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WGU MS:ISA Complete! What next? MBA IT Management?
aspiringsoul
Member Posts: 314
I have completed the MS:ISA program at WGU, and I have been very pleased with my experience at WGU.
I was able to transition into a security consulting role after achieving the CEH in 2015, so my degree has already paid for itself (and I've already paid for it without needing to get loans).
While I do have my criticisms of WGU, and I believe competency based education certainly is not for everyone, I also believe that WGU is a wonderful school which is helping thousands of Americans to earn a respected regionally accredited degree at an affordable price, and I would not hesitate to recommend this school to anyone who is not just out of high school (I would not have performed well when I was 18 years old) and also a self-starter.
The purpose of this topic is to address two things.
1. Any questions that you have about my experience at WGU. The MS:ISA program has been deprecated and replaced by the the MS:CIA, but seven of the courses are still the same, so the programs are still very similar.
2. I would appreciate and value your input. I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I'm going to be sitting the CISSP soon. Afterwards I intend to attempt the OSCP and take the CASP exams. Looking further, I plan to take the CISA and possibly the CISM at some point. After I achieve these certifications, I'll consider pursuing a second Master degree.
My goal is to become a CISO by the time I'm in my 40s, and a CIO by the time I'm in my 50s. I feel that having a strong business acumen would help me achieve this goal, and an MBA would certainly help me get there.
Now, here's the thing. I don't want to get student loans, so Wharton or Stanford is out of the question. My wife and I still have student loans to pay off for our undergraduates so I refuse to take out additional loans.
I'm considering two online programs. WGU's MBA IT Management program (cheaper) and Morehead State's MBA program (AACSB accredited, more expensive but under 20k). The WGU program would be cheaper, and I am already very acclimated with WGU's competency based style. I could also accelerate in this program and possibly finish it in 3 terms.
Morehead would be several thousand dollars more expensive, and would take me much longer to complete. I would likely need to complete pre-requisite courses before even being able to begin the core classes. So it would possibly take me 3 to 4 years to complete. However, aside from the longer time commitment and the additional cost, it is a much more reputable school.
Please let me know your thoughts, and feel free to ask any questions if you are new to these forums and considering WGU.
thank you.
I was able to transition into a security consulting role after achieving the CEH in 2015, so my degree has already paid for itself (and I've already paid for it without needing to get loans).
While I do have my criticisms of WGU, and I believe competency based education certainly is not for everyone, I also believe that WGU is a wonderful school which is helping thousands of Americans to earn a respected regionally accredited degree at an affordable price, and I would not hesitate to recommend this school to anyone who is not just out of high school (I would not have performed well when I was 18 years old) and also a self-starter.
The purpose of this topic is to address two things.
1. Any questions that you have about my experience at WGU. The MS:ISA program has been deprecated and replaced by the the MS:CIA, but seven of the courses are still the same, so the programs are still very similar.
2. I would appreciate and value your input. I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I'm going to be sitting the CISSP soon. Afterwards I intend to attempt the OSCP and take the CASP exams. Looking further, I plan to take the CISA and possibly the CISM at some point. After I achieve these certifications, I'll consider pursuing a second Master degree.
My goal is to become a CISO by the time I'm in my 40s, and a CIO by the time I'm in my 50s. I feel that having a strong business acumen would help me achieve this goal, and an MBA would certainly help me get there.
Now, here's the thing. I don't want to get student loans, so Wharton or Stanford is out of the question. My wife and I still have student loans to pay off for our undergraduates so I refuse to take out additional loans.
I'm considering two online programs. WGU's MBA IT Management program (cheaper) and Morehead State's MBA program (AACSB accredited, more expensive but under 20k). The WGU program would be cheaper, and I am already very acclimated with WGU's competency based style. I could also accelerate in this program and possibly finish it in 3 terms.
Morehead would be several thousand dollars more expensive, and would take me much longer to complete. I would likely need to complete pre-requisite courses before even being able to begin the core classes. So it would possibly take me 3 to 4 years to complete. However, aside from the longer time commitment and the additional cost, it is a much more reputable school.
Please let me know your thoughts, and feel free to ask any questions if you are new to these forums and considering WGU.
thank you.
Education: MS-Information Security and Assurance from Western Governors University, BS-Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan University, AAS-Computer Network Systems - ITT Tech,
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EANx
Member Posts: 1,077 ■■■■■■■■□□
IMO, the single most important thing a CIO brings to the table is an understanding of financials. You also don't give an indication of the type of CISO/CIO role you're aiming for. CIO at a small company is far different than one at one listed in the S&P 500. How many years out are you looking? Someone looking out 25 years has a far different plan than someone looking out 10 years. Anyway, my suggestion is that the single most important hing you can do to prepare for a job in the C-suite is take a couple of accounting courses at the community college.