Master of Cybersecurity Leadership and Cyberpreneurship
The first program at a Canadian university offering a dedicated master’s program in cybersecurity entrepreneurship and business development.
Business leaders are recognizing that cybersecurity isn’t just about strong technical skills. The growing cybersecurity workforce and the increasing popularity of embedded cybersecurity teams within corporate settings is creating a need for businesses to find qualified leaders who can manage these teams and drive cybersecurity strategies forward in support of business operations.
The University of Guelph’s Cybersecurity Leadership and Cyberpreneurship (MCLC) master’s is delivered jointly by the School of Computer Science and Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics. The program equips students with a unique understanding of cybersecurity from a business lens, and an extensive technical skillset, grown to cater to enterprises. This unique design aims to close the gap in cultural or strategic divergencies between business leaders and cybersecurity experts.
CEPS Dean’s Graduate Excellence Entrance Scholarships (DGEES) are available to CEPS’s course-based students who meet the entry requirements for the program and a minimum 70% admission average. For MCLC, up to $5,000 is available for international students and up to $2,000 for domestic students. If awarded, a DGEES will be included in your offer of admission. Learn more.
Optimized for working professionals
Our remote learning throughout the year, combined with a onetime in-person intensive course, maximizes your learning flexibility with networking opportunities.
Grow your skills in tech
We welcome applicants with a tech background, but this program is also suitable for those with non-specialist degrees who are seeking to integrate more technical knowledge.
Equal focus on tech + leadership
Our program is unique in its combination of technical and leadership courses, leveraging our longstanding reputation as an acclaimed business school.
Why a degree in cybersecurity leadership and cyberpreneurship?
In alignment with our advisory board of industry leaders, U of G created this program to provide students with the skillset and experience required to build cybersecurity start-ups, lead cybersecurity teams in companies ranging from start-ups to multinationals, or become cybersecurity thought leaders or policy makers in various levels of government or non-government organizations. Our program is unique in its equal focus on cybersecurity and management; as well as its in-depth and specialized training in cybersecurity management, governance, and cyberpreneurship. You’ll have opportunities to connect with industry leaders, enhancing your global network and opening doors to career opportunities in Canada and internationally.
Samples of intended careers graduates could pursue include:
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): Oversees cybersecurity strategy and ensures the company’s protection from digital threats.
- Security Audit and IT Systems Control Specialist: Conducts cybersecurity audits and implements controls to mitigate risks.
- Cyberpreneur (Cybersecurity Entrepreneur): Launches and leads businesses offering cybersecurity products or services.
- Security Governance Manager: Aligns cybersecurity policies with business strategies, focusing on compliance and risk mitigation.
- Cybersecurity Policy Advisor: Provides guidance on cybersecurity laws, regulations, and policies to government bodies or private firms.
- Board of Directors Member: Responsible for overseeing cybersecurity as part of the company’s governance and risk management strategy. Ensures that adequate cybersecurity measures are in place to protect the organization and its stakeholders.
- Fiduciary Officers and Trustees: Protect digital assets and data by ensuring appropriate cybersecurity strategies are implemented to uphold fiduciary duties.
Degree Details
Faculty/College: College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, School of Computer Science; Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics
Degree name: Master of Cybersecurity Leadership and Cyberpreneurship
Delivery method: Hybrid: Asynchronous and synchronous online learning combined with once annual on-campus intensive
Start dates: Fall 2025 (currently there is no Winter intake for this program)
Length: 12-24 months
Program load: Part-time, Full-time
Hands-on Learning
Our students gain experiential learning opportunities to advance their skills. In CIS*6710, you’ll work in teams to help solve a real-world security and privacy issue. In CIS*6720, you’ll develop and monitor an information security program, as well as establish an incident handling and response procedure strategy. In CIS*6590, you’ll interact with guest government and industry cybersecurity experts in a discussion panel to learn about emerging and current issues in the field. Some students will have the opportunity to participate in a Major Research Project alongside an industry partner.
Affiliations: Canada Cyber Foundry
Canada Cyber Foundry at the University of Guelph aims to bridge the digital divide where organizations lack sufficient cybersecurity resources, leading to degraded visibility and increased risks. The CCF works through four main pillars: collaborating with major industry partners to identify and engage areas where cybersecurity research is needed; education and training for businesses; accelerating cybersecurity start-ups; and supporting the commercialization of cybersecurity businesses and not-for-profits, all to support businesses to have the cybersecurity resources they need.
What you will learn – course outline
This course covers the foundational aspects of cybersecurity, focusing on risk assessment, identifying cyberattacks, and implementing defenses. Students learn how to analyze systems for vulnerabilities, design security policies, and apply real-life case studies to understand why security systems fail. The course equips students with the skills to manage cybersecurity at an organizational level.
This course provides an in-depth look at privacy legislation, ethical theories, and risk mitigation strategies. It covers security architecture, incident detection, and governance frameworks essential for managing information risk. Students will develop skills to create and maintain an information security program that aligns with organizational objectives while ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
This course focuses on the fundamentals of financial and managerial accounting, emphasizing the importance of fiscal responsibility in management roles. Students will explore corporate finance concepts essential for decision-making and governance within an organization. Understanding these principles helps managers contribute to corporate goals, vision, and overall financial health.
This course merges entrepreneurship with cybersecurity, guiding students through the process of launching new ventures in cybersecurity-dependent markets. Students will learn how to identify market opportunities, create a startup plan, assess risks, and navigate ethical considerations. The course aims to develop the skills needed to succeed in launching and managing cybersecurity businesses.
