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Thread: Bachelors of Science in Information Security

  1. #1

    Thumbs up Bachelors of Science in Information Security

    So what does everyone think about a Bachelors of Science in Information Security? I'm actually enrolled in it right now. It has 50% hands on and 50% theory. Here is my curriculum tell me what you think?

    TERM 1 12 (16) Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-101 Introduction to PC Hardware & Lab 4
    ENG-080 Evolving English * (if required) (4)
    PDT-115 College Research & Study Skills 4
    TCT-100 Telecommunications TechnologyI & Lab 4

    TERM 2 16 (20) Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-102 Introduction to PC Operating Software & Lab 4
    ENG-135 English Composition 4
    POL-210 Political Science 4
    MTH-080 Technical Mathematics * (if required) (4)
    TCT-110 Intro. to Data Communications & Lab 4

    TERM 3 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-210 Intro. to Database Management & Lab 4
    ENG-155 Advanced English Composition 4
    HUM-110 History of Technology 4
    SEC-130 Intro. to Information Security & Lab 4

    TERM 4 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-230 Network Administration I & Lab 4
    MTH-135 College Algebra 4
    SEC-145 Intrusion Detection & Lab 4
    SPH-305 Speech Communications 4

    TERM 5 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    BUS-100 Business Fundamentals 4
    MTH-140 Intermediate College Algebra 4
    SEC-250 Network Security & Lab 4
    SEC-255 Security Design & Lab 4

    TERM 6 20 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-235 Network Systems Admin. II & Lab 4
    CIT-330 WANs & Internetworking I & Lab 4
    ENG-300 Professional Writing 4
    PHL-260 Ethics 4
    SEC-260 Cryptography & Lab 4

    TERM 7 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-220 Local Area Networks II 4
    CIT-353 Understanding UNIX 4
    PMT-310 Project Management & Lab 4
    SEC-270 WAN Security & Lab 4

    TERM 8 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    CIT-420 Network Management I & Lab 4
    SEC-275 Server Security & Lab 4
    SEC-280 Disaster Recovery & Lab 4
    SEC-285 Web Security & Lab 4

    TERM 9 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    HUM-200 Humanities in Technology 4
    PHY-101 Applied Physics 4
    SEC-300 UNIX/Linux Security & Lab 4
    SEC-305 Computer Forensics & Lab 4

    TERM 10 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    BUS-405 Cyber Law 4
    PDT-425 Career Strategies 4
    SEC-310 Perimeter Security & Lab 4
    SEC-315 Network Security & Lab 4

    TERM 11 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    PMT-410 Applied Project Management: Senior Project I & Lab 4
    SEC-320 Security Penetration & Lab 4
    SEC-330 Wireless Security & Lab 4
    SOC-300 Cultural Sociology 4

    TERM 12 16 Total Credits
    Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
    BUS-435 Business Planning 4
    HUM-300 Global History & Technology 4
    SEC-490 Future Security Technology Topics & Lab 4
    SEC-499 Senior Project II 4

  2. #2
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    Not to be negative but...

    if i read that correctly, that's about 24-8 hours days of course work (4 credit hours per course?). Less than a month. What I'd call a basic introduction.

    Are you saying that CIT-353 Understanding UNIX is a four hour course?? (I've been using computers for near 25 years and I still don't understand UNIX.

    And I don't see a single Securing a Windows Network course. real world? If you are an ITSec guy...you'll be securing a winnet...almost guaranteed.

    Aside from that

    I've employed (note past tense here) several graduates of various technical schools and colleges and from my experience, the knowledge they come out of school with is so broad and so shallow that i've pretty much determined not to pay any attention to a degree when I do my next hire. I want real world experience. I've had 0 school training and yet I single handedly run a 40 machine win network over 2 vpn connected locations, have custom designed all of our process and order software and designed and maintained our eCommerce site which does mid 7 figures a year.

    What I want for my next hire is more me. Someone who can look at a system or chunk of code and intuit what's wrong. Someone with a "feel". A problem solver, not a problem maker. My last guy with 2 certs basically would look at problem for 5 minutes, then call me and say "yep...it's broken...I'm out of ideas" Usually a 5 minute fix on my part. I've just spent 3 weeks rewriting an intelligent agent using coldfusion that a previous hire had spent 6 months writing in java (and it never did work properly)

    That said, overviews are great and good luck. Get your Cert but hang out here and at as many other sites in your field of interest as you can, post, question, learn.

    You'll likely learn far more applicable knowledge on the good ol' interweb than in any classroom. How many hundreds of years real world ITSec experience do just the people here have to draw upon. No course will even begin to approach that.
    I used to be With IT. But then they changed what IT was. Now what I'm with isn't IT, and what's IT seems scary and weird." - Abe Simpson

  3. #3
    Some Assembly Required ShagDevil's Avatar
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    ENG-080 Evolving English
    PDT-115 College Research & Study Skills
    ENG-135 English Composition
    POL-210 Political Science
    ENG-155 Advanced English Composition
    ENG-300 Professional Writing
    PHL-260 Ethics
    SOC-300 Cultural Sociology

