Master list of B&M colleges offering online IT degrees

powerfool

James Madison University also has an Information Security MBA that is mostly online. Courses are eight weeks long, and I believe you meet at the beginning and end of each course, but the rest is online. Every course, be it economics, accounting, management, finance, etc has an emphasis on information security.

kurosaki00

great post!

Cisco Inferno

I recently took the time to make a spreadsheet from my own research.
This spreadsheet is for Master Degree programs relating to LAN-WAN Administration, Networking and Telecommunications.

This is a short list and doesnt cover other IT areas such as Security or Project Management nor does it include regular Computer Science, CIS or general IT Degrees.
(I can imagine that list being huge)

Maybe someone can add on to this with those types so we can truly have a nice collection.

I included such things as rank, cost and total credits.

please let me know what you guys think

RockinRobin

Bump for a GREAT thread!

justinwilliams

In response to what OP was looking for initially: If you’re interested in online MBA degrees, you should definitely give Stevens-Henager College a go; it’s accredited by the ACCSC (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges), is really well rated, offers online and on-campus programs, and has an online MBA degree program that can be completed in 15 months.

qwertyiop

I would add Davenport's MSIA program to the list.
The program can be completed completely in class or online and it is program has been certified as a CAE by the NSA.

Information Assurance, MS | Davenport University

veritas_libertas

qwertyiop wrote: »

I would add Davenport's MSIA program to the list.
The program can be completed completely in class or online and it is program has been certified as a CAE by the NSA.

Information Assurance, MS | Davenport University

The program is also very reasonable. I believe it's $6,000 a year.

qwertyiop

veritas_libertas wrote: »

The program is also very reasonable. I believe it's $6,000 a year.

I pay about $5,000 a year. Its actually pretty reasonable

veritas_libertas

qwertyiop wrote: »

I pay about $5,000 a year. Its actually pretty reasonable

How do you like the classes, and how do you participate?

qwertyiop

veritas_libertas wrote: »

How do you like the classes, and how do you participate?

I'm actually liking it, unlike in WGU you need to follow the class sylabis and curriculum but its pretty simple. A typical week consist of a lecture (really just a written lesson), a reading assignment, 1-2 DQ (discussion questions) and usually reply to atleast 2 posts atleast 5 times a week. On top of that some courses have term projects which could be a team project.

veritas_libertas

qwertyiop wrote: »

I'm actually liking it, unlike in WGU you need to follow the class sylabis and curriculum but its pretty simple. A typical week consist of a lecture (really just a written lesson), a reading assignment, 1-2 DQ (discussion questions) and usually reply to atleast 2 posts atleast 5 times a week. On top of that some courses have term projects which could be a team project.

Typical quizzes and tests I assume?

cyberguypr

qwertyiop wrote: »

I'm actually liking it, unlike in WGU you need to follow the class sylabis and curriculum but its pretty simple. A typical week consist of a lecture (really just a written lesson), a reading assignment, 1-2 DQ (discussion questions) and usually reply to atleast 2 posts atleast 5 times a week. On top of that some courses have term projects which could be a team project.

How many classes can you take per term?

qwertyiop

cyberguypr wrote: »

How many classes can you take per term?

Normally 2 per term though this Fall im taking 3 classes:

Applied Cryptography
Wireless and Mobile Security
Advanced Computer Forensics

qwertyiop

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Typical quizzes and tests I assume?

I havn't had any of those and im finishing my 4th class this week.

Most of the grades are from papers, projects and participation in the class discussion boards.

whatthehell

Freakin awesome post!!

Two things to note:

1. Course Information Suite, Course Catalog, Class Schedule, Programs of Study, General Education Requirements, GenEd

The above is supposed to be a Tier 1 school I believe, and one of the best online programs (also pretty difficult to get into).

2. I got a CIS undergrad degree from Brandman (part of the Chapman University College system). My friends, as well as myself, felt that the coursework was lacking at times, along with some of the instruction. The Dean/Admin of the program at the time did not take suggestions well (I personally asked him to add Linux classes, or at least classes with overviews of LAMP).
I am not sure if there has been a leadership change or a program revision, but would not recommend this program in terms of basically "learning as much as possible". You also have to understand that this school is technically a "private" school, which means tuition is quite expensive, but you get more individual attention and classes are a bit easier to get.

Cheers!

