Master's Degree Costs

NightShade03

I've been looking at online masters degrees and they all seem to vary so widely in price. I've seen reports that say the avg for an online degree should be about $17,000. I looked into the SANS Infosec masters degree and the costs is about $30,000. That just seems high to me. Anyone have any experience in online degree costs?

veritas_libertas

I would avoid the SANS MS because it's not accredited (though I wish it was!).

I think Dynamik is considering Nova Southeastern.

dynamik

$30k doesn't seem that high for a masters; I'd be more included to say $17k was low. Last I checked, that SANS program isn't accredited. I'm sure the quality is fantastic, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a program that wasn't accredited.

Edit: Indeed, I am leaning towards Nova at the moment.

veritas_libertas

dynamik wrote: »

Indeed, I am leaning towards Nova at the moment.

I searched the web site briefly but couldn't nail down a cost of attendance. Maybe I'm just to negative, but I get the feeling that universities purposefully make it difficult to find the costs involved in obtaining a degree from them.

dynamik wrote: »

$30k doesn't seem that high for a masters; I'd be more included to say $17k was low.

I would agree, $30k is not that high for a Master degree.

dynamik

School's Website > Admissions > Tuition and Fees

Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences

36 * 550 ~ 20k

I'd have to take 9 more credits because I don't have a CSci background. I could also take those at another institution and not pay graduate-level tuition.

phoeneous

NightShade03 wrote: »

I've been looking at online masters degrees and they all seem to vary so widely in price. I've seen reports that say the avg for an online degree should be about $17,000. I looked into the SANS Infosec masters degree and the costs is about $30,000. That just seems high to me. Anyone have any experience in online degree costs?

If you think that's high, you should see the cost of a BS at ITT...

veritas_libertas

dynamik wrote: »

School's Website > Admissions > Tuition and Fees

Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences

36 * 550 ~ 20k

I'd have to take 9 more credits because I don't have a CSci background. I could also take those at another institution and not pay graduate-level tuition.

I'm embarrassed to say that I just followed the same path and it didn't bring me to that page. (The link worked fine though)


That is much less than I thought it was going to be.

petedude

veritas_libertas wrote: »

I searched the web site briefly but couldn't nail down a cost of attendance. Maybe I'm just to negative, but I get the feeling that universities purposefully make it difficult to find the costs involved in obtaining a degree from them.
...
I would agree, $30k is not that high for a Master degree.

Actually, I think nowadays with the wide variety of state college programs and low-cost programs like WGU's, $30K is a bit high. Of course, it also depends on which school and what program you're looking at. I've seen a couple MBAs that would come in <= $10K.

I also think you have to take your career status into consideration when plunking down for an advanced degree-- your ROI for an expensive program will probably work out better over a longer term, so it would be better to do those kinds of programs early on.

For InfoSec: There's Nova, there's WGU and Capella, right? Among others.

veritas_libertas

petedude wrote: »

For InfoSec: There's Nova, there's WGU and Capella, right? Among others.

Yes, and there will be plenty more cashing in on that category. This seems to be the new popular degree.

phantasm

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Yes, and there will be plenty more cashing in on that category. This seems to be the new popular degree.

Don't forget Norwich.

Norwich University Master of Science in Information Assurance Online Masters Degree Program

I'm looking into that program myself.

brianeaglesfan

Another option is the MS in Info Assurance from Dakota State University. 36 credits X $343.75 = $12,735. RA B&M state school with accreditation as a national center of excellence in information assurance education by both the NSA and DHS.

bellhead

Here's my take on graduate degrees and a road map...Maybe this will help you.

Graduate tuition is usually at the same rate as undergraduate out of state if you are going to a state school. Private school undergraduate and graduate tuitions are the same. Now the exceptions are for most professional degrees ie Dentistry, MBA, Medical School, Law school, etc....The reason being is they know they you will make some cash when you get out and can afford to pay a little more for your degree, also the schools are very expensive and most have a very low student to faculty rate.

My wife did her Phd in Romance Languages, she completed 90 quarter hours of classes plus a master's graduate exam, master's thesis, Phd. exam, and Phd thesis. She didn't pay for one hour of study and she was granted a stipend of around 15k a year to live on. It took her a little over 5 years to complete this process plus another 2 to write her phd thesis. Almost every graduate program outside will offer you a chance to complete this, also it looks very good when you are out job seeking. For example you go on to complete a master's in computer science. The program breaks down like this you go to school full time for 1 or 2 years, teach a class, grade papers, or do research for a full time faculty member for your stipend money. Now the research you are doing leads to a several patents being issued to the full time professor but now you can treat this as real world experience as well as toot your horn about achieving your masters. Most research being done is cutting edge and most research universities are associated with big companies.

If you go on and get your Phd in computer science or information systems this will open the door to a full time faculty job, which pay very good, along with good working hours and other perks...

