Master of Science [M.S] [Information Technology- Network Design and Security] From Liberty University

Liberty University Master of Science in Information Technology (IT), Network Design and Security, is a 36-credit residential degree in Lynchburg, Virginia, with a published three-semester sequence. The Spring 2027 intake begins on 18 January 2027, with calculated tuition of US$20,700 (INR 19.77 Lakhs). Good-standing admission requires GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, approximately 75% to 80% or CGPA 7.5 to 8.0 on 10.

The programme trains applicants to connect IT infrastructure, software, databases, network architecture and applied security with organisational requirements. Its distinctive proposition is a 27-credit core, a nine-credit cognate and an integrated capstone. The Christian worldview and prior preparation in programming, networking, algebra and statistics shape the fit.

• Residential students can use IT labs, a networking and data centre and the Center for Cyber Excellence within Liberty’s School of Business.
• Approved students may transfer up to 50% of the 36-credit degree total.
• The programme page identifies opportunities to graduate with certificates in systems such as Microsoft, SAP and Cisco.

Also Check: Liberty University IT admission

Liberty IT Network Design Fees and Living Costs 2027

Liberty’s 2026-27 residential graduate fee page publishes both a per-credit rate and a full-time annual reference. The table keeps those official anchors separate from the calculated 36-credit tuition because the two figures do not reconcile automatically.

The residential target mode matters for Indian applicants because the cost sheet includes room, dining and health insurance allowances. The online variant has different delivery and immigration implications, so these residential estimates should not be transferred to online planning.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 95.4939 as of 26 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: Liberty University 2026-27 residential tuition page and Graduate Cost Breakdown.

The 36-credit arithmetic gives US$20,700 (INR 19.77 Lakhs), but the annual reference gives US$10,350 (INR 9.88 Lakhs). Ask Liberty which billing basis controls the Network Design and Security residential offer.

• Budget the per-credit calculation until Liberty confirms the programme invoice because it is the only figure that directly covers all 36 credits.
• Keep the US$980 (INR 93,584) annual fee allowance distinct from the US$320 (INR 30,558) semester activity line.
• Use the written fee confirmation when preparing the Affidavit of Financial Support and education-loan estimate.

Cost of Living in Lynchburg for Information Technology Students

Liberty’s official 2026-27 graduate cost sheet estimates residential attendance for one academic year. Monthly figures below are calculated by dividing each annual allowance by 12.

The listed living allowances total US$18,154 (INR 17.34 Lakhs), excluding the separate US$980 (INR 93,584) annual fee allowance. A conservative two-year planning illustration totals US$58,968 (INR 56.32 Lakhs), calculated as two annual cost sheets.

The planning illustration is not a Liberty-published total and excludes visa, travel and summer expenses. Liberty’s cost sheet also advises adding US$4,000 (INR 3.82 Lakhs) for summer expenses when a student remains in the United States.

Read More: USA cost of living for international students

ROI reality: The residential budget is manageable only after the tuition basis is confirmed. Obtain the programme invoice before comparing the calculated cost with a loan sanction or expected post-study earnings.

Liberty IT Network Design Admission 2027

Liberty requires a bachelor’s degree from an appropriately accredited institution and GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for admission in good standing. Every application is reviewed case by case, while the IT prerequisites create a separate preparation test for applicants changing fields.

For Indian applicants, GPA 3.0 is approximately 75% to 80%, or CGPA 7.5 to 8.0 on 10 as a planning range. NACES means the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

A member evaluation is required for college-level study completed outside the United States, and the report supports Liberty’s equivalency review.

Academic Eligibility and Prerequisites

The five prerequisite areas must be completed before taking graduate-level courses. Match course titles, programming languages and laboratory or credit details against Liberty’s list before relying on an otherwise acceptable bachelor’s degree.

The programme’s graduation standard is 3.0 GPA, with no more than two grades of C and no grade of D or below applied. The degree must be completed within five years, so transfer credit can reduce cost only after Liberty confirms its usability.

No programme-specific position was verified for this Network Design and Security degree in the ranking sources checked. An overall university position would not measure the prerequisite burden, technical sequence or capstone experience.

English-Language Proficiency

Liberty’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) policy lists the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). It also accepts Pearson Test of English (PTE), Duolingo English Test and International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP).

These tests document readiness for graduate study, but they do not replace the programming, networking, algebra and statistics prerequisites. Liberty’s current wording retains the TOEFL internet-based score on its published scale.

• Audit every Indian transcript for both object-oriented programming levels before ordering the credential evaluation.
• Confirm that algebra, networking and statistics credits meet Liberty’s course-level expectations before submitting the application.
• Schedule the English test early enough to allow a retest and official score delivery before 31 October 2026.

Check Out: Liberty University graduate programmes

Tip for Indian students: The degree is accessible at GPA 3.0, but missing programming or quantitative credits can delay graduate entry. Build a prerequisite map before paying for evaluation or submitting the Spring 2027 file.

Liberty IT Network Design Application 2027

Liberty’s Spring 2027 international deadline is 31 October 2026, and the file must be complete and accepted by that date. Fall 2027 has a published international deadline of 31 March 2027, giving applicants another route when prerequisite preparation needs more time.

The current international page publishes dates without a clock time or programme-specific decision date. Eastern Time controls the portal cutoff, so applicants in India should submit early rather than calculate an assumed Indian deadline.

Application Timeline

The table lists the current international intakes named by Liberty. The official deadline page provides the dates, but it does not publish a reliable time-of-day conversion to India Standard Time.

