OVERVIEW
An Online Networking Degree with Hands-on Experience and Certifications
Systems security and network engineering professionals are in high demand. With WGU’s online bachelor’s degree in network engineering and security, you’ll gain the knowledge, skills, and credentials you need to take advantage of that demand and begin a successful career in the field. WGU’s network engineering and security bachelor’s program gives you hands-on experience that will prepare you for a lucrative and rewarding career where you can play a critical role in engineering and safeguarding an organization’s network.
You can also keep working full-time while earning your degree. WGU’s unique format allows you to study, complete assignments, and take tests at whatever time works best for you.
Earning your B.S. in Network Engineering and Security will help you build on your current IT skills, boost your résumé, and stand out from the competition. Through this network engineering program, you’ll develop the latest network engineering, network operations, and security management skills. You'll be prepared to be a linchpin in your organization called on to help solve problems and create meaningful network security systems for the entire company.
Choose Your Focus Area
The WGU bachelor's in network engineering and security is the industry’s only truly competency-based undergraduate degree program in network engineering. The program offers two tracks to allow you pursue your career goals by specializing in Cisco technologies and earning Cisco certifications or by generalizing and earning additional CompTIA certifications that are vendor agnostic.
Certification costs are bundled into tuition, streamlining the process of earning career-boosting credentials aligned with your career goals. Gain CompTIA, Axelos, and LPI certifications in either track. Select the Cisco program for additional specialized Cisco certifications.
Unsure Which Focus Area is Right for You?
The right program for you depends on your career goals. Each program focus area is streamlined to allow you to graduate quickly and complete coursework and certifications efficiently.
The general program is ideal for those who do not want to specialize in a specific vendor's technologies.
The Cisco program covers the same content as the general program, but has an additional focus on Cisco technologies and uses the CCNA, CyberOps, and DevNet Associates certifications to validate your competencies in those technologies.
70% of students finish similar programs in
39 Months
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
Tuition per six-month term is
$3,625
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps you control the ultimate cost of your degree. Finish faster, pay less!
Certifications in this program
8 or 11
Students earn 11 certifications in the general program, and 8 in the Cisco program. Certifications are included with tuition costs.
COURSES & COMPETENCIES
Network Engineering and Security Courses
Our Bachelor of Science in Network Engineering and Security degree program was designed with input from our Information Technology Program Council and other networking expert practitioners. We have also studied the job market and the program content aligns with the network engineering and security job market and skills requirements. The program covers crucial subjects, including SDN, automation, IT fundamentals, networks and security, spreadsheets, scripting and programming, data management, operating systems, interconnecting network devices, leadership and management, web development, the business of IT, and security. This networking program is built to give you the technical skills to succeed in your career.
Earning a bachelor’s degree designed by industry experts adds theoretical depth to the practical knowledge you may already have. The experts on our IT Program Council know what it takes for a graduate to be successful in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of network engineering and security.
The B.S. Network Engineering and Security program is an all-online program offering hands-on experience in a virtual environment. You’ll complete program requirements independently, with instruction and support from WGU faculty and be expected to complete at least 12 competency units for each six-month term. Each course is typically three or four units. There’s no limit on the number of units you can complete each term, so the more courses you complete in a term, the fewer terms it takes you to graduate.
Additional Courses in General Program
Additional Courses in Cisco Program
34 or 37 Courses
Program consists of 111 credits
Your courses will depend on the focus area (Cisco or general) you choose. At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff. We have streamlined the network engineering and security courses so that you can benefit from your prior coursework and your professional experience. You earn your degree by focusing on skills and competencies that employers are looking for in graduates.
Hands-On Experience
Special requirements for this program
At the end of your program, you will have completed multiple courses that use labs and virtual environments to learn and demonstrate skills that are critical for success as a network engineer. You will also complete a capstone project that represents the culmination of all your hard work. This project allows you to demonstrate your mastery of network design, security, and automation—you can take it with you to show potential employers what you are capable of doing for them.
“A flexible remote degree is too good to be true, but it actually is. WGU was much more than I thought. A supportive team, a great mentor, good content, flexibility, support, and an affordable price. WGU is transforming lives. I could get my degree and I'm so thankful to WGU and its amazing team. Thank you!”
—Fernando Avelino
WGU Graduate
Why WGU?
Earning Potential
According to a 2021 Harris Poll, just two years after graduation, WGU grads report earning $18,200 more per year, and that amount increases to $25,900 four years after graduation.
On Your Schedule
No class times, no assignment deadlines. You are in charge of your learning and schedule. You can move through your courses as quickly as you master the material, meaning you can graduate faster.
