Part Time Masters

I'm in a real pickle about what to do. I don't have a degree, I do have a HND in IT (that's about 66% of a degree). This is something that's always bugged me, particularly when asked "do you have a degree?" and I have to answer that I don't.

I have recently signed up to do a part time Masters - MSc with an emphasis on Cyber Security and Digital Forensics.

This is due to start in a months time. I've not paid yet so not fully committed.

About Me

- I work in Digital Forensics currently
- I am half way through my OSCP, and plan to do the exam in December
- I have good all round knowledge of IT
- I have a fair amount of time due to no kids, good working hours, etc... so I think I can fit the study in and the assignments
- I can take time off work fairly easily and I have some flexibility with studying during work hours (to some extent)

Some have said that in IT a Masters is not worth it - however, that's easy for someone WITH A DEGREE to say. I don't have one and feel it may at some point hold me back.

The first module I will do is Information Security.

Reasons I should do it

- I'm 33, I have a long working life ahead and feel that in 3+ years time that I will look back and think "I'm really glad I've done it"

- Job wise it may help to say I've got a Masters + other certifications

- It's always bugged me I don't have a degree, so a Masters would really be good to do and have

- I'm quite excited by the prospect of doing it

Reasons I shouldn't do it

- I'm keen to do my CISSP - not really because I desperately want to, but just because I know how much HR and Companies value it ... this combined with OSCP would really help me I think

- It may distract me from other areas of learning (however I would learn a lot from the masters itself)

- It's a long commitment

- I really don't know how much effort it takes to do. The first module is 3 assignments, each one takes around 6 weeks to complete.

- The cost - it is £1300 per module ($1700 USD) - and you pay just before you start. So there are 6 modules so the cost isn't too bad as it's spread out over several years. Work will not pay for any of this ... one of the many reasons I'm looking to move on.

Any thoughts or advice

Sorry for the rambling post but I'm just trying to get my head straight and work out what to do.

Thanks
CyberCop

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Comments

Welly_59

I think at this stage in your career the masters won't provide you any advantages that your experience and planned/gained certs will already be providing.

If your doing it because YOU want to then by all means go for it.

I have a few colleagues who have just started a masters via OU. They are all doing it because they want to achieve something not because they think it will give them a career advantage

Zorodzai

I think location matters a lot. From my perspective, considering my location (Africa), I would say go for it because there is a definite ceiling if one does not have a degree. Degrees have high values placed on them, Masters more so....not knowing how your market works and general HR rules out there I an only really give my personal opinion based on my own experience.

UnixGuy

A technical masters degree probably won't help you, because you have technical experience and you're doing (and aiming for) high level technical certs

Something like a masters in management would add value and get you to leadership positions.

CyberCop123

Welly_59 wrote: »

I think at this stage in your career the masters won't provide you any advantages that your experience and planned/gained certs will already be providing.

If your doing it because YOU want to then by all means go for it.

I have a few colleagues who have just started a masters via OU. They are all doing it because they want to achieve something not because they think it will give them a career advantage

Well I'm in the public sector at the moment. The reason I am doing (and hopefully will pass) the OSCP is that I want to get into cyber security and possibly pen testing.

Zorodzai wrote: »

I think location matters a lot. From my perspective, considering my location (Africa), I would say go for it because there is a definite ceiling if one does not have a degree. Degrees have high values placed on them, Masters more so....not knowing how your market works and general HR rules out there I an only really give my personal opinion based on my own experience.

I'm based in the UK so not sure if that differs at all. I know that employers annoyingly always ask "Have you got a degree", or have a filtering process based on this.

UnixGuy wrote: »

A technical masters degree probably won't help you, because you have technical experience and you're doing (and aiming for) high level technical certs

Something like a masters in management would add value and get you to leadership positions.

Still in two minds to be honest. Although I'd like to have a masters, maybe concentrating on my CISSP after OSCP would be a better move. Hard to know how much a MSc in Cyber Security or Computing would help, if at all.

UnixGuy

CyberCop123 wrote: »

Well I'm in the public sector at the moment. The reason I am doing (and hopefully will pass) the OSCP is that I want to get into cyber security and possibly pen testing.

I'm based in the UK so not sure if that differs at all. I know that employers annoyingly always ask "Have you got a degree", or have a filtering process based on this.