Because acceptance is included in the deadline rule, uploading an application without the required evaluation or English evidence creates timing risk. Verify the current wording on Liberty’s international graduate admissions page before submitting.

Application Documents and Enrolment Steps

Begin with the resident graduate application and then complete the academic, language and immigration file. The sequence below connects admission to campus enrolment for an applicant applying from India.

SEVIS means the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Liberty uses the financial and identity documents to assess eligibility for the Form I-20, which supports the F-1 visa application.

Liberty states that documents for students travelling to campus should reach International Graduate Admissions no later than eight weeks before proposed travel. This requirement makes early completion valuable even though the programme deadline is date-based.

• Order the NACES evaluation before the Spring deadline because a preliminary report may require a final report before second-semester registration.
• Keep the passport name consistent across the application, credential evaluation and English score report.
• Prepare proof of funds against the unresolved tuition basis before requesting the Form I-20.
• Choose Fall 2027 when missing prerequisite credits cannot be completed before the Spring sequence begins.

Application tip: Spring 2027 is an acceptance deadline, not merely a form-submission date. Finish the NACES, English and financial documents before 31 October 2026 because Liberty does not publish a later decision buffer.

Liberty IT Network Design Scholarships 2027

Liberty’s current international guidance says full scholarships are not available to international students. Funding is therefore a partial-risk strategy unless a selected campus role offsets tuition and living costs.

The most relevant route is the Graduate Student Assistantship (GSA). A GSA works with professors on lectures, grading and related tasks, with tuition support and a stipend or hourly wages subject to separate selection.

The GSA is the clearest academic funding route because it connects assistance with teaching and grading work. Read the current Graduate Student Assistantship information and ask whether selection occurs before the first Financial Check-In.

• Build a loan and family-funding plan that assumes no full scholarship because Liberty excludes international students from that category.
• Apply for the GSA separately from the degree because admission does not guarantee an assistantship position.
• Ask whether tuition support covers the per-credit rate, annual fees or only a defined number of credits.
• Keep housing, insurance and travel funds available because role-based awards may not cover every residential cost.

Also Check: Scholarships for Indian students in the USA

Scholarship reality: The GSA can reduce tuition exposure, but separate selection and unpublished target-cycle conditions make it unsafe as the only funding source. Submit the application with a complete non-scholarship budget.

Liberty IT Network Design Salary 2027

Liberty does not publish a course-specific salary, offer rate or placement rate for the M.S. in Information Technology Network Design and Security. The course page lists career options, but those possibilities are not evidence of typical graduate outcomes.

The closest available evidence is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupational data. BLS figures describe the wider labour market, so they should inform role selection rather than serve as a salary promise for Liberty graduates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics information security analyst profile and related May 2024 occupational profiles.

Information security analysts had a BLS projected growth rate of 29% from 2024 to 2034, while computer network architects had a 12% projection. These are occupation-level projections, not Liberty employment rates.

Professional-Course ROI for Indian Applicants

A conservative two-year planning illustration is US$58,968 (INR 56.32 Lakhs), calculated from two annual residential cost sheets. The missing course outcome report means the financial decision depends on verified billing, funding and the applicant’s prior technical experience.

• The calculated US$58,968 (INR 56.32 Lakhs) baseline excludes visa, travel and some summer costs, so obtain the programme invoice before finalising an education loan.
• Liberty publishes no course-cohort salary or placement rate, so request recent graduate destinations before treating the degree as an employment investment.
• BLS medians are US$124,910 (INR 1.19 Crore) for information security analysts and US$130,390 (INR 1.25 Crore) for network architects; use them as benchmarks, not forecasts.
• The standard post-completion OPT window is 12 months, while a 24-month STEM extension is unconfirmed; ask Liberty to verify the degree classification before planning a longer work period.
• Liberty says full scholarships are unavailable to international students, so retain a non-scholarship budget even when applying for the GSA.

Take-home pay varies with federal, state and local tax, benefits and the employer’s location. Use a current U.S. tax calculator before converting a gross benchmark into a repayment plan.

Host-country value is strongest when the applicant can document networking, programming or security experience before arrival. An applicant returning to India should treat the U.S. wage benchmarks as non-transferable context and request evidence about alumni destinations in India or the United States.

ROI reality: The curriculum aligns with security and network occupations, but no course outcome report proves repayment potential. Confirm the fee basis, ask for graduate destination evidence and treat BLS wages as market context only.

United States Visa for Liberty IT Students 2027

Residential international students normally use the F-1 student classification, which permits study in the approved on-campus programme. The current Student visa fee is US$185 (INR 17,666), and the I-901 SEVIS fee is US$350 (INR 33,423). The calculated combined charge is US$535 (INR 51,090), excluding travel and service charges.

H-1B means the U.S. specialty occupation visa route. F-2 is the dependent classification for an eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21.

• The standard OPT period is 12 months, while a 24-month STEM extension is unconfirmed; ask Liberty to verify the degree classification before planning a longer work window.
• An H-1B employer must meet the higher of the actual wage or prevailing wage, so the occupation and location affect sponsorship feasibility.
• F-2 status may cover a spouse and unmarried children under 21, but F-2 dependants are not authorised to work.
• Permanent residence has no fixed course-linked timeline, because sponsorship, immigrant category and visa availability control the pathway.

The visa file depends on the Form I-20, proof of funds and a consistent passport record. The residential route therefore requires a financial plan that covers the fee conflict, living allowances and the period before any authorised employment begins.

Check Out: U.S. F-1 visa requirements

Visa reality: The 12-month OPT window does not guarantee employment or a longer STEM period. Ask Liberty to confirm the degree classification and keep proof of funds independent of future work assumptions.