DSU or DeVry for Bachelors Cyber Security Degree?

Pitre

Which is better DSU or DeVry for a Bachelors in Cyber Security Degree?

Cost doesn't matter since I was in the army and that will pay for most of it.

aderon

I've heard a lot of negative things in regards to DeVry. I don't believe degrees from there are looked highly upon. At least that's the general impression I get. I'd say go with DSU.

redworld

DSU is one of the NSA's Centers of Academic Excellence. Easy choice.

https://www.nsa.gov/ia/academic_outreach/nat_cae/institutions.shtml

iBrokeIT

For me the comparison would stop at the "nonprofit vs for profit" aspects of the institution.

ratbuddy

DeVry (and UoP, Full Sail, etc) resumes don't even get phone screens at my work.

phantasm

Avoid DeVry. I made that mistake and I'll be paying for it for the rest of life. Literally. I don't anything about DSU though.

ratbuddy wrote: »

DeVry (and UoP, Full Sail, etc) resumes don't even get phone screens at my work.

I hope that's not true. There's a lot of good experienced people out there whose experience speaks louder than there education.

akatsuki91

DSU is pretty good. I went there for a few semesters for their cyber security program. Sometimes it gets kind of slow since they have traditional semesters which can be good if you're still active duty.

Pitre

Thanks for this info.

Are there any other non-profit schools similar to DSU with an online program for Cyber Security?

the_Grinch

Numerous programs out there from non-profits for online programs in Cyber Security. DSU should be at the top of your list though, considering their price compared to others. I'd caution you to perhaps look at a more general technical degree with a minor in Cyber Security. I say this having been through a Cyber Security like program and having it be a pain when trying to find a job. Lacked the experience for a security position, but had other employers believe I wouldn't be happy since the positions I did qualify for were not security related. Thus if you don't already have a job in a security position or work in a place where there is a security team I would go for CompSci or IT/IS with the minor in Security.

digitheads

No question, DSU

zxbane

phantasm wrote: »

Avoid DeVry. I made that mistake and I'll be paying for it for the rest of life. Literally. I don't anything about DSU though.



I hope that's not true. There's a lot of good experienced people out there whose experience speaks louder than there education.

Not to be a jerk but I thought this was funny.

ratbuddy

Blatant grammatical or spelling errors also disqualify people

BlackBeret

There are others out there. Google is your friend, but I know a lot of people go through UMUC for Cyber Security.

phantasm

zxbane wrote: »

Not to be a jerk but I thought this was funny.

Yea well it is pretty funny. I was multi-tasking; writing MPLS configs with one half of my brain and trying to answer a post on here. I accept the harsh treatment.

mamoreno89

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a question.

Would it be a good idea to get a second bachelor's degree for someone who got a degree at DeVry?

MeanDrunkR2D2

I got my degree in CIS from DeVry. The education that I got honestly was great. The cost though, that's not so great. I do not regret the quality of the education that I got, and it's never hurt me in getting jobs either. There is alot of hate out there that is misguided towards DeVry and some of that is well deserved. I have friends of mine that went to state universities and they'd frequently bounce their school work off me looking for some help and what they were required to do was much simpler than the work I had to do in many cases.

But again, cost is the only reason that I would not choose them over other universities out there. I'm not familiar with DSU, so I cannot speak on how good/bad they are.

And if you already have a bachelors degree, to be honest, don't waste your time getting another. Certifications will do you far more good than a 2nd similar bachelors degree. And I'd even consider going the grad school route over a 2nd BS as well.

aspiringsoul

DSU all the way.

I certainly would not say that Devry is one of the worst actors in the For-Profit school industry, but there are a lot of them. They take in over $30 billion dollars per year from taxpayers, and while their students account for 13% of all college students, they account for roughly 47% of student loan defaults.

