Top 10 MBA Programs for Cybersecurity

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

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.

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. 

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.