Entirely Online
The network engineering and security bachelor's degree at WGU is 100% online, which means it works wherever you are. You can do your coursework at night after working at your full-time job, on weekends, while you're traveling the world or on vacation—it's entirely up to you.
Accredited, Respected,
Recognized
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
IT CERTIFICATIONS
3rd Party Networking Certifications Included
Designed for IT professionals seeking to leverage their network experience and grow their knowledge of the cloud to become network administration and IT security management experts, this networking degree program also includes multiple sought-after industry certifications—certifications that will boost your résumé as soon as you've earned them, even before you complete your computer networking degree.
Both tracks include the following:
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA Project+
- CompTIA Cloud+
- ITIL®*^ Foundation Certification
*Subject to vendor availability.
^ITIL® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
- LPI Linux Essentials
The Cisco track also includes:
- Cisco CCNA
- Cisco DevNet Associate
- Cisco CyberOps Associate
The general track also includes:
- CompTIA Net+
- CompTIA Sec+
- CompTIA IT Operations Specialist (Stacked)
- CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist (Stacked)
- CompTIA Cloud Admin Professional (Stacked)
- CompTIA Secure Cloud Professional (Stacked)
COST & TIME
An Affordable Online Network Engineering and Security Degree
By charging per six-month term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay for your degree.
A College Degree Within Reach
There is help available to make paying for school possible for you:
The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2021 (among those who borrowed) was less than half* the national average.
Most WGU students qualify for financial aid, and WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.
Many scholarship opportunities are available. Find out if you're eligible for the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program (CySP).
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
Competency-Based Education Puts You in the Driver’s Seat of Your Network Engineering and Security Degree
You’ve worked in tech for years. Your experience, skill, and hard work have gotten you this far, but the next step requires something you don't have: your degree. We believe your experience should count for something. You deserve a bachelor’s degree program that will take into account all the know-how you’ve gained over the years, allowing you to move through courses as quickly as you can prove you've mastered the material. No waiting for other students or the end of the semester. No sitting through classes you could teach. Just a smart, direct path to the degree your career needs and the respect you deserve.
"I found the competency model of WGU to be overwhelmingly superior to any previous experience of learning. Most of the CIs [course instructors] were very helpful, as was my mentor. The value of being able to complete a regionally accredited bachelor's of science while working full-time (active duty military & then separating to civilian) was perfect for me. The certifications earned through the course allowed me to get in and progress quickly in the IT industry.”
—Michael O'Dell
WGU Graduate
CAREER OUTLOOK
A Network Engineering Degree that Helps You Stand Out From the Competition
The growing digital transformation of business functions has led to a sharp increase in demand for skilled professionals trained to manage and administer network and security systems. A sophisticated and expertly designed network engineering bachelor’s program can help you gain the unique technical skills you need to succeed.
Department of Defense contractors, communications organizations, financial firms, technical consulting services, and colleges and universities are the leading sectors demanding network and security professionals. The need for professionals that can evolve and learn new technologies will continue to drive the demand for degrees in network engineering and security. In addition to a résumé-boosting bachelor’s degree, students who graduate from this program will have several industry certifications, which can result in a salary increase of over $14,000 on average over salaries for IT jobs overall.
Return on Your Investment
5%
Employment of network and computer systems administrators is projected to grow 5% from 2019 to 2029.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Find Success with a Highly Respected Network Security and Engineering Degree and Certifications
Some of the job titles a graduate of this network engineering and security bachelor’s degree program is qualified for include:
- Network Engineer
- Network Security Engineer
- Data Scientist
- Network Administrator
- Network Security Analyst
- Computer Network Architect
WGU Grads Hold Positions With Top Employers
ADMISSIONS
Network Engineering and Security Admissions Requirements
To be considered for enrollment into College of IT programs, you must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent AND demonstrate program readiness through one of the following:
- Option 1: Submit transcripts documenting completion of college-level coursework with a minimum of 2.5 GPA or higher.
- Option 2: Possess a bachelors or associate degree (A.A, A.S. or A.A.S. acceptable) from an accredited post-secondary institution.
- Option 3: Demonstrate at least two years of IT work experience through resume review.
- Option 4: Submit official record of completion of a transferable IT certification, some of which may provide transfer credit into various programs.
- Option 5: Submit high school transcripts with a minimum GPA of 2.75 GPA and a B grade or higher in a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) course. *Only advanced mathematics courses will satisfy this requirement
- Option 6: Submit transcripts documenting completion of previous IT coursework. IT coursework must be 300 level or higher.
NOTE: You do not need to take the ACT or SAT to be admitted to this program. Learn why we don't require these tests.
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Download your step-by-step guide to enrollment.
Get Your Questions Answered
Talk to a WGU Enrollment Counselor.
Frequently Asked Questions about Network Engineering and Security
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