This course examines leadership’s role in managing organizational change. It explores how leaders build trust, loyalty, and inspire high-performance teams to achieve strategic change. Students will study various leadership techniques and apply them to real-world scenarios involving organizational transformation.
Students in this course will gain a comprehensive understanding of project management principles, systems, and tools. The course emphasizes the techniques most frequently used by project managers within organizations, focusing on professional ethics and the importance of leading teams to successful project completion. The course prepares students for roles managing projects within cybersecurity and beyond.
In this project-based course, students apply the principles of cybersecurity management to a real-world problem. They will complete a major research project that involves reasoning about a specific aspect of information security management. This hands-on experience allows students to work with industry partners or former employers to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
This two-semester course offers a multidisciplinary forum for discussion of topics related to cybersecurity. The seminar fosters professional skills development (academic and industry), promotes collaboration between industry experts and graduate students, facilitates mentoring and project development, and contributes to the transfer of knowledge between industry and academia.
Program Information
Applicants must meet the following minimum admission requirements:
- A four-year honours degree (or equivalent) with a minimum B- or 70% average;
- A minimum of 3 years of professional experience. Applicants should clearly demonstrate the relevance of their work experience in the statement of intent and resume submitted with their application.
- Statement of Interest: Applicants must outline their interest in their field of study and state their objectives for undertaking a Master’s program in their Statement. Please ensure that your Statement of Interest includes:
- Your business/managerial/cybersecurity related experiences and competencies.
- Your core values and greatest strengths as a business leader with a focus on cybersecurity.
- Your areas that require development as a business leader with a focus on cybersecurity.
There is no minimum/maximum length for the SOI.
Students whose first language is not English are required to submit an English Proficiency Test result with their application.
GMAT/GRE score is not required.
Applications open October 15 and will be accepted on a rolling basis.
*We strongly encourage International applicants to apply a minimum of 6-9 months in advance of the start of the program to allow time for application processing and to ensure study permits can be obtained in time for admission. Please see the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Recommendations for International Applicants for suggested application timeline.
Of note, we are not able to provide a pre-assessment to confirm the admission requirements nor to evaluate admissions documents. Please review the attached document for more details about the program admissions requirements such as admission documents and FAQs.
Once an applicant file is complete, it moves forward for consideration with our Admissions Committees.
To accommodate working professionals, the program will offer a two-year part-time pathway. The mode of delivery does not change for part-time students. There is no designated pathway to completion as none of the courses have prerequisites—they can be taken in any order, enabling maximum flexibility for professional students. Part-time students may take one or two courses in each semester and should complete the program within 24 months.
The Master of Cybersecurity Leadership and Cyberpreneurship program at the University of Guelph is a self-funded program.
CEPS Dean’s Graduate Excellence Entrance Scholarships (DGEES) are available to CEPS’s course-based students who meet the entry requirements for the program and a minimum 70% admission average. For MCLC, up to $5,000 is available for international students and up to $2,000 for domestic students. If awarded, a DGEES will be included in your offer of admission. Learn more.
More details on funding your graduate studies are available on the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies website.
For Fall 2025, the domestic one-year program fee will be $37,000 and the international one-year program fee will be $43,000.
For information on the fee structure for full-time and part-time tuition, please visit Guelph Graduate Fees.
More information on Cost of Living in Guelph can be found here: Cost of Living While Studying at Guelph.
Many courses are delivered in a hybrid format, offering both synchronous and asynchronous learning options. This flexibility is ideal for international students who may need to balance time zone differences or other commitments while pursuing their education. This program is also ideally structured for working professionals seeking to advance their formal training and career opportunities in cybersecurity.
International Scholarships
More than $42.7 million in scholarships were awarded to students in 2021.
FAQs
The entry requirements are set to ensure sufficient depth in areas of computer sciences and cybersecurity so that incoming students are prepared to succeed in the program, however, we recognize that professionals may be in related but indirect careers to cybersecurity. You can use the Statement of Interest in your application to explain why you believe that your prior coursework and/or work experiences have adequately prepared you to meet the eligibility requirements. The Admission Selection Committee will assess your eligibility once a complete application is received.
No. You do not need to identify a supervisor. A faculty supervisor is not a program requirement for the MCLC program.
GMAT/GRE: Not required for this program.
WES Reports: Not required for this program.
Yes, part-time study is an option. Registering as a part-time student may impact the eligibility for international students to gain a post-graduate work permit upon graduation.
Yes. If your first language is not English, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test*. Learn more about the University's requirements here: English Language Proficiency.
*Please note: The English test may not be more than two years old at the time of admission. The proof of English proficiency requirement may be waived ONLY in exceptional circumstances. That is, applicants may be eligible for an English Waiver who have conferred a degree in an accredited university where English is the language of instruction AND in a country where English is the native language (e.g. Canada, UK, USA, Australia, etc.). Other English Waivers will NOT be accepted.
Designed with working professionals in mind, the Master of Cybersecurity Leadership and Cyberpreneurship offers flexible course delivery and program load options, including part-time and distance learning. Many courses are delivered in a hybrid format, offering both synchronous and asynchronous learning options.
Contact Us
Program information, including admissions, completion time, course offerings, and other general information can be found on this page.
Please direct all other program inquiries to our MCLC Graduate Program Assistant: cyber@uoguelph.ca.