School advice

Nobylspoon

I haven't been very active in the past few months due to a busy semester but I figured I would swing by for a bit of advice from you guys.

I am currently working on an Associates in InfoSec at my local community college but unfortunatly none of the universities in my area offer a 4 year degree in it so I am looking into the private schools. My plan was originally to attend Capella after my associates is complete.

I am a vet and I still have alot of my GI Bill left, under the new Post 9-11 GI Bill my state is one of the highest paying for tuition which basically means tuition cost is not a deciding factor since it will be covered. One catch though is if I am taking classes local then I will receive a $1500 check every month for my living expenses but if I attend an online school such as Capella I will not get that monthly check.

I know ITT Tech isn't looked the most highly upon but they are in my area and offer a bachelors in InfoSec. Tuition would be covered and I would still get the check for my living expenses. That being said would that school be a sound choice or would I be better off giving up my monthly check and attending an online school like Capella.

My concern is I have read alot of talk online about people saying they have had trouble getting a job because they went to ITT Tech. Is there any truth to those statements?

dynamik

Keep in mind that the long-term benefits of a good degree will outweight that $1500/mo. I'd go with the best program you can get into, regardless of how that factors into it.

wastedtime

Not sure what you are looking for in a degree plan but if you are in Austin you do have a nice university right in that city. Also as a military veteran and wanting to go to a college instate I would look at Central Texas College.

Nobylspoon

wastedtime wrote: »

Not sure what you are looking for in a degree plan but if you are in Austin you do have a nice university right in that city. Also as a military veteran and wanting to go to a college instate I would look at Central Texas College.

I was looking for a degree in information security, not something UT seems to offer. I will check Central Texas though.

Nobylspoon

wastedtime wrote: »

Not sure what you are looking for in a degree plan but if you are in Austin you do have a nice university right in that city. Also as a military veteran and wanting to go to a college instate I would look at Central Texas College.

CTC just offers 2 year degrees, I will already have my associates soon from Austin Community College. I am looking for a bachelors in information security.

djhss68

I would avoid ITT Tech like the plague. I see too many unfavorable opinions of that institution. Plus it seems WAY overpriced. I'd probably take any community college over ITT.

Nobylspoon

djhss68 wrote: »

I would avoid ITT Tech like the plague. I see too many unfavorable opinions of that institution. Plus it seems WAY overpriced. I'd probably take any community college over ITT.

Like I said, price isn't a factor and I am already getting a degree at a community college, I am looking at a bachelors.

wastedtime

As far as instate I am not sure if I can help you there. I recently started my Bachelors in IA at UMUC. I am still looking into some of the policies of the post 9/11 GI Bill but I know Maryland doesn't pay out that much.

Nobylspoon

wastedtime wrote: »

As far as instate I am not sure if I can help you there. I recently started my Bachelors in IA at UMUC. I am still looking into some of the policies of the post 9/11 GI Bill but I know Maryland doesn't pay out that much.

I wasn't even going to bother with the post 9/11 GI Bill until I noticed that Texas had one of the highest payment rates, $1333 a credit hour, which would cover most of the private schools here in the state as well. I am currently using chapter 30 and just pocketing the money since my tuition at ACC is dirt cheap, like $600 a semester.

I actually took a couple of classes at UMUC while I was stationed in Italy. It would be great if the post 9/11 GI Bill would pay living expenses for distance learning as well, would make things alot easier lol.

wastedtime

Well I found this GI Bill 2008 ? Action Center. The zip code for UMUC is 20783. I am still reading up on this but that is a start.

Nobylspoon

wastedtime wrote: »

Well I found this GI Bill 2008 ? Action Center. The zip code for UMUC is 20783. I am still reading up on this but that is a start.

If I remember correctly UMUC is only distance learning right? The post 9/11 MGIB will cover the tuition but they will not pay you the housing allowance unless you are attending school in the classroom on campus, this is the major downfall of the new MGIB.

sagewalkinthere

Use collegeboard.com to veiw schools with certain programs in your area. You might consider getting a BSCS degree or something like that- it would still be very valuable to your career, especially from a respected school.

LarryDaMan

Nobylspoon wrote: »

If I remember correctly UMUC is only distance learning right? The post 9/11 MGIB will cover the tuition but they will not pay you the housing allowance unless you are attending school in the classroom on campus, this is the major downfall of the new MGIB.

