Powerfool Grad School Progress
I haven't been running any sort of thread for my grad school endeavors because they are not nearly as exciting as the prospect of completing the program in one term. Anyhow, I thought I would provide an update.
Today, I just submitted my group paper (final work) for this semester and I only have a peer evaluation left to complete. As of 11 May 2012, I will have a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Policy. It is comprised of one-half of the MS in Cybersecurity Policy program, but I also have another course done. With that said, I am two-thirds through the overall program and have two semesters left.
Now, I have to decide if I am going to take the summer off and graduate in a year from now, or if I will push through and graduate in December.
The courses have been loaded with tons of work... and I can only see the courses staying at the same load, but building on the previous semesters.
Ultimately, this program does a few things for me:
1) It more than fulfills my personal development progress at work.
2) It will give me a piece of paper that will allow me to be an adjunct professor, if that is ever something I have the opportunity to do.
3) If I find that I need to get an MBA, just to have that piece of paper, I can do so in three semesters through UMUC.
4) And most importantly, it fulfills all of my CEUs for the CISSP.
Waiting only impacts me if I want to teach soon or if I want to look for a job and the MS helps me in the process... Since work is paying for most of it, waiting adds an extra 5 months to the time I must put in to "pay it back" to them. Also, their reimbursement policy won't cover all of a third semester within a year, so some will come out of my pocket if I push through. If I wait, they pay for my remaining course this year and the last course next year.
I get a three weeks break if I push through, before the next semester. In that period of time, I plan to finally finish up my 70-662 and maybe study for the PMP, which I still have to take (paid for it in June of last year).
I would also like to get it done sooner so that I can be more available for family. My oldest kid starts high school this fall. I do intend on starting an MBA before she graduates, but having the extra time in between would be nice.
Well, that is it for the update. I am going to think about it now over the next couple of weeks and see what I decide. I took last summer off, which seems like a mistake in retrospect, because I didn't get much done. If I had pushed through then, this summer would be my last semester...