Don't take my word for it though. Read the report from the Senate HELP committee (attached)

If you don't mind to spend $1 to learn about one of the most corrupted industries in America, look no further than this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Americas-Future-For-Profit-Taxpayers-ebook/dp/B00JAJGIIK

I just read it recently and I highly recommend it. You can tell that David is very passionate about raising awareness about the subject.

beads

I have personally worked with people getting their "Master's" in Security, no experience in the field itself, complaining how difficult it was to turn in their SEVEN page thesis at the end of coursework. In case you missed the number of pages: It was seven (7) pages. As though SEVEN pages made up less than my footnotes - almost nine pages of small print. LOL.

No, DeVry is not a consideration but a money pit and needs to go away and out of the market.

-b/eads

psaechao

Here are my two cents:
I am a military veteran going to DeVry. Although their tuition is ridiculously high, it does not affect me because I am using GI Bill benefits. Quality of education differs from instructor to instructor. Most of the instructors are adjunct professors - they teach a few classes here and there, but mostly have another job outside of teaching (but in some cases, they are adjunct professors for many different schools throughout the area).
I have tried community college before, on campus and online. The main reason why I chose to continue my education with DeVry is because it's convenient for me since I work full time. DeVry offers many, many online courses and their on-campus courses start late (6 or 6:30PM), which is great for me because I get off work at 4:30PM.
Now this is what people mainly would like to hear. How are their education standards? It really differs from a normal community college/university. Although DeVry has on-campus classes, they're really not true on-campus classes - they are hybrid courses. The lecture and final exams are done onsite, while the quizzes and homework assignments are done online through the school's website.
Here are my PROS/CONS evaluation of the school.
PROS:
-Classes are incredibly small, usually ranging from 5-10 students, which means that the Professor can be more involved with all the students.
-Convenience. They have many online and onsite classes.
-You get to use real equipment. My Cisco classes have me setting up routers and switches, consoling in laptops and configuring through the CLI. My Windows Server class has me installing Windows Server 2008 R2, installing different services, etc.
-You don't have to pay for books, although technically, it is part of your tuition. This shouldn't matter to military veterans, though.
-All classes follow the same criteria: 3 discussion posts, 1 quiz, and 1 assignment per week. Some classes differ, but not by much.
CONS:
-*Since all classes follow that same criteria (3 discussion posts, 1 quiz, and 1 assignment per week), you really aren't expected to do much. A lot of it can easily be bullshitted or found online. It's easy to get an A.
-High tuition, but if you're military, it doesn't matter.
-Onsite lectures are only once per week. You can only learn so much.
-Staff isn't all that helpful. I stopped asking my counselors for help because they usually never respond to my emails.

As far as hiring managers not looking at resumes with DeVry or UoP, a Network Engineer (Michel Thomatis from Route Hub) told me in a YouTube video that many hiring managers don't look much into where you graduated from and that it usually only applies to jobs for schools.
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4on1keDdj-Y&list=PLgKNjrFQDsE9SZzJAmUINK0pAKf1wPLcR&index=4

goldenlight

Every time I see one of those For Profit Commercials, ECPI, Devry, ITT tech , ect... I think of a late night Get Rich Quick scheme. Do yourself a favor and seek out a good public institution like the public Community College, or public University.

TLeTourneau

Although I have ne experience with DSU I have a colleague that received his D.Sc. from them and can't speak highly enough of the school. As for DeVry, I will echo what others have said. Look for a reputable non-profit school if you can. Seeing that you are asking about DSU then it looks like you've already found a decent non-profit school.

aspiringsoul

psaechao wrote: »