GAngel

bellhead wrote: »

Here's my take on graduate degrees and a road map...Maybe this will help you.

Graduate tuition is usually at the same rate as undergraduate out of state if you are going to a state school. Private school undergraduate and graduate tuitions are the same. Now the exceptions are for most professional degrees ie Dentistry, MBA, Medical School, Law school, etc....The reason being is they know they you will make some cash when you get out and can afford to pay a little more for your degree, also the schools are very expensive and most have a very low student to faculty rate.

My wife did her Phd in Romance Languages, she completed 90 quarter hours of classes plus a master's graduate exam, master's thesis, Phd. exam, and Phd thesis. She didn't pay for one hour of study and she was granted a stipend of around 15k a year to live on. It took her a little over 5 years to complete this process plus another 2 to write her phd thesis. Almost every graduate program outside will offer you a chance to complete this, also it looks very good when you are out job seeking. For example you go on to complete a master's in computer science. The program breaks down like this you go to school full time for 1 or 2 years, teach a class, grade papers, or do research for a full time faculty member for your stipend money. Now the research you are doing leads to a several patents being issued to the full time professor but now you can treat this as real world experience as well as toot your horn about achieving your masters. Most research being done is cutting edge and most research universities are associated with big companies.

If you go on and get your Phd in computer science or information systems this will open the door to a full time faculty job, which pay very good, along with good working hours and other perks...

Phd in comp sci from a top school you mean...You're probably not even going to get a call back unless you hold atleast one degree from a top 20 school as well as substantial research. And unless you're on the tenure track you won't be making good money at all for quite some time. Not to mention all those good benefits do't really kick in until you're a prof because you'll be working your butt off trying to get published so you don't get fired during your tenure.

Zartanasaurus

Georgia Tech and Syracuse both have MS Infosec degrees.

Warsh1p

I would never do an Online Masters Degree.
But that's just me.

NightShade03

Wow alot of good feedback all thanks!!

The school isn't as important to me as the material/program. I'd like to do my MA/PhD in infosec (or something related....although NOT CS as I don't want to do anything in research full time). I have just started looking into online MA and I have seen alot of schools that allow you to take the classes online or in the classroom (you decide and can alternate each week). I also have been looking through much of the material offered in the infosec courses, which I have a decent handle on from reading and self study for various things over the last two years so it will give me a solid base for going into an infosec program. I did my BS in two yrs so how hard could a MA be?

phantasm

NightShade03 wrote: »

I did my BS in two yrs so how hard could a MA be?

Very. Most Master's programs are very intensive and require a lot of time.

colemic

Warsh1p wrote: »

I would never do an Online Masters Degree.
But that's just me.

For a lot of people though, (including me) online is the only way we can earn one. The closest B&M school is 2500 miles from me.

Zartanasaurus

Warsh1p wrote: »

I would never do an Online Masters Degree.
But that's just me.

If you could get an online Master's Degree in the program of your choice from Harvard, you wouldn't do it?

NightShade03

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

If you could get an online Master's Degree in the program of your choice from Harvard, you wouldn't do it?

No because CS (or IT in general) isn't their forte...not to mention that it would prob cost $100,000 because their name is on the diploma

Warsh1p

For a lot of people though, (including me) online is the only way we can earn one. The closest B&M school is 2500 miles from me.

If that is the case I would spend my time and money on more professional certifications or simply move.
I know I know.. moving costs money, I have kids, my job is here, etc. etc.
I am simply stating my opinion regardless of the circumstances.

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

If you could get an online Master's Degree in the program of your choice from Harvard, you wouldn't do it?

This is exactly why Harvard does not and probably will never offer an Online Masters degree. It just doesn't float well with the majority employers nor does it make sense to what a Masters Degree really is.

You wouldn't want your doctor to get his PhD online would you? Where does this online education honestly stop? Ask yourself these questions. If you don't care then we have nothing to discuss. We simply agree to disagree.

A Masters degree should be much more then online studies and reading out of a book. It should have group case studies and research. As mentioned in this thread universities have research centers that are cutting edge and are associated with big companies in the given field.

Associates and Bachelors degree I don't mind and most employers don't mind being acquired online. But a Masters is a different story.

I am not saying don't go for you Masters online. I am just saying I wouldn't.

bellhead

GAngel wrote: »

Phd in comp sci from a top school you mean...You're probably not even going to get a call back unless you hold atleast one degree from a top 20 school as well as substantial research. And unless you're on the tenure track you won't be making good money at all for quite some time. Not to mention all those good benefits do't really kick in until you're a prof because you'll be working your butt off trying to get published so you don't get fired during your tenure.

A Phd type job means the type of jobs you apply to will come with Tenure. Instructors or lecturers usually don't have a Phd they are Abd types who haven't finished their discertation or they have a reason to be at the school mainly geographic or another personal reason. You find a lot of them are faculty married to other faculty. One has tenure the other doesn't...

