Thoughts on a MS in Cybersecurity

jmasterj206

A few people I have talked to have said not to bother with any cybersecurity degree since everything is changing so quickly and just should concentrate on relevant certs. I am intrigued by security, but maybe I would be better off just doing a MS in Management of Information Systems and maybe do a Cybersecurity emphasis. Thoughts?

RoyalRaven

I think that is bad advice outright, without factoring all of the variables involved. Of course everything will change, regardless of any IT degree you pursue. What it comes down to is learning the fundamentals of your given subject matter. If you have a passion for security, pursue that type of degree. You get out of it what you put into it. It's best to pick a major based on something you want to be heavily involved in and continue to pursue long after the degree, so make that decision for what works best for your situation. Grad-level degrees are typically not mandatory - but they provide an excellent avenue to get you where you want to be and to be on-par or exceeding other candidates who may be going after the same jobs.

da_vato

I agree with RoyalRaven, that was really bad advise you received.

Do understand one thing about degrees; There is a good percentage of people that do not work in the field their degree is in so pursue a degree based on what interests you the most.

Around where I work positions are based on level of education not specific degrees. There are instances where a CS degree is preferred to an IS degree but on the masters level I have not run into that. Peoeple with masters degree are generally considered to already have a descent amount of work experience and just wanting/needing that next credential to put them ahead of the pack like for management positions.

There is always a lot of change in the IT world which means hackers are always looking for a way to exploit, Infosec professionals will be around as long hackers are around...

MrAgent

While things do change quite rapidly with cyber security, getting a masters in it is definitely not a bad decision. It may be outdated by the time you finish, but that's why you need to stay up to date with current trends, and constantly learning. That right there will keep you ahead of the pack.

the_Grinch

A Masters is meant to teach you how to do research. Security requires that you do "research", seems to me it would go hand and hand. You can't go wrong with a degree in information assurance (I hate the term Cyber Security). You can never go wrong with furthering your education.