Here are my two cents:
I am a military veteran going to DeVry. Although their tuition is ridiculously high, it does not affect me because I am using GI Bill benefits. Quality of education differs from instructor to instructor. Most of the instructors are adjunct professors - they teach a few classes here and there, but mostly have another job outside of teaching (but in some cases, they are adjunct professors for many different schools throughout the area).
I have tried community college before, on campus and online. The main reason why I chose to continue my education with DeVry is because it's convenient for me since I work full time. DeVry offers many, many online courses and their on-campus courses start late (6 or 6:30PM), which is great for me because I get off work at 4:30PM.
Now this is what people mainly would like to hear. How are their education standards? It really differs from a normal community college/university. Although DeVry has on-campus classes, they're really not true on-campus classes - they are hybrid courses. The lecture and final exams are done onsite, while the quizzes and homework assignments are done online through the school's website.
Here are my PROS/CONS evaluation of the school.
PROS:
-Classes are incredibly small, usually ranging from 5-10 students, which means that the Professor can be more involved with all the students.
-Convenience. They have many online and onsite classes.
-You get to use real equipment. My Cisco classes have me setting up routers and switches, consoling in laptops and configuring through the CLI. My Windows Server class has me installing Windows Server 2008 R2, installing different services, etc.
-You don't have to pay for books, although technically, it is part of your tuition. This shouldn't matter to military veterans, though.
-All classes follow the same criteria: 3 discussion posts, 1 quiz, and 1 assignment per week. Some classes differ, but not by much.
CONS:
-*Since all classes follow that same criteria (3 discussion posts, 1 quiz, and 1 assignment per week), you really aren't expected to do much. A lot of it can easily be bullshitted or found online. It's easy to get an A.
-High tuition, but if you're military, it doesn't matter.
-Onsite lectures are only once per week. You can only learn so much.
-Staff isn't all that helpful. I stopped asking my counselors for help because they usually never respond to my emails.

As far as hiring managers not looking at resumes with DeVry or UoP, a Network Engineer (Michel Thomatis from Route Hub) told me in a YouTube video that many hiring managers don't look much into where you graduated from and that it usually only applies to jobs for schools.
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4on1keDdj-Y&list=PLgKNjrFQDsE9SZzJAmUINK0pAKf1wPLcR&index=4

psaechao,

First of all, Thank you for your service!

Secondly, nobody here is criticizing you for choosing to attend a For-Profit school. You will find many forum members here with degrees from For-Profit schools who have found success. Personally, the MOST SUCCESSFUL person that I know in IT currently works for Cisco (he has a CCIE), and he earned his bachelor degree from Devry.

However, for those of us without GI Bill benefits, hindsight is always 20/20. I have a lot of regret for attending ITT Tech because I know that I was ripped off (way overpriced, unable to transfer my credits), and I realized afterwards that I could have earned the same degree at a community college at 1/4th the price. It's worth noting the ITT Tech is currently facing a lawsuit from the CPFB, and its CEO and CFO are facing a lawsuit from the SEC.

As a matter of fact, it is well known now that For-Profit Colleges TARGET veterans because the GI Bill is NOT included in the 90% of the Federal funds they are allowed to receive (look up the 90/10 rule). As a result, Veterans are hounded by For-Profit schools (the University of Phoenix is notorious for this).

To what extent do For-Profit schools target Veterans? Please read this here to find out (The attorneys general of several states had sued QuinStreet Inc., the owner of the GI Bill.com domain, charging it with deceptive practices by directing Veterans and Service Members on its website exclusively to for-profit schools that were clients of QuinStreet.):

VA to Take GIBill.Com Domain | Military.com

For your edification:

UoP:

FTC investigating financial practices of University of Phoenix
https://www.revealnews.org/article/defense-department-now-reviewing-university-of-phoenix-recruiting/

How/Why For-Profit schools target Veterans:
How Pricey For-Profit Colleges Target Vets' GI Bill Money | Mother Jones
http://time.com/money/3573216/veterans-college-for-profit/

Here is a list of all the lawsuits of Investigations of For-Profit schools (it's quite a lot! and Devry is on the list):
http://www.republicreport.org/2014/law-enforcement-for-profit-colleges/

Please do your brothers in Arms a favor, and make sure that they are aware of many of the shady business practices/ulterior motives of For-Profit colleges

You can see the report from the Senate Help Committee here:

http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/for_profit_report/Contents.pdf

zxbane

I made the mistake of using my GI Bill to attend a for profit school for my BS and MBA and although I've been successful in my career just after looking back and realizing how much of a rip off it was and how predatory these schools are I wish I would of went the public route. Luckily my employer has a TA program and I will use that to attend DSU for my MSIA.