No, UMUC offers on campus classes as well.

the_Grinch

I think you are going to be a little hard pressed to find a BS in Information Security as there aren't a lot of programs out there. I'd look at community colleges that have agreements with larger schools that might offer it. Such as the case in my state, where a lot of the community colleges have agreements where you stay at the local school, but get courses from Drexel, Temple, Duke, etc. Also, perhaps instead of looking for a degree in information security, look into an IT/IS/CS degree that offers concentrations in information security/assurance. Seems to me that a Master's is the better way to go when getting into security. Thus far my information security education has only netted me employers who say not enough experience or you won't be happy doing regular IT work. Good luck!

JoJoCal19

Honestly, I would forget about getting the Bachelors in Information Security and pursue a Bachelors in IT/CS/Information Systems degree with a concentration in security or networking and then pursue all the security certifications. Like grinch said, getting the Security degree may limit your opportunities but getting a IT/IS degree will make you well rounded and your certs can be your specialty. Trust me, you do not NEED an Information Security degree to get a IT security position, it may help in some cases but so will certs.

Nobylspoon

I wouldn't mind doing the IT/IS degree path but it looks like the schools in my area are just offering CS with a focus on programming, not the path I want to do down. I may just end up moving somewhere else when I finish my associates.

JBrown

I would highly recommend staying away from Online Schools unless its Harvard or MIT. We are currently running a few online programs (I work for an educational institution) and must say that not everybody can handle it. Some students switch to on-campus for most of the classes and take online only 1or 2 classes per semester.
Online schooling is nothing more than a self-studying. You login to Blackboard portal, where you find your class syllabus and they provide you with list of chapters you have to read for that week, homework’s to submit, with due dates and taking finals with a LockDown browser to prevent you from opening a few browsers at once. Some schools might provide with a video stream and chat options, but it is still a self studying.

Nobylspoon

JBrown wrote: »

I would highly recommend staying away from Online Schools unless its Harvard or MIT. We are currently running a few online programs (I work for an educational institution) and must say that not everybody can handle it. Some students switch to on-campus for most of the classes and take online only 1or 2 classes per semester.
Online schooling is nothing more than a self-studying. You login to Blackboard portal, where you find your class syllabus and they provide with chapters of reading you have to do, homework’s to submit, with due dates and taking finals with a LockDown browser to prevent you from opening a few browsers at once. Some schools might provide with a video stream and chat options, but it is still a self studying.

Yeah I have been doing about 50/50 inclass and online with my associates. Some of the teachers do a great job still teaching with the online classes while others just post assignments and you never hear from them again, although with a full time work schedule sometimes its easier to just take them online. I have always been good at the self study thing.

I doubt I could get into Harvard or MIT either

shednik

If you want to get into Information Security I definitely looking at some of the bigger schools in your area...take a look at this list here Centers of Academic Excellence - Institutions - NSA/CSS all of those schools offer some type of InfoSec program and are backed by the NSA/DHS.

Nobylspoon

Is a Management Information Systems degree something that would be good for the field? I just noticed UT offers this.

sagewalkinthere

Nobylspoon wrote: »

Is a Management Information Systems degree something that would be good for the field? I just noticed UT offers this.

MIS and CS degrees are what I see asked for most often on job postings.

Nobylspoon

shednik wrote: »

If you want to get into Information Security I definitely looking at some of the bigger schools in your area...take a look at this list here Centers of Academic Excellence - Institutions - NSA/CSS all of those schools offer some type of InfoSec program and are backed by the NSA/DHS.

Thanks for that link. I didn't see any that are in my part of Texas but I did notice Capella University made the list, they were my original choice. I am also going to look into Portland State, I was considering moving out that way in a couple years anyways.

JoJoCal19

Nobylspoon wrote: »

Is a Management Information Systems degree something that would be good for the field? I just noticed UT offers this.

If you can get accepted into UT and the classes for the MIS degree will work with your schedule then I would definitely go that route. No doubt. MIS degree from a major 4 year is your best option.

Hallucinate

I think you will be fine with any school you choose.

If I were you, I would focus on where you want to live for the next few years of your life. When you decide on that, choose the best school in that area. You will be getting BAH based off the zip code of the school.

During my research, one thing I have noticed is the BAH is higher than most programs offered at universities (ie. campus housing + food combos). You're tuition is going to be paid for 100% as long as you've served 3 years post-911. There are also a few other caveats for that. You will also get $1000 a year for books + supplies and a $250 stipend for something (I can't remember what).

Do you know how to check the BAH rates?

sdyess

I received my MIS Degree from Keller School of Management (DeVry's management school). I really loved the program. I also got it completely online.