Good benefits start day one.

Usually 2 articles a year...You should be able to pull 8 to 10 articles though out of your thesis. After that you have to work...

Research is not mentioned when applying for your first job though showing proof of publications will help in the process.

As far as working your butt off...That happens in grad school...They take 4 classes a semester and are actively teaching 1 or 2 courses and doing research for the prof and for their thesis and discertations.

N2IT

I also prefer the brick and mortar, however I am not against mixing in an on line class depending on what the class is all about.
I went to Webster University for 2 classes, Intro to MIS and Managerial Accounting. I might go back one day, but like another poster said it is rigourous. With two kids and my employer not paying a dime I decided the hell with it.

eMeS

Warsh1p wrote: »

This is exactly why Harvard does not and probably will never offer an Online Masters degree. It just doesn't float well with the majority employers nor does it make sense to what a Masters Degree really is.

You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you?

Distance Education: Online Courses at Harvard

(for the record, I mostly lived in Boston for several years of my life, actually traveled there weekly. In grad school I took a couple of classes online, most others I took traditionally. There are many opportunities for condensed semesters, etc... in that environment. The first ever "online" class I took was in 1990 during undergrad. It was a C Programming course that required dialing into a BBS to download and upload assignments. I even took some undergrad courses that were delivered purely through watching video tapes...English Literature was one.)

The point is, the modality of how the education is delivered is irrelevant, especially in graduate school.

Warsh1p wrote: »

You wouldn't want your doctor to get his PhD online would you? Where does this online education honestly stop?

If you're talking about a medical doctor, then I want them to have an MD.

Again, IMO the modality of the education is irrelevant, rather, what's important is the end result of the learning and the net marketing power of the degree you earned.

Warsh1p wrote: »

A Masters degree should be much more then online studies and reading out of a book. It should have group case studies and research. As mentioned in this thread universities have research centers that are cutting edge and are associated with big companies in the given field.

Graduate degrees are very much about reading lots of books and journal articles, and synthesizing all of that information with research to produce some novel conclusion, or, very often, to reaffirm and support existing research.

Not all schools, and not all graduate degrees within a single school are necessarily new research-oriented.

I rest with the statement I've made many times. When considering a school, choose a school with a strong, well-respected name that is not organized on a purely for-profit basis.





Note: I really don't intend on getting drawn into these pointless discussions about degrees and education, but in this case I couldn't resist.

MS

dynamik

Warsh1p wrote: »

This is exactly why Harvard does not and probably will never offer an Online Masters degree. It just doesn't float well with the majority employers nor does it make sense to what a Masters Degree really is.

Wait, so you're telling me this doesn't exist?

Warsh1p wrote: »

You wouldn't want your doctor to get his PhD online would you? Where does this online education honestly stop? Ask yourself these questions. If you don't care then we have nothing to discuss. We simply agree to disagree.

That's really not comparing apples to apples. Of course I don't want my doctor to learn about anatomy from the Sims. However, if I'm working on database security or assembly programming, does it really matter whether I'm taking the course in-person or if I'm doing it via distance-learning? Is there a tangible benefit one way or another?

I've done a majority of my "traditional" BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota distance-learning, and I vastly prefer the distance learning courses to the ones on-site. I receive more attention from the instructor, and I'm able to work at my own pace instead of dragging along with the rest of the class.

I've had courses that have gone through only about 75% of the planned material because the class couldn't keep up. That's garbage. As is being one student in an auditorium of hundreds. Those types of courses are far more difficult to participate in than the distance learning courses I take. Email, IRC, etc. is far more interactive. Plus, people are much more likely to ask questions and get involved than they are in face-to-face situations.

Neither my BA degree nor any of the masters I'm potentially getting will specify that they're online programs; they're all part of the same brick-and-mortar programs. I think you're mistaken if you think a program isn't quality simply because it's offered online as you are if you think it's good because it's offered in-person. There are plenty that are good and bad for both methods of delivery. And as always, you only get out of it what you put into it.

Edit: You beat me *shakes fist at MS*

eMeS

dynamik wrote: »

Wait, so you're telling me this doesn't exist?

My favorite quote from a comment on WWTDD:

"Do not try and bend the poon… that's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth… There is no poon."

I THINK IM IN LOVE - What Would Tyler Durden Do

N2IT

eMeS wrote: »

My favorite quote from a comment on WWTDD:

"Do not try and bend the poon… that's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth… There is no poon."

I THINK IM IN LOVE - What Would Tyler Durden Do

MS that quote is hiliarous.

The original from the Matrix cracked me up for hours. Of course I was heavily intoxicated then, but nonetheless I laughed for hours. That movie was ridiculous.

