New WGU Bachelor's Degree - Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (11 Certs!)

Nyblizzard

https://www.wgu.edu/online_it_degrees/cybersecurity_information_assurance_bachelor_degree
https://www.wgu.edu/wgu/credit/program526
https://www.wgu.edu/wgu/prog_guide/BSCSIA.pdf

Thought it was worth mentioning since I didn't see it posted anywhere else or advertised by WGU. The program also includes 11 Certifications with the cost. I believe many of these never offered before?

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• Certified Cloud Security Professional-CCSP (Associate of (ISC)²)
• Systems Security Certified Practitioner-SSCP (Associate of (ISC)²)
• Certified Encryption Specialist (EC-Council ECES)
• Certified Incident Handler (EC-Council ECIH)
• Certified Internet Webmaster – Site Development Associate (CIW-SDA)
• Certified Internet Webmaster – Web Security Associate (CIW-WSA)
  
• A+ (CompTIA)
  
• Network+ (CompTIA)
  
• Security+ (CompTIA)
  
• Project+ (CompTIA)
  
• ITIL® Foundation

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jibtech

The first offering for this degree will be students starting on 6/1. My enrollment counselor and I discussed it, and I signed up for it last week.

I went ahead and had a transcript evaluation done, and received the results this morning. It also showed the equivalencies for each of the classes, many of which were new.

It looks like a good curriculum, but some of the equivalencies didn't quite match up in my mind.

The list for Managing Information Security includes the CISA, CISM, CISSP and CCISO certs. Most of those certainly prove knowledge around managing InfoSec, but I would argue that the target is a bit higher than it should be for a bachelor's. And CISSP doesn't quite fit in with the others.

For my own purposes, the BSITSec more than fits the bill, so I switched back today. IT definitely does not look like a degree that will be easily accelerated.

Just my thoughts.

Danielm7

jibtech wrote: »

The list for Managing Information Security includes the CISA, CISM, CISSP and CCISO certs. Most of those certainly prove knowledge around managing InfoSec, but I would argue that the target is a bit higher than it should be for a bachelor's. And CISSP doesn't quite fit in with the others.

Where is this list from?

NEODREAM

I'll be starting this program on 7/1. Currently in the process of having my evaluation completed, so we will see how many classes I have left to take.

the_Grinch

Not a fan of the EC certs, but with that list and a degree most would fair very well as a security analyst.

NavyMooseCCNA

If you have a CCNA R&S; would that exempt you from Network+?

DatabaseHead

Dang that's a ton of certs.

mgeoffriau

Just remember that if you don't have the requisite experience, you cannot say that you are a CCSP or SSCP, or even that you took the CCSP or SSCP exam, only that you are an Associate of (ISC)².

atippett

mgeoffriau wrote: »

Just remember that if you don't have the requisite experience, you cannot say that you are a CCSP or SSCP, or even that you took the CCSP or SSCP exam, only that you are an Associate of (ISC)².

Very true. I just don't understand how they will enforce that rule. If you are in an interview and the hiring manager asks, "I see you have Associate of (ISC)2 on your resume, did you pass the CISSP or another exam?" If your response is, "I can't tell you", you pretty much eliminated yourself from the job.

mgeoffriau

Yeah, I've questioned this same point before.

I can't tell you what exam I passed, but can I tell you what exam I studied for? Can I tell you which study book I purchased, or which video course I watched?

For that matter, there's a ton of threads on this very forum from people describing how they passed the CISSP or some other (ISC)2 exam even though they haven't received their endorsement yet. Isn't that breaking the same rule?

NavyMooseCCNA

atippett wrote: »

Very true. I just don't understand how they will enforce that rule. If you are in an interview and the hiring manager asks, "I see you have Associate of (ISC)2 on your resume, did you pass the CISSP or another exam?" If your response is, "I can't tell you", you pretty much eliminated yourself from the job.

I brought up that question in a thread last week asking if it can be explained in the cover letter and that point was never addressed in the responses but someone suggested reaching out to ISC2 for that question. Personally, I will mention it in an interview but will follow ISC2 rules for the resume.

PJ_Sneakers

Danielm7 wrote: »

Where is this list from?

It's probably from the credit transfer list, where they show which certs and college credit can be used to satisfy requirements for the courses.

tmurphy3100

Man I regret my Strayer B.S. degree, this looks fun.

