Bright idea - What would be the pros and cons of pursuing an AMU masters in IT or Cyber and recertifying Security + bachelors graduation?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:05:49 -0400

Response by SFC Randy Purham made Apr 8 at 2017 12:12 AM

SFC Randy Purham — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:12:12 -0400

The only thing I can think of, the instructors not grading or responding to the course in a timely manner and you subsequently fail because they are rushing at the last min or they switch instructors because of the previous reason and you still fail because the new instructor has unrealistic expectations.

Response by SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint made Apr 8 at 2017 12:24 AM

SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:24:00 -0400

It is just like poker, a King is better than a 2. A Masters is better than a Bachelors degree. Think as a hiring manager. I have two resumes, both look good. One has a Masters, and one has a Bachelors, which would you pick? It is just like in poker, you pick the winning hand.

Response by PO3 Rick McKinney made Apr 8 at 2017 1:52 AM

PO3 Rick McKinney — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 01:52:35 -0400

I'm finishing my masters in computer science with speciality in cyber security and leadership. It is 100% online. It can be rough balancing work, life and school but it worth it. 7 week long rather intensive classes. A good program will not have issues with professors responding in a timely manner.

Response by PO3 Rick McKinney made Apr 8 at 2017 2:00 AM

PO3 Rick McKinney — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 02:00:43 -0400

As far as re-certifying security+, it is a nice cert to have in the beginning but what you want to work towards is a higher industry cert such as CISSP, CISA, CISM. You can test out on them but won't get the designation till you meet the experience requirements.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Apr 8 at 2017 4:28 AM

LTC John Shaw — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 04:28:06 -0400

The security certification and work experience are more important than the Master level degree. There are a number of Big Ten and ACC traditional schools that offer Cyber or information security graduate certificate for CISSP preparation.

Response by Cpl Joshua Caldwell made Apr 8 at 2017 10:25 AM

Cpl Joshua Caldwell — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 10:25:59 -0400

For me, the AMU is a better arena to learn in. You get professors who are not sheltered academics, you get educators who have decades of experience actually working in your field. Impress one of them and you might just find your new job.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2017 12:57 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 12:57:06 -0400

Depends on what you want to do. If you're going to be a hands-on worker bee, the security certifications along with a bachelors should be fine. I agree with what another poster said that Security+ might not be the best certification to get - CEH, CISSP, CISM, SSCP, CAP, and some of the others are much better. If you want to be a leader or manager, you're going to need your Masters, though, along with some of those certifications, like the CISM and the ones aimed at the management level, like the one for the CISO position (I can't remember the name off-hand). You can get that later, but the Masters is the new Bachelor's degree in high-tech management. It's the ground floor level of degree you need.

Response by PO1 Sojourner "Chancy" Phillips made Apr 29 at 2017 11:25 AM

PO1 Sojourner "Chancy" Phillips — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 11:25:27 -0400

What I have learned recently is both are good to have. I recently took a DoD position and S+ is required to get access to any of the mission systems. I took and passed mine yesterday. Yay! Everyone has to recert to keep their access and position. So letting it lapse is not worth it. The masters is something I am debating on. It seems to depend on what you goals are in the field. It will make you mor money but it only seems to matter if you are looking at Senior level management or CIO level career path. So I am putting the masters aside and concentrating on certs for the next 2 years.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 1 at 2018 6:31 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 01 Dec 2018 18:31:06 -0500

Pros for a Masters in IT or Cyber
*Many labor markets are saturated with bachelors degrees
*A Masters degree signals to a potential employer of an added commitment to excellence
*A Masters degree shows advanced knowledge and expertise in your field and prepares you for additional responsibility

Cons for a Masters in IT or Cyber
*A Student without a scholarship incurs the costs of the education
*A Masters degree requires an additional 1-2 year commitment depending on the program
*Formal Education does not say everything about the individual, experience counts too

Pros for a Bachelors and a Security Re-certification
*The re-certification may be all that is required for the job
*Employer may be looking to mold employee with an undergraduate degree into the company
*The individual may be perfectly satisfied in the career with a bachelors and cert

Cons for Bachelors and a security re-certification
*The student has loans that need to be paid
*Satisfaction with a bachelors and cert

**Your individual goals carry more weight than anything
I hope this helps