MSCSIA in 335 Days! (Long Read)

FrozenAvengerFrozenAvenger Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
[FONT=&amp]**I posted this already on the WGU subreddit and I figured to post it here as well**

First, sorry for the long post. I have recovered from the larger-than-life hangover I had this morning and I decided to post my experience on WGU’s MSCSIA program, but first some background information. I am currently in the USAF as a Systems Administrator. My role is more directed towards cyber compliance and I have been doing that for the past 5 ½ years. I finished my bachelor’s degree from UMUC in May of 2017 and started the MSCSIA in November of 2017. The reason I started this program was to challenge myself. I know it sounds cheesy but I honestly wanted to see if I could do this program in under a year. Looking back on my decision, I am glad I went for it but at the same time wanting to slap my past-self and say “you’re a damn masochist”.

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[FONT=&amp]Diving into the actual program, I came in with my CEH already so I cannot speak on that exam especially the new v9 variant. However, below is a breakdown of all the courses and my personal opinions on them.

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[FONT=&amp]Risk Management – JIT2: This was my very first course and my mentor (shout out to Jodi) recommended it for me as a starting point. If I remember correctly there is a pacing guide where you can literally complete the assignment in 1 week. The assignment is straight forward and provides a good foundation of things to come. No complaints on this class.

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[FONT=&amp]Secure Network Design – C700: This is an objective assessment and is by far my favorite part of WGU. In this style of assessment, individuals with knowledge on the subject can quickly accelerate through the course. I took the required pre-assessment, got a passing score and 5 days later I took the final assessment, completing the class. This style of assessment really allows for individuals with experience to significantly accelerate their program.

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[FONT=&amp]Cyberwarfare – C688: This was my favorite course. While some folks will find it mundane and just tiresome, I found it extremely interesting. I actually built my capstone based on some assignments in this class. This course is what you make of it. If you have some interest on the topic and are moderately motivated it should be an easy class. LOTS OF WRITING!

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[FONT=&amp]Secure Software Design – C706: This is another objective class and requires you to pass the pre-assessment before taking the actual assessment. Going back to the experience piece that I mentioned earlier, this course covers items that most people will not encounter every single day. Unless you work directly with Software Lifecycle management, I recommend that you take your time with this course. I passed the pre-assessment on the first try but I did take my time (1 month) to prepare for the actual assessment. !!!Read the study guide for the course!!!

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[FONT=&amp]Disaster Recovery Planning, Prevention and Response – FXT2: The assignments for this course are relatively straight forward. It was kind of a boring class but I did learn a bit about DRP/ECP. You get to do a little investigating with this course and recommend remediation’s. It’s always fun to point out flaws and the ways you would go about fixing them. Not easy but not too difficult either.

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[FONT=&amp]Security Policies and Standards – VLT2: This was an easy course. While the 4 tasks may seem daunting up front I was able to do all 4 in the span of 9 days (not gloating just trying to provide an actual timespan). I don’t remember a whole lot from the course itself as each assignment was a reiteration of the previous. Not saying each was the same but they were relatively close in content.

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[FONT=&amp]Cyberlaw, Regulations, and Compliance – TFT2: Worst class throughout the entire program. The tasks are quite broad and provide little direction. The lack of direction becomes quite evident when you get your paper returned 3 times for the same thing yet you changed your answer on each submission. For those that went through the program you know what I am talking about. The course mentor was absolutely useless. I don’t want to go on a rant for this one, just expect it to be a bit more difficult than the other courses you have taken. This is the only course where I had to resubmit my paper more than once and I will leave it at that.

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[FONT=&amp]Information Security and Assurance Capstone Project – LQT2: This was the hardest class yet one of the most rewarding. It was difficult because this is your capstone, that long paper you are dreading to write and always lingering in the back of your mind. However, the ball is completely in your court when it comes to this class. You are given the reigns and are expected to utilize the knowledge you have gained in your other classes to produce an exceptional written project. I based mine on the cyberwarfare course and created a fictitious organization to complete my project. It was a blast to complete and was the most rewarding course in the program.

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[FONT=&amp]Forensic and Network Intrusion (CHFI) – C702: Horrible. Just horrible. Use the student notes and purchase the Udemy course for CHFI (link below). I am not a fan of EC-Council and their exams. Anyone who has taken an EC-Council exam understands the frustrations that come along with their exams. I honestly believe WGU should drop the CHFI and CEH from their degree plan and replace them with exams from more reputable organizations (i.e. ISC2, SANS, etc…). There are better options out there and for a degree that some people will call their crowning achievement, I believe there should be a larger reward along the way.[/FONT][FONT=&amp]https://www.udemy.com/computer-hacking-forensic-investigator-version-9-practice/

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[FONT=&amp]Overall, I am EXTREMELY happy with the MSCSIA program at WGU. The core characteristics of WGU allows for students with real-world experience to excel. I have recommended WGU to most of my co-workers and as a result I have one of my airman (someone I supervise) actually enrolling as I am typing this. She will be starting in November. I love everything about WGU and I am proud to say that I am graduating from this university. To anyone wanting to take on the challenge, GO FOR IT. At first it can be daunting but if you stick with it and give yourself the time necessary to excel in your courses, you could do it in the exact time frame that I did. It is not impossible, it just requires time and effort.[/FONT][FONT=&amp]If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out![/FONT][FONT=&amp]Have a great day![/FONT]
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