Blucodex

mgeoffriau wrote: »

Just remember that if you don't have the requisite experience, you cannot say that you are a CCSP or SSCP, or even that you took the CCSP or SSCP exam, only that you are an Associate of (ISC)².

As long as you have a few years of IT experience at ANY level you should be okay. Something as simple as adding user/file permissions will fall under one of the security domains. I know many people will hate this fact but that's the reality.

NetworkNewb

mgeoffriau wrote: »

For that matter, there's a ton of threads on this very forum from people describing how they passed the CISSP or some other (ISC)2 exam even though they haven't received their endorsement yet. Isn't that breaking the same rule?

Yes, it is. Good luck providing evidence to ISC2 to verify who they actually are though. Not much risk there. Same thing if you told the hiring manager during an interview. There is no evidence of you a breaking their guideline. Unless the interviewer just brought you in for an interview and is recording everything just to try and trap you. Gonna go out on a limb and say that is unlikely as well.

If you put it in a cover letter like NavyMooseCCNA was questioning, obviously that can be shown to ISC2 as proof your breaking their guidelines. Maybe you send it to a manager that doesn't like that your doing it and sends it over to ISC2 to review... That sounds more like something that could actually happen to me.

Pretty much up to your discretion on who or how you to tell people and if you think there is any risk.

Or you could just go after that test when you have the requirements to actually obtained the certification you want to get. Crazy I know

And just because I know someone is going to ask it... When you pass the test and waiting for the endorsement process to complete you aren't even an Associate. You are someone who just passed a test and nothing else. You get zero title, unless you stated in advance of taking the test your going for the Associate title. But in that case you wouldn't be waiting for an endorsement.

jibtech

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

It's probably from the credit transfer list, where they show which certs and college credit can be used to satisfy requirements for the courses.

Correct. I received my transcript evaluation for the new degree program, and this was from that evaluation.

jelevated

Last I heard from ISC2, as someone mentioned, nothing on the resume however you are allowed to say what test you passed during the interview.

Enforcement is really low. There are so many people on linked in listing "associate of isc2 cissp". Makes my blood boil but nothing to be done.

Clm

my coworker sent ISC2 the question of if your interviewed as a associate of ISC2 they said if you are putting it on a resume you put the associate on there if they ask what test you can verbally tell them

kevozz

the_Grinch wrote: »

Not a fan of the EC certs, but with that list and a degree most would fair very well as a security analyst.

Can you explain the statement about EC certs?

Searched TE and most are not fond of these certs either.

Deez Nerdz

Most people who work with (isc)2 certified folks know that an Associate is someone who hasn't yet been endorsed because they haven't yet met the 5 year experience requirement. So, as long as you're being ethical and stating that fact, you're probably okay with saying you're an Associate of (isc)2 in CISSP and that you've passed the exam.

Also, not sure why the EC-Council hate. Their exams aren't the hardest, but they require more tech knowledge than most of the other popular certs.

josephandre

kevozz wrote: »

Can you explain the statement about EC certs?

Searched TE and most are not fond of these certs either.

Its because they're a cash grabbing mockery of an organization

jamsub

I am in this program now having switched over from IT Security. My move was based on the (ISC)2 Certs over the Cisco ones. .

Stuph4me

I’ve come across this degree over the last week. I’m hoping to speak to an enrollment counselor tomorrow, but hoping to learn more on this forum as I go forward. I’m switching careers and wanting to eventually get my CEH. I’m concerned because I don’t have any previous professional or educational IT experience and the site lists a few requirements to join this program. I already have a bachelors in Psychology. So this will be a second bachelors degree. Do you know if this will be a barrier? Thanks for any info you can offer.

stryder144

Stuph4me wrote: »

I’ve come across this degree over the last week. I’m hoping to speak to an enrollment counselor tomorrow, but hoping to learn more on this forum as I go forward. I’m switching careers and wanting to eventually get my CEH. I’m concerned because I don’t have any previous professional or educational IT experience and the site lists a few requirements to join this program. I already have a bachelors in Psychology. So this will be a second bachelors degree. Do you know if this will be a barrier? Thanks for any info you can offer.

Usually, you can get one or two certifications and they will let you in. Talking to a counselor is the best idea, as they will have the most up-to-date information regarding the requirements.

Stuph4me

stryder144 wrote: »

Usually, you can get one or two certifications and they will let you in. Talking to a counselor is the best idea, as they will have the most up-to-date information regarding the requirements.

thank you for the info. I reached out today and spoke with a counselor! Working on something’s this summer to start the program in September!