Cisco Inferno

Cisco Inferno wrote: »

I recently took the time to make a spreadsheet from my own research.
This spreadsheet is for Master Degree programs relating to LAN-WAN Administration, Networking and Telecommunications.
BMOnlineDegree Networking and Telecommunications.pdf
This is a short list and doesnt cover other IT areas such as Security or Project Management nor does it include regular Computer Science, CIS or general IT Degrees.
(I can imagine that list being huge)

Maybe someone can add on to this with those types so we can truly have a nice collection.

I included such things as rank, cost and total credits.

please let me know what you guys think

just a bump for this awesome thread.
does anyone have anything to add?
does anyone have anything to add to the pdf i made?

erpadmin

Cisco Inferno wrote: »

just a bump for this awesome thread.
does anyone have anything to add?
does anyone have anything to add to the pdf i made?

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has list of Bachelor's, Master's and Grad Certificates that can be completed online (the BA/BS programs might be a bit rougher though).
NJIT: Adult Learner : Online Learning

While the MSIS degree can be done online, I only work 10-30 minutes away so I'm gonna give that a shot (if I end up going there.) I changed my mind from an MBA because I do want to part-time teach. MBA really is too general for that...even with a concentration in IT.

My other option is Dakota State:

MSIS - Masters of Science in Information Systems at Dakota State University

My only reason for going the DSU route is because I would do their Doctorate of Science in Information Systems program right after the MS. The jury really is still out if I do want a Doctorate, but I gotta tell you, Dr. erpadmin does sound sexy....lmao. Heck, I would just want to be called Doc, and say "I'll be your huckleberry" all day....

UnixGuy

Not sure about the quality of this program, but it looks good:

(Swedish university, program taught in English, can be done 100% online):



Master Programme in Information Security - LTU - Luleå University of Technology

SPL Tech

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

I have been compiling a list of online MBAs and I noticed a few schools that were offering non-CS IT degrees. So I decided to start looking at any school that offered an online MBA and checked their website to see what else they offered online. As I've said before, I'm a big proponent in finding a known school in your region and seeing what they offer for online degrees vs going to online-only schools with no name recognition. To each his own though.

And now, without further stalling for time...

Two questions,

Why are you specifically looking for non-CS degrees? Is there something uniquely not attractive about computer science degrees? What are the tiers you are referring to next to each school name?

Zartanasaurus

SPL Tech wrote: »

Two questions,

Why are you specifically looking for non-CS degrees? Is there something uniquely not attractive about computer science degrees?

Most people here are looking for MIS/CIS/BSIT type degrees. I'm not opposed to CS degrees personally.

What are the tiers you are referring to next to each school name?

US News & World Report college rankings. It might give you an idea of how well the university is respected nationally.

bryanthetechie

I've been looking at UC Denver's MS in IS with the Business Intelligence specialization for a couple of years now: Information Systems | Business School | University of Colorado Denver. It's completely online. The cool thing about UC Denver is that if you have an MS or MBA from any other school then you can come and take graduate certificate programs to get those specialties from UC Denver. So, if I choose a different school then I can always go there to get the BI specialization certificate once I graduate.

powerfool

I thought I would provide some feedback on UMUC, as I am not halfway through my MS in Cybersecurity Policy. This applies to my experience in the graduate classes as it relates to the cybersecurity certificates and degrees, as well as those with whom I have worked with in the courses.

While there have plentiful positive aspects to the program, I would think harder about beginning any of these programs with what I now know.

The overall grading policy has several flaws that will negatively impact you:

1) Straight letter grades: They do not offer pluses or minuses. This is great for someone that would get a minus grade but really stinks for someone that scores higher on the grade scale.

2) Fighting slack grades: They are trying to fight the concept that graduate programs are notorious for inflating grades by essentially making it difficult to get an A. If admissions programs at other universities operate under the premise of inflated grades, they could easily assume that your B is only worth a C.

3) Instructors tend to be inflexible: Sometimes students experience extreme situations in their lives that could stand some leniency in due dates; in fact, UMUC has a policy about such circumstances. However, instructors tend to ignore those policies and do not offer assistance. For instance, my wife had several treatments this past semester that had a tremendous impact on my time. Even though I was willing to provide documentation, they were extremely reluctant to accommodate me. In the end, they did accommodate me, but without even submitting the documentation. This greatly diminished my confidence in getting other considerations for unfair grades.

4) Courses are one at a time (this seems be for most or all grad courses at UMUC): Depending on your tolerance, you may be interested in accelerating your progress by taking more than one course per semester. UMUC grad courses are six credit hours each and definitely feel like it. Also, each are prerequisite to another course so that they must be taken in a linear fashion. In order to graduate from an MS program in two years (which is the normal timeframe), you must go year-round for two years, including summers. If they offered three credit hour courses at the appropriate level with twice as many courses required, someone might be able to handle nine credit hours per semester, allowing someone to graduate in two years without attending summer courses, or finish up more quickly.