Still in two minds to be honest. Although I'd like to have a masters, maybe concentrating on my CISSP after OSCP would be a better move. Hard to know how much a MSc in Cyber Security or Computing would help, if at all.

To be honest, CISSP & OSCP have much better return on investment AND they take a lot of time and concentration. I personally wouldn't waste time and money on a masters at this point. you can always get a degree from university of london external, they have information security masters..but in all honesty I don't think it will add value to your career at this point.

jamesleecoleman

Why not just go for a BS in infosec and be done? In my opinion, having a CISSP would be better than a masters. The masters programs that I've looked at covered just about all the CISSP domains. The reason why I think it's better to have the CISSP is because you have to keep up on the learning and prove it.

It looks like you're on a very good path for expanding your knowledge and experience.

DatabaseHead

Why not take the 66% of a bachelors degree you currently possess and see about transferring that into a REAL bachelors program, CS, Security etc....

awitt11

What program lets you attempt a Masters (in science) without any Bachelors degree? I'm pretty sure for accredited programs a B.A./B.S. is required to enroll in any Masters level course of study. I would take your existing credit/experience and fast track a B.S. through WGU or similar.

Clm

I would say go for it. Sadly having a degree doesn't mean you will be good at your job but it will get you pass the HR department.
Degrees are for HR
Certs are for the technical manager
Experience is for you

yoba222

Just make sure your study/work/pay-the-bills system is stable and balanced because getting a degree part-time takes forever to do.

Welly_59

awitt11 wrote: »

What program lets you attempt a Masters (in science) without any Bachelors degree? I'm pretty sure for accredited programs a B.A./B.S. is required to enroll in any Masters level course of study. I would take your existing credit/experience and fast track a B.S. through WGU or similar.

In UK you don't need a bachelors to get a masters

jelevated

I would go Bachelors -> Certs (including CISSP) -> Masters.

a lot of people out there nowadays have the trifecta , Experience+Certs+Degrees. This used to be rare. You might get a couple of candidates who have a bachelors and maybe a few masters. Certs were pretty rare except for specialized or well known ones (i.e. the earlier CCNA). Now the appetite is huge. Now there are so many cert vendors, so many schools offering masters degrees in whatever your heart desires.

In certain spaces of IT you should expect to compete with "trifectas" by becoming one yourself. Its not tough to do, just pick the right program, the right certs, learn and have fun. There are so many "trifectas" that we can whittle down a resume pile based on this criteria alone and still get alot of hits. Not all of them are superstars. Some of the most infosec (for example) professionals have no certificates, masters degrees at all and refuse to get them. But since the rest of us aren't underground celebrities, a little external validation can help us get noticed. These days, the competition is so fierce, I'd be nervous if I didn't have something extra. yeah a bachelors...yeah I guess that'll get you through HR but there is so much competition, you can get noticed far easier with a bit of extra work. This community has been great in that regard.

CyberCop123

DatabaseHead wrote: »

Why not take the 66% of a bachelors degree you currently possess and see about transferring that into a REAL bachelors program, CS, Security etc....

I have looked into this. To "top up" to a full degree takes 2 years. The masters takes 3 years, so in my mind I thought I could get a far better qualification with an extra year studies which would gain me far more.

If I could top up to a full degree within a year, then I would choose that option.

urstuffplz1

CyberCop123 wrote: »

I have looked into this. To "top up" to a full degree takes 2 years. The masters takes 3 years, so in my mind I thought I could get a far better qualification with an extra year studies which would gain me far more.

If I could top up to a full degree within a year, then I would choose that option.

I'm from the UK and have recently completed my FdSc through the University of Plymouth. I've signed up for the Open University to do the MSc in Advanced Networking but may be going back to do a 2 year part-time BSc top-up providing I can get on the course (it started last week, got a meeting today to see if I can sign up and get my funding sorted).

You can do the BSc top-up in Computing and IT Practice with the Open University in 12 months if you wanted to - they do not recommend you do that, but providing you can do the work and state you have the time/experience to cope they'll have no problems with that.

I'm not really sure an MSc will give us any additional room for jobs over a BSc, especially now we have the postgraduate loans out and postgraduate qualifications becoming a normality more than a luxury.

As others have stated, certifications and experience trump all, overall. A BSc or MSc, to me, will be the normality moving forward for jobs. I can only see an MSc making a difference once you start progressing towards the upper levels of bigger organisations.