Need some insight on persuing a BS IT degree at WGU

tonyg1

I really want to get into computers and have my target set on going to Western Governors Univeristy.

I was thinking of going for a BS IT -Security at WGU. Looks like I would need to go for 4 years as I do not have any certs or college classes. Is this really for someone like me that does not have certifications or any computer college courses yet?

Is a BS IT Security degree worth it or is another one of there programs a better choice? like BS IT Database, BS IT Network Admin, BS IT Network Design and Management or BS IT Software a better choice?

Devilry

tonyg1 wrote: »

I really want to get into computers and have my target set on going to Western Governors Univeristy.

I was thinking of going for a BS IT -Security at WGU. Looks like I would need to go for 4 years as I do not have any certs or college classes. Is this really for someone like me that does not have certifications or any computer college courses yet?

Is a BS IT Security degree worth it or is another one of there programs a better choice? like BS IT Database, BS IT Network Admin, BS IT Network Design and Management or BS IT Software a better choice?

Do you have any IT experience in the workplace? I am pretty sure if you don't have prior experience/certs/education, WGU will not accept you in their program. WGU is great, just go grab an A+ cert and you won't have any problems.

swild

From what I have read, they will have to make an exception for you. They generally don't admit anyone without either previous college credit or any IT certifications. I just completed my application today and will be starting towards my BS IT Sec in either Nov or Dec.

They have made exceptions before, but I'm not sure what they would want you to have in order to grant an exception.

Nobylspoon

You will probably get a lot more answers by posting on this thread.

As far as your degree specialization, all of the BS IT degrees at WGU are the same, the specialization is not printed on the degree. Take a look at the different ones and compare the certifications you will earn to determine what would benefit you the most. My interest is in security but I decided to go with the NDM specialization because I wanted the MCITP:EA. Because I already have plans of working on the Master's InfoSec program, I will also get my CCNA, just not while I work on the Bachelors.

If you are unfamiliar with the different certifications, spend some time browsing the topics here at Techexams. This is the place I learned all about certifications. When you know what your end goal is, you will be able to develop a road map of the ideal certifications. Just understand that saying your goal is "Security" is not enough, it is a very large part of the IT field and you can go in many different directions.

As for WGU enrollment, just complete one of the entry level certifications to meet the requirements. This is by far the quickest option of the 3. The CIW Web Foundations exam is probably the easiest and reasonably priced. The downside with this exam, self-study material is not as accessible as CompTIA or Microsoft exams. Depending on your level of knowledge, this might not be an issue. The exam deals with a lot of HTML and networking. If you have any JavaScript experience, their JavaScript Specialist exam might be a good one to consider.

CompTIA A+ is a great starting point due to the availability of self-study material and the straight-to-the-point format of their test questions. The downside to this certification is it requires passing 2 exams (on basically the same material) and CompTIA exams are the most expensive of the entry level certifications. If cost isn't a factory (or it's reimbursed) I would go with A+. If you have networking experience, you may consider Network+ instead.

If you are a Windows 7 users, another option is the Microsoft MCTS:70-680 exam. I believe this is a required course for all of the IT degrees. Be cautious before deciding to do this one first, this can be a challenging exam even for the above-average windows 7 user so this will take a good amount of studying from multiple sources if you go for this one. The upside, M$ exams are a lot cheaper than CompTIA.

Before deciding on which one to pursue, make sure you have decided on a degree plan to ensure the certification is required for that specialization. I believe all of the above-mentioned certifications are standard for all specializations but I could be wrong.

When you get your certification and you are ready to apply to WGU, come back to these forums and post on the WGU referral thread to get your $65 application fee waved!

Best of luck!

tonyg1

Okay guess i have some reading to do... appreciate the replys to me as they do help alot.

No i have no IT experience besides back in 1995-1996 I was a computer tech for my dads friend that had his own computer company which mainly concentrated on school computer labs. I used to build from scratch between 10-100 computers at a given time for a school computer lab and then i would go to the school with a truck loaded up and install all of them as well as network them all.

I ended up leaving that job to go to a community college for Management Information Systems but ended up dropping it because that was in the late 90's when the computer industry took a dive and i got worried i would finish up for nothing.

I have been messing with computers since i was 8. I know alot except its like i tell my wife... Yes i know computers but it is like a language I know the slang version but now i need to go and get formalized.

Nobylspoon

Based off of the experience you mentioned, CompTIA A+ would be my recommendation (as long as exam price isn't a deciding factor). The A+ exam is basically a PC Technician exam. It is geared towards people who build and troubleshoot desktop PCs. It mainly focuses on the hardware side, the software side is light, just some basic Windows (Vista?) topics.

KrisA

I had no college but I had computer experience, and I was still denied. However I received the approval from the appeal today after sending the transcript of completion for CCENT that I completed after applying. 1 cert is all it takes.