5) Must maintain a 3.0 GPA: I don't fault this policy in and of itself, but in combination with the others, you essentially can only get a 3.0, and if you have ANY course where you don't achieve a B, you have to be placed on notice for falling below a 3.0.

These issues may not impact some folks, but they can be rather taxing on others (like me). For instance, George Washington University offers a Post Master's PhD program, but you must have a 3.5 GPA. If you do not have a 3.5 GPA in a related MS program, you can still enroll and get accepted, but you must complete all master's level curriculum again. This can be a high cost in terms of both time and money... and it can be unjustified!

Of the three courses that I have taken, I have scored 89, 87, and 88, respectively. In some courses, there have been other negative aspects that are like salt in a wound. My first semester professor did not offer percentage grades on assignments, only point scores; for instance: a 5-point conference would only have integer values for scores, and since they have a policy that restricts the possibilities of getting an A, you are likely to get only 4 points, maximum, or 80%. If he would have offered percentage scores, I feel that I would have very easily been able to make up the one extra point and get an A in the course. The second semester was my fault. The third semester, everyone is suspicious that the professor doesn't actually grade our work, but runs statistics on it and delivers a score. For instance: how many words and responses in posts... not substance. She also never gave true feedback on individual papers... just vague responses in a separate spreadsheet.

While the curriculum that has been developed is outstanding and I have learned a lot by researching the topics and developing responses... I am very frustrated.

UnixGuy

Great review @powerfool

is this for distance learning or on campus?

Does the degree include a research or a thesis ?? do you do any publications?

planning for a PhD?

powerfool

UnixGuy wrote: »

Great review @powerfool

is this for distance learning or on campus?

Does the degree include a research or a thesis ?? do you do any publications?

planning for a PhD?

This is all distance learning. The program currently has no thesis, so any research is just what you do to write your papers and they really don't offer curriculum that allows for original work. In fact, that is another frustrating part of the setup... they are EXTREMELY biased. Essentially, they operate as if one political persuasion is correct and all others are wrong... I guess this has been quite normal for many institutions, but this is my first experience with outright bias at the institution level... I have dealt with this with individual professors in the past, though.

I am keeping my future academic options open. I started a thread in the Off Topic area a few months ago considering my academic options. I have kind of narrowed down my options a bit now. It is either an Executive MBA at Notre Dame, a PhD in some sort of IT/Security discipline, or head down the Physics route from BS through PhD. As far as subject matter goes, I think Physics is piquing my interest the most... but the EMBA will probably be the best financial move for me. An "IT" PhD is probably more of a hybrid, offering me middle-of-the-road benefits financially and interest.

UnixGuy

powerfool wrote: »

This is all distance learning. The program currently has no thesis, so any research is just what you do to write your papers and they really don't offer curriculum that allows for original work. In fact, that is another frustrating part of the setup... they are EXTREMELY biased. Essentially, they operate as if one political persuasion is correct and all others are wrong... I guess this has been quite normal for many institutions, but this is my first experience with outright bias at the institution level... I have dealt with this with individual professors in the past, though.

I am keeping my future academic options open. I started a thread in the Off Topic area a few months ago considering my academic options. I have kind of narrowed down my options a bit now. It is either an Executive MBA at Notre Dame, a PhD in some sort of IT/Security discipline, or head down the Physics route from BS through PhD. As far as subject matter goes, I think Physics is piquing my interest the most... but the EMBA will probably be the best financial move for me. An "IT" PhD is probably more of a hybrid, offering me middle-of-the-road benefits financially and interest.

Good luck with your journey. PhD is a 6 yrs full time commitment. I think I'm gonna go to grad school in 2013, still planning it though.

powerfool

UnixGuy wrote: »

Good luck with your journey. PhD is a 6 yrs full time commitment. I think I'm gonna go to grad school in 2013, still planning it though.

PhD in Computer Science @ George Washington University

The Post Master's Ph.D. Degree trims 24 credit hours of courses off of the program. Which is why I am considering this program. However, since I don't live in the area, I would have to figure out how it works... my employer has a partnership where they have courses at the office, but they are only offered in the NoVa buildings which, for all intents and purposes, may as well be in DC, for me. I would have to see if they could make arrangements or transfer to the area for a couple of years. Once I reached the research component, I could be remote, for the most part.

