College Recommendations Please!

Hello, I am going to college next year and need aid on finding colleges. I want to go into the field of security/penetration testing. I want to do programming or systems administration as a minor. Their really are not too many colleges in the US that seem to fit my needs. In all the US I found 11 colleges with security courses. I found Champlain in VT but I heard that dorming sucks and it is just overall terrible. I then found RIT ( Rochester Institute Of Technology ) which really caught my interest in the courses but the male/female ratio is ridiculous, I recently heard the city is a **** with almost no social life also. Can anyone please recommend some colleges in the US perferably East Coast that will suit me to persue my career? Thanks alot!

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Slowhand

You could give College Prowler a try. The dead-tree version is very informative, even in the all-in-one format they just released. They've got a lot of good information about the quality of various schools, the strengths and weaknesses of the programst they offer, and lots of other information about the general atmosphere and feel of each college.

Tanner8

Thanks I will look at that. Any direct school recommendations or even other majors to study? The major of security is very limited and has drastically limited my college list. What do you suggest I go into?

Slowhand

I'd recommend broadening your field to include computer science, engineering, and information systems. Security comes with time, but it'll come through one of those areas. I'm on the west coast, so I don't really know too much about the east coast schools, aside from the obligatory MIT and NYU, but that's really more by reputation, than anything else.

Tanner8

MIT or NYU...lol. Ya see, im not exactly the brightest bulb on the ceiling if you know what I mean.

Computer science and information sciences can be a possible major for me, many more schools offer those as opposed to security. Engineering, now do you mean software engineering? Hardware engineering? or systems engineering?

If you know of any good west coast school, please mention them. I will look at schools similar to them.

My career...I am not 100% sure I want to become a pen tester but that field does have me interested. I believe the pay is good for pen testers so it will be something I enjoy doing and will keep me above water at the same time.

Schluep

Tanner8 wrote:

My career...I am not 100% sure I want to become a pen tester but that field does have me interested. I believe the pay is good for pen testers so it will be something I enjoy doing and will keep me above water at the same time.

Hope it is something you will really enjoy doing. Penetration testing or other Security related tasks typically require on-going study well beyond what it takes to get your degree or any certifications. You can expect to be studying and staying current on a daily basis for as long as you are in the field. If you plan on doing penetration testing it will likely be a part of other Security Consultant work. It will be hard to get any contracts on your own or be employed as a Security Consultant without substantial experience as well.

If you really want to go down this path make sure you are 100% sure of it is what I am getting at. Don't just do it because it sounds fun or looks like it pays well. The reason it pays well as because it requires very current knowledge and that you are highly proficient at what you do. I think you may be dissapointed if you are just looking to give it a try since it pays well and not fully committ to a lifelong process.

I am sorry that I can't offer suggestions for any colleges as I am honestly not famliar with their programs or the quality of them.

Mishra

ITT tech provides a security bachelors degree you can take. Just a suggestion, not recommendation.

Tanner8

Thanks guys. I am going to major in computer science instead. That commitment post scared the crap outta me. I was talking to my computer science teacher and she said it would be good if I graduate with a computer science degree because I have many more options to branch off into. So, I figured out what I am going to do. I am going to major in computer science/information sciences and sign up for the IT package over here: http://www.e-learningcenter.com/general_it.htm. I can study this daily on my own time, then take the tests. So I can get A+ OS, Hardware, Security+, Networking+...etc, while doing 2 things at once. I will be majoring in comp science and knocking off these exams.

What do you think of that?

Since I recently changed my target major to something extremely common, I have soooo many schools to choose from. Now I have a question on which ones are better for computer science majors? Clarkson, Drexel... etc. Thanks a bunch guys!

SamCarter

Drexel has a new Computing and Security Technology major. I'm going there (online) and the security classes are fun.
http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/bachelors-degrees/bs-gs-tech/index.aspx

remerolle

I currently attend Marist College's ITS program which focuses on a broad view of IT from databases, java programing, web programing, linux/unix, zos, project management, and a heavy emphasis on the Cisco track. I have taken an excellent course for CCNA here, a Cisco Wireless course, a CCSP course, and I am currently working through a very intense CCNP course. Next semester, I am going for my CCIE independent study. Th professor who teaches these Cisco courses is excellent! He utilizes a combination of is own curriculum with the Cisco Networking Academy online curriculum. The college is located in Poughkeepsie NY. A good majority of the students here are recruited by Morgan Stanley, UBS, Goldman Sachs, and etc. If you are interested in working for Cisco, we have had many candidates referred to that program from here. Check the website out to get some info.