Warsh1p

I feel some of you get very defensive about this online degree stuff. Obviously this is the internet and this is a certification forum with many Online/For-Profit students and graduates, so my opinion is going to have some emotion draw.
I state in my posting that it is simply my opinion.

You cannot earn a masters degree from Harvard Free Distance learning lectures. Most Ivy League schools offer these. As stated in Harvards extense school, "Take on-campus and online classes. A number of online courses are available" this no where indicates that all courses are online. In fact it says the opposite. That a number of courses are available online.

It's unbelievable that when I state Harvard doesn't offer online Masters degree, I get a link of Harvards Extension school offering a number of online courses and this somehow renders me wrong.

Graduate degrees are very much about reading lots of books and journal articles, and synthesizing all of that information with research to produce some novel conclusion, or, very often, to reaffirm and support existing research.

Again, I find it quite humorous how you take my words. I never once said "Graduate degrees have nothing to do with reading lots of books", I stated that, a Masters degree should be much more then online studies and reading out of a book.

Note: I really don't intend on getting drawn into these pointless discussions about degrees and education, but in this case I couldn't resist.

You obviously do intend to, but I am fine with discussing it as long as you are mature about it and do not take words out of context.

eMeS

Warsh1p wrote: »

You cannot earn a masters degree from Harvard Free Distance learning lectures.

The information you were given is not a link to free distance learning lectures.

Warsh1p wrote: »

Most Ivy League schools offer these. As stated in Harvards extense school, "Take on-campus and online classes. A number of online courses are available" this no where indicates that all courses are online. In fact it says the opposite. That a number of courses are available online.

There's likely no way you could know this without ever having enrolled there, but many classes are offered both on-campus and with an online component. During enrollment you can enroll in either. It's not entirely uncommon for individuals to enroll in a class as if they intended to take it on campus, not be able to, and attend the online version of it instead. Additionally, it's very possible to enroll in college classes, never attend, and still pass by keeping up with whatever work is required. Really, it's a matter of meeting the letter of whatever residency requirements are established for whichever degree you choose.

I personally know someone who graduated from Harvard Business School who flew up to Boston once per month, took care of any work that needed to be done, and spent the rest of her time back in Texas. Probably not the most common case, but the point is that sometimes "residency requirements" are minimally enforced. Even with that they are often wildly different.

Warsh1p wrote: »

It's unbelievable that when I state Harvard doesn't offer online Masters degree, I get a link of Harvards Extension school offering a number of online courses and this somehow renders me wrong.

You're very wrong. You're also incorrigible.

Warsh1p wrote: »

You obviously do intend to, but I am fine with discussing it as long as you are mature about it and do not take words out of context.

Your words have been clear, and not taken out of context. The immaturity I see is you making statements that are patently wrong, you being called on it, and then trying to claim that I have in some way purposefully misstated your intent.

If maturity is what you want, then I refer you to the reply given in Arkeil v. Pressdram (1971).

MS

Warsh1p

You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you?

Distance Education: Online Courses at Harvard

eMeS wrote: »

The information you were given is not a link to free distance learning lectures.

Okay eMeS here you go,

"Although the degree cannot be earned entirely online, there are a range of on-campus and online classes."

Citation: Program Overview: Information Technology Degree: Harvard Extension School

You can also get sample lectures from your link and free lectures from many ivy league school on the internet.

There's no way you could know this without ever having enrolled there, but many classes are offered both on-campus and with an online component. During enrollment you can enroll in either.

Oh the irony...

You're very wrong. You're also incorrigible.

Should I start tagging myself WS from now on... It might get me some reputation points. Because defending myself against your explosive and completely inaccurate claims gets me bad reputation points like, "yoda say, sense you do not make." It's classy.

I am on my way to my completely online Harvard Masters degree.

WS

eMeS

Warsh1p wrote: »

Okay eMeS here you go,

"Although the degree cannot be earned entirely online, there are a range of on-campus and online classes."

Citation: Program Overview: Information Technology Degree: Harvard Extension School

Did you read the details of the reply I wrote?

Stated policy and action are often very different things, especially in universities.

You've also only quoted and linked to the policy for one specific degree. Because it is a university they offer many degrees, with varying residency requirements.

Warsh1p wrote: »

You can also get sample lectures from your link and free lectures from many ivy league school on the internet.

What is your point exactly? Sample lectures don't make a degree, and no one ever claimed they did.

Warsh1p wrote: »

Should I start tagging myself WS from now on... It might get me some reputation points.

WTF is WS?

Probably not being a dick would get you reputation points.

Warsh1p wrote: »

Because defending myself against your explosive and completely inaccurate claims gets me bad reputation points like, "yoda say, sense you do not make." It's classy.

If you're implying that I've given you neg rep you're completely wrong. If I had it would have my name in the comment field. Feel free to verify this with any moderator.

I suspect that Godwin's Law is about to be realized in this thread...


MS