UnixGuy

powerfool wrote: »

PhD in Computer Science @ George Washington University

The Post Master's Ph.D. Degree trims 24 credit hours of courses off of the program. Which is why I am considering this program. However, since I don't live in the area, I would have to figure out how it works... my employer has a partnership where they have courses at the office, but they are only offered in the NoVa buildings which, for all intents and purposes, may as well be in DC, for me. I would have to see if they could make arrangements or transfer to the area for a couple of years. Once I reached the research component, I could be remote, for the most part.

Mmm interesting but are you sure that this applies to people who did masters outside George Washington ? As I understand, most universities do this when master's students transfer from Masters status to PhD status. When you don't have Masters and you have the intention of doing a PhD, then you apply for 'Direct PhD' where you do some course work (and they award you a Masters degree during the journey towards PhD), and then work on your thesis. I think a typical PhD research and thesis would take a minimum of 3 yrs full time. I think PhD is a life time commitment.

Be aware also that admission to PhD is more difficult than Masters, because as a PhD student you are typically funded. Admission criteria is usually 'research' experience, rather than GPA.

erpadmin

UnixGuy wrote: »

Mmm interesting but are you sure that this applies to people who did masters outside George Washington ? As I understand, most universities do this when master's students transfer from Masters status to PhD status. When you don't have Masters and you have the intention of doing a PhD, then you apply for 'Direct PhD' where you do some course work (and they award you a Masters degree during the journey towards PhD), and then work on your thesis. I think a typical PhD research and thesis would take a minimum of 3 yrs full time. I think PhD is a life time commitment.

Be aware also that admission to PhD is more difficult than Masters, because as a PhD student you are typically funded. Admission criteria is usually 'research' experience, rather than GPA.

"Typically funded" means you get stipends...you earn this by being graduate assistants and what not. While tuition and such will be covered...good luck with that mortgage payment.

A Ph.D or any degree from GW would be nice.

Personally, I am going to concentrate on a Masters and then after that's completed, form an exploratory committee of one and look into a doctorate program.

From what my colleagues tell me, doctorate programs have changed. Yes, residency is still required, and dissertation defense still has to be in person (as they should be) but it's getting to be more and more that a Ph.D (or any doctorate) will and can be catered to DL students.

I really would like to find a Ph.D program that is similar to Dakota State's D.Sc program. They really cater to DL students...cost really wouldn't be an issue....just getting a legitimate program that can work with you on residency.

UnixGuy

erpadmin wrote: »

"Typically funded" means you get stipends...you earn this by being graduate assistants and what not. While tuition and such will be covered...good luck with that mortgage payment.

A Ph.D or any degree from GW would be nice.

Personally, I am going to concentrate on a Masters and then after that's completed, form an exploratory committee of one and look into a doctorate program.

From what my colleagues tell me, doctorate programs have changed. Yes, residency is still required, and dissertation defense still has to be in person (as they should be) but it's getting to be more and more that a Ph.D (or any doctorate) will and can be catered to DL students.

I really would like to find a Ph.D program that is similar to Dakota State's D.Sc program. They really cater to DL students...cost really wouldn't be an issue....just getting a legitimate program that can work with you on residency.

Mmm no, typically funded means you get tuition waiver plus a stipend along with RA/TA, you will earn money but a little, so no loan is required. True, DL doctorates are increasing, but they're more on the "professional doctorates" side, like DBA or DS.c, and it will be extremely difficult to get you a job in academia or research (because that doctorate is more of a professional training rather than a research).

erpadmin

UnixGuy wrote: »

Mmm no, typically funded means you get tuition waiver plus a stipend along with RA/TA, you will earn money but a little, so no loan is required. True, DL doctorates are increasing, but they're more on the "professional doctorates" side, like DBA or DS.c, and it will be extremely difficult to get you a job in academia or research (because that doctorate is more of a professional training rather than a research).

I stand corrected.

Still though, I have time to pursue a doctorate (Ph.D or otherwise.) I just can't quit my job for time off to do "research." That stipend that the school gives you to live on isn't going to feed a family or pay your mortgage. In fact, from what folks have told me it's barely enough to feed yourself.

If one wasn't already working in the field, I'd say to heck with it do it. But for someone who's already in the field...I feel academia might be losing out to folks who would want to put in time for research, but just not full time. If that means it takes 5 years instead of 3....then so be it. Otherwise, I'd be content with just a masters. Since I'm already at a university, I should have no problem getting an adjunct gig. (emphasis on should)