Does the degree matter?

Hey guys, long time lurker on the forums here. Just wanted to say thanks to all the knowledgeable folks on here, got some great advice and motivation reading these forums.

For the last couple of years I've been going to school for a degree in IT Systems and Security from Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), a relatively new 4 year university here in Georgia. When I got home from army basic training I got a job at a high-paced NOC in Atlanta, GA. I'm about 2 weeks out from testing out for my Net+ and then going to start working on my CCNA after. I'm looking to obtain a B.S. in networking and security and hopefully end up in a related job. I'm already 25 and really looking to finish up with school and get on with work.My question is, GGC is not the most renown school, but they have very good professors and course load, but I'm worried the youth of the school can be a downfall when it comes to a networking degree. I have been batting back and forth on my future plans as far as school goes... I'm unsure if I should just finish my degree out at GGC or transfer to Georgia Tech and finish my degree up there. It would take me an extra year to finish up my degree at GT, but I would come out with a degree from a respected school. I'm trying to decide if the college actually matters in this job field. What would be the benefits of getting a networking degree from GT vs GGC? Would it just be a waste of time and money? I'm really trying to figure out if the degree from GT would have any added benefits over GGC or would I ultimately end up in the same place when I graduate, as I know that experience tends to be king in this industry.

Any thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments

cxzar20

Yes, your degree matters. Those that say otherwise will either cite someone in a high position that broke into the field in a different economic time otherwise they will be the exception rather than the rule. Getting a degree from a new college like that certainly won't hurt, but I am not sure how much it will really help. One thing to keep in mind is that certain companies will only recruit from certain colleges. I also graduated from a well known tech school and we always had the big players (Cisco, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Intel, EMC, etc) recruiting and doing on campus interviews. They would do this typically 3 or 4 times a year. While it might not matter quite as much where you go to school in IT as it would in Business or Law, it still matters. I think Georgia Tech would be your best bet.

erpadmin

Ever heard of Ramapo College? How about Kean University? Rowan University? All of those schools are in NJ and they are NJ state schools. Think of the the hundreds of schools throughout the US that you've never heard where a bunch of folks have graduated.

Your school is only a few years old, but it's a state (public) four-year institution of public learning nonetheless. WGU was founded in the 90s and is pretty much a state school in three states (Indiana, Washington and Texas.) Your school is regionally accredited and that's really what HR departments care about.

You could graduate from Harvard and not be guaranteed a job, believe it or not. The only thing your degree can guarantee you is in the chance to gain entry to a graduate program after you graduate. But the fact that you have the sheepskin (degree) will mean you can put it on your resume...

Stay where you're at and finish. If you want to go to GT, you can always look into their MS programs.

TLeTourneau

erpadmin wrote: »

Ever heard of Ramapo College? How about Kean University? Rowan University? All of those schools are in NJ and they are NJ state schools. Think of the the hundreds of schools throughout the US that you've never heard where a bunch of folks have graduated.

Your school is only a few years old, but it's a state (public) four-year institution of public learning nonetheless. WGU was founded in the 90s and is pretty much a state school in three states (Indiana, Washington and Texas.) Your school is regionally accredited and that's really what HR departments care about.

You could graduate from Harvard and not be guaranteed a job, believe it or not. The only thing your degree can guarantee you is in the chance to gain entry to a graduate program after you graduate. But the fact that you have the sheepskin (degree) will mean you can put it on your resume...

Stay where you're at and finish. If you want to go to GT, you can always look into their MS programs.

This +1! As long as the school you're in is regionally accredited then you're good to go.

jakecitrix

TLeTourneau wrote: »

This +1! As long as the school you're in is regionally accredited then you're good to go.

Experience beats education anyday anywhere and anytime.You dont need to go to college to be successful.

Hypntick

jakecitrix wrote: »

Experience beats education anyday anywhere and anytime.You dont need to go to college to be successful.

It is true that you don't need college to be successful, but why not use everything available to you? Why not take Experience, college, certification, and good networking skills? You may get the job without the degree, but your odds of landing it go up if you have one.

TLeTourneau

jakecitrix wrote: »

Experience beats education anyday anywhere and anytime.You dont need to go to college to be successful.

The OP's question was about the school not the degree. I was agreeing with erpadmin and answering the OP's question in its context. While experience is very important the OP was not asking if he should quite school to get experience he was asking about the perceived reputation of schools as that applies to getting hired as a degree holder.

Not to be snide but the "Experience beats education anyday anywhere and anytime" thing, although generally true, is not the absolute you purport it to be. Don't believe me, get a job teaching IT at a k-12 school or an university without a degree (continuing ed classes do not count).

varelg

Judging from job ads, degree matters generally if you are looking at government jobs (not just federal govt., but state and local too), as almost always the first thing they mentioned in their IT job ads is the IT degree required for the job. But if you start looking around at more commercial oriented entities, it becomes obvious experience is what tips the scale in your favor.

N2IT

erpadmin wrote: »

Ever heard of Ramapo College? How about Kean University? Rowan University? All of those schools are in NJ and they are NJ state schools. Think of the the hundreds of schools throughout the US that you've never heard where a bunch of folks have graduated.

Your school is only a few years old, but it's a state (public) four-year institution of public learning nonetheless. WGU was founded in the 90s and is pretty much a state school in three states (Indiana, Washington and Texas.) Your school is regionally accredited and that's really what HR departments care about.

You could graduate from Harvard and not be guaranteed a job, believe it or not. The only thing your degree can guarantee you is in the chance to gain entry to a graduate program after you graduate. But the fact that you have the sheepskin (degree) will mean you can put it on your resume...

Stay where you're at and finish. If you want to go to GT, you can always look into their MS programs.

+1

I like this strategy. Stay put complete what you started. Then study up for your GMAT or GRE and then go for the gold at Georgia Tech. Once you get your masters nobody cares about your bachelors.

I recently went out to dinner with some functional and project managers along with a few C level execs. The topic of schools came up and everyone was listing off the school they got their masters from. Michigan, Pepperdine, etc. I said Missouri State bachelors and a few of them gave me crap. Of course they were being playful.

Now that you mentioned it after the PMP I really got to stop d!qing around with these certs and get a good MBA.

Raidersfan81

That whole experience triumphs education argument is played out.

People act like you can't have an education and experience these days, like it has to be one or the other. Also, the person who is the proud owner of a degree and experience under his belt is in best possible shape you could be in. We all understand there are exceptions to every rule in life.

To that thread starter, get that degree where you're currently at IMO.

Zartanasaurus

The one advantage GaTech will have is it travels well. That and better opportunities for "networking" to get you a job post graduation. You can move to any state in the country and people will have heard of that school. Its CS/EE program is top 5 in the nation. Not sure what kind of edge that gives you in IT though. For EE or CS, I imagine it would help to work at a Microsoft or Google, but otherwise GaTech is pretty expensive unless you're eligible for HOPE.

Devilry

Buddy if you can get into GaTech, go for it. The education there is hard to beat for anything science related in Georgia.

Although, go Dawgs!

DigitalZeroOne

As long as the school isn't for-profit, I think most people should not worry about where their degree comes from. Of course graduating from a well known school is better than a no name school, but most people aren't graduating from a top school. If you have your GI bill, and if it won't cost you anything to go to GT except 1 extra year, then I say GT, if not, I would stay at the other school.