortly after graduation, which means there is a return on investment to be had. The course is designed to equip business professionals with the skills needed to apply entrepreneurial thinking and powerful technology to solve human problems. 

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Irving, Texas 29 Followers 8 Discussions

The Yasmin Gupta College of Business also runs an Online MBA with a cybersecurity bent. The cybersecurity courses cover data protection, compliance, legal issues, management and network security. It stands out for having a rigorous curriculum taught by top-quality faculty: the school is accredited by AACSB and its online MBA is ranked by US News, meaning it is one of the best in the country. 

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