WGU MSCSIA application without BS IT or high level certification

mgeoffriau · January 2017

Just curious if anyone has had success applying for WGU's MSCSIA program using the third qualifier:

Submit a resume for review showing recent significant IT security experience, of at least three years, which demonstrates at least two CISSP CBK domains.

I have a BA in Philosophy and my highest level cert is Security+ which is not listed as one of the qualifying certifications. However, I do think my work experience should qualify. I've worked in my current position for 3.5 years and my "security emphasized" resume would include the following responsibilities and accomplishments:

Created new HIPAA-compliant mobile device configuration and management with MobileIron MDM platform

Maintained all mobile device secure configuration profiles

Developed HIPAA-compliant in-house mobile device RMA and repair process

Organized and developed security incident response and record-keeping process

Created and implemented plan for company-wide rollout of over 600 new mobile devices

Maintained and updated in-house Android apps

Supervised program educating non-IT personnel to handle Tier 1 issues

Developed secure device, equipment, and media disposal programs with third party vendors

Monitored endpoint configuration and status via Meraki network administration platform

Served on annual HIPAA Security Risk Assessment team

I'm not sure whether I should break down things into smaller detail -- for example, should I list the specific responsibilities I had as part of the HIPAA Security Risk Assessment team? Will WGU ask for more information if they need it, or will they just reject it if they don't see what they need?

TranceSoulBrother · January 2017

I did, since at the time of application, I was changing jobs and moving overseas and couldn't take 2-3 months for the CISSP.
You have to craft and send in a resume with your positions, with tasks aligning with the CISSP domains. They will review it and give you an answer.

mgeoffriau · January 2017

Would you think my role/responsibility summary above is detailed enough, or would you recommend breaking it down into further detail?

TranceSoulBrother · January 2017

Make a resume with this template (provided to me by one of their enrollment counselors)

Student Information Section
Student Name:
Program of Interest: M.S. Information Security & Assurance
Expected Start Date:
Name of Previous Educational Institution Attended for Bachelors Degree:
Graduated: (Yes/No) Major: Year:
Please list any certifications you have earned in the last 5 years, below:

Student Experience Section
(Company 1) Month/Year to Month/Year
(Title)
· Experience
· Experience
· Experience
· Experience
· Experience
(CISSP CBK Domains Covered)
· Domain Covered and How
· Domain Covered and How
(Company 2) Month/Year to Month/Year
(Title)
· Experience
· Experience
· Experience
· Experience
· Experience
(CISSP CBK Domains Covered)
· Domain Covered and How
· Domain Covered and How

Tips:

(Most Recent - Oldest): Company 1 is the most recent job that the student has had or currently has in IT. Each company should be listed in order following that order. The last job that is within the 5 years should be listed at the last.

(Month/Year to Month/Year): Each job should include the date with month and year. This allows the Experience Review to move quickly to see that the experience is at least 3 years in IT.

(Experience): Each bullet under experience should include clear and concise statements explaining the hands on experience from the job you held. This could include work that you personally did that would demonstrate your experience and how you have obtained it.

***** You must copy and paste at least 2 of the 10 domains of CISSP under each job in order to demonstrate how the propietary work experience aligns with WGU curriculum in order to be evaluated for eligibility to participate in the program. *****

Things to avoid would be:

Soft skills (i.e.: people skills, inventory duties)
Any positions not ‘hands on’ with routers/servers/switches –programming or coding for software–, etc. (Tech/Desktop Support, non-IT related jobs, etc.)
Drawn out explanations

mgeoffriau · January 2017

Excellent, thank you so much!

mgeoffriau · February 2017

Thanks again for the advice. I just checked my enrollment portal and my "Meet Program Eligibility Requirements" bubble is filled in, so it looks like they've reviewed and approved my work experience.

One thing I'll note here for others going this route: the template that TranceSoulBrother shows above is not a suggestion, it is basically a requirement. I submitted a CV with exactly the same sections but reformatted a bit for clarity. My enrollment counselor complimented me on my "pretty resume" but said that it would need to be reformatted into their standard template so that the reviewer can easily and quickly see what he or she is looking for.

So, my best advice -- as soon as you are in contact with your enrollment counselor, ask them to email you the Word template, and then just fill it out with your information. When describing your experience and how they fit into the CISSP CBK domains, write it in first-person active language ("I wrote this policy", or "I configured a Cisco ASA firewall...") so that it's clear what your personal role was -- do not use ambiguous, passive language ("A policy was written...", or "A Cisco ASA firewall was used..."). Do not use tech jargon or buzzwords, but do mention specific software, platforms, or systems that you used.

WGU MSCSIA application without BS IT or high level certification

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