Opinions on These Cybersecurity Master's Programs

n3tw0rk3r

So recently, I have been further and further leaning towards pursuing a master's degree in Cybersecurity. Since I am currently residing in MD, for me the choice of school basically came down to the two most prominent state institutions in my area, UMBC and UMCP. The programs at both schools are both relatively new, but they are also rapidly gaining recognition within the area and catching the eye of many employers in the defense sector.

Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity @ UMCP

Master's in Professional Studies: Cybersecurity @ UMBC


To me the marquee difference between the two degrees seems to be that the program at UMCP seems to be more technical, while the UMBC program seems more policy/management based.

I was just wondering, after looking at the course offerings for the two degrees, what do you guys think would be a better program to enroll in? And which program do you think would be more beneficial in pursuing a career in cybersecurity?

the_Grinch

Yup I believe you assessment is correct, with UMCP being technical and UMBC being policy. As for which program, it really depends on your aim. Do you want to be more technical or more policy oriented? Both are important so preference would be the deciding factor. I've seen job postings for both types of jobs, so again I don't believe you can go wrong with doing cybersecurity. I'm not a huge fan of using that term though, as I believe it's a buzzword and not to industry standards. John's Hopkins also has a security program:

Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute

n3tw0rk3r

JHU looks like they have a pretty good program as well, but the other reason I was primarily looking at UMCP and UMBC was because they don't have GRE requirements for their programs.

And I'm not entirely sure. I've mainly been technical up to this point in my life, grew up with a networking background since high school, and I've been doing software engineering for the past year or so since I graduated college. Not really sure if I would or would not like policy, as I've never had any real experience with it.

the_Grinch

Policy is an interesting branch, but I'd say go the technical route because you can move to policy from there if you want to. If you go policy, you'll have very little technical coursework and it could be more difficult to go technical if you stay policy too long.

tpatt100

That is a common problem with policy creation, auditing, compliance, etc is if you don't have a technical background you end up a glorified writer.

I am trying to learn COBIT at the moment and I swear it takes like 50 pages to explain anything.

n3tw0rk3r

Yeah, I have definitely heard that before - that it is easier to transition from a technical background to policy/management as opposed to the opposite route. And I figure there would also be a better sense of job security and marketability given a stronger technical background.

tpatt100, seeing as you have a CISSP, I have a question for you. Looking at the curriculum for either program, do you think they would give me a solid foundation of knowledge with which to prepare for the CISSP in 3-4 years time?

n3tw0rk3r

Just wanted to provide an update to this thread and in the etiquette of the forum, let everyone know that I got accepted into the Master's of Engineering in Cybersecurity program at UMD-College Park. I think someone in another thread had asked me to let them know how the program went and I thought I would try my best to keep everyone updated on my semester-to-semester progress. For this coming fall semester, I am taking two courses:

ENPM 808 Programming in C for Cybersecurity Applications (3 credits). This course teaches the fundamentals of programming in C and the skills including data structures and algorithms that students need for solving typical telecommunication engineering problems in cyber security area by writing programs in C. Control flow statement, arrays, pointers and dynamic memory allocation will be reviewed. Developing data structures such as queues, stacks and linked lists and network applications including sockets, packet sniffing in C will be discussed. The course concludes with an introduction to data encryption and basic programming technics for addressing data security related issues. In addition to the weekly reading and programming assignments, students are required to complete a final project and make a presentation.

ENPM 808 Networks and Protocols (3 credits) This course provides a deep understanding of TCP/IP protocol suit and routing in the internet. The course topics are: overview of TCP/IP, basics of IP protocol, basics of TCP protocol, Network Address Translation (NAT), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Name Service (DNS), IPv6, Concepts of routing (Bellman-Ford and Dijkstra algorithms), Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), Enhance Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

I really think/hope this program is going to be a very nice blending of my networking background (school) and my software engineering work experience. Thanks again for all the feedback you guys gave me in this thread, and I hope this can possibly be of some use to someone in the future.

the_Grinch

Are these in person courses or online? I'm assuming in person...

n3tw0rk3r

They are both in person courses. When I talked to the coordinator for the program, they made it seem as though there were no immediate plans to start offering online/hybrid courses for this particular degree, which seems odd given that it is A) a degree supposedly based around working professionals, and a degree in cybersecurity. However, I believe this is the first semester of the program, and so I'm sure there will be tweaks to it down the road (i.e. online course offerings).

the_Grinch

They have a great course selection, but sadly I cannot travel that far. Keep us posted on your progress!

diablokicks

I'm looking to enroll in a graduate program, and live in Utah. I have my degree in information systems and technology, but have no work experience in the field. I have been trying to find some online graduate programs which are accredited and not a joke. (I've heard phoenix university is a no-no for your resume'). What would you guys suggest for me? I don't make a whole lot of money, so cost is a factor.

pinkydapimp

diablokicks wrote: »

I'm looking to enroll in a graduate program, and live in Utah. I have my degree in information systems and technology, but have no work experience in the field. I have been trying to find some online graduate programs which are accredited and not a joke. (I've heard phoenix university is a no-no for your resume'). What would you guys suggest for me? I don't make a whole lot of money, so cost is a factor.

Im enrolled in the Enterprise Security and Risk Management Masters program at Stevens Institute of Technology. Fully accredited and the online degree is the same as the brick and mortar. One of the courses Cybersecurity principals for managers prepares you for the CISSP. I took it after that course(with a few weeks of additional cramming) and passed. My guess is most programs will prepare you for that.

Enterprise Security and Risk Management M.S. | Stevens Schaefer School of Engineering and Science
Enterprise Security and Risk Management | Courses | Stevens WebCampus

This program is expensive however. So you may want to check other options. Good luck.

powerfool

Yeah, I was disappointed that these classes were only offer as traditional courses, but I understand. The UMD system already has an online cybersecurity program at UMUC, and they don't want to cannibalize that cash cow. The great thing about UMUC is that you can make your decision on a technical versus policy focus a third of the way through the program... I personally decided to go the policy route because I am already extremely technical and see myself moving "managerial" eventually, and policy will be more helpful to that end.

eansdad

I'm thinking about Heinz College (Carnegie Mellon). Looks to be one of the best but it isn't cheap.

diablokicks

Has anyone heard anything of Northern Central University? Specialized MBA Programs & Concentrations at Northcentral University | NCU. They are inexpensive, but i don't know what kind of reputation they have?