    These look like electives to me. Part of the "core" I suppose. I guess colleges are still pushing for the 'well-rounded' student. I couldn't stand that about college. Taking classes that have no bearing what-so-ever on my major. It looks like the rest of your classes are quite impressive NetSecExpert. Curious what college you're going to as this puts my college's IT program to shame. In any event, good luck.

    note - Zigar, I'm a network admin now full-time (no schooling for it). Learned on the fly after being thrown into a network (and told "you'um fix'em now'em") at my night job a few years ago. Hands-on experience blows any degree away.
    The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his - George Patton

  4. #4
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    Originally posted here by ShagDevil
    ENG-080 Evolving English
    PDT-115 College Research & Study Skills
    ENG-135 English Composition
    POL-210 Political Science
    ENG-155 Advanced English Composition
    ENG-300 Professional Writing
    PHL-260 Ethics
    SOC-300 Cultural Sociology

    These look like electives to me. Part of the "core" I suppose. I guess colleges are still pushing for the 'well-rounded' student. I couldn't stand that about college. Taking classes that have no bearing what-so-ever on my major. It looks like the rest of your classes are quite impressive NetSecExpert. Curious what college you're going to as this puts my college's IT program to shame. In any event, good luck.

    note - Zigar, I'm a network admin now full-time (no schooling for it). Learned on the fly after being thrown into a network (and told "you'um fix'em now'em") at my night job a few years ago. Hands-on experience blows any degree away.
    Those classes are because he's getting a bachelor's degree, not an associates. Many businesses like well rounded employees just as much as colleges do.
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  5. #5
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    Learned on the fly after being thrown into a network (and told "you'um fix'em now'em") at my night job a few years ago. Hands-on experience blows any degree away.
    heh.. ya nothing like that call..

    "uh...the server's down... there's 40 people standing around with nothing to do...how long is it going to take??"

    you learn -quick-

    I applaud the course for offering english and specifically a professional writing course... documentation is so critical...and so few these days can do it...
    I used to be With IT. But then they changed what IT was. Now what I'm with isn't IT, and what's IT seems scary and weird." - Abe Simpson

  6. #6
    AOs Resident Troll
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    Hey ...there is no harm in getting a degree...could come in very handy later in life

    Cant hurt

    I was offered a opportunity with MS years ago......didnt get it because of no university\college degree...now I think as long as I had ANY degree...liberal arts etc....I would have had more of a chance

    I too am self taught..with some old certs

    ...but feel I may have missed some opportunities due to lack of degree....

    Oh well ..live and learn....

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  7. #7
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    I would agree with MLF on this one... If you have a degree in ANYTHING you have a good chance of getting a job in something. Not because of knowledge, but because of being able to think at a higher level. They look for critical thinking skills, not knowledge. Unfortunately, it's hard to teach the critical thinking skills needed for the IT world, as it's a fairly different approach than any career uses. I'd get the degree, and nab an internship every summer while you are completing it, so that when you finish, you have some knowledge, a degree, and some experience. That combination should play out pretty well. In most industries (especially IT) having hands on experience is the best thing that can happen to you.
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  8. #8
    Some Assembly Required ShagDevil's Avatar
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    The Grunt,
    If you have a degree in ANYTHING you have a good chance of getting a job in something
    It all depends on the degree these days. Buddy of mine graduated college (good school too) with a business degree, 2 years ago, and he's still looking for work. As for the job I just recently got (network admin), the two other candidates had 4 year degrees in Networking. I myself, only have a 2 year degree (not in Networking) & yet, I managed to get the job over them, simply because I could answer the technical question part of the interview better then they could. (How do I know? My deputy director told me). Like you said though, the IT world is in it's own world

    Those classes are because he's getting a bachelor's degree, not an associates
    Not sure where I indicated I thought he was getting a 2 year degree? In any event, when I got my first IT job (mainframe programmer), the only reason I was hired was because I had a technical diploma from a technical school specific to mainframe programming (not because of my college degree). My boss didn't want well-rounded, he wanted someone who could do the job (which is why he refused to hire college grads). So again, it's all dependent on the company and what they're looking for.
    The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his - George Patton

  9. #9
    In regards to what Zigar said:
    This is not 4 hours for each class, each class listed on here you are enrolled for 3 months (for 4 years 16 credits every 3months and total of 192 credits). This school goes under the cirriculum of the NSA and Infosec.
    I actually decided to go back to school since my job is pay 90% and I am in a management role and I need that paper that says I have a bachelors. It stinks you need the paper, but that is the reality of it. I do have 5 years security experience in fortune 500 companies in NY and on top of that I have many certs such as CISSP, SANS GSEC, CCNA, microsoft certs, security +, CNA and others.

  10. #10
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    Originally posted here by ShagDevil
    The Grunt,

    It all depends on the degree these days. Buddy of mine graduated college (good school too) with a business degree, 2 years ago, and he's still looking for work. As for the job I just recently got (network admin), the two other candidates had 4 year degrees in Networking. I myself, only have a 2 year degree (not in Networking) & yet, I managed to get the job over them, simply because I could answer the technical question part of the interview better then they could. (How do I know? My deputy director told me). Like you said though, the IT world is in it's own world


    Not sure where I indicated I thought he was getting a 2 year degree? In any event, when I got my first IT job (mainframe programmer), the only reason I was hired was because I had a technical diploma from a technical school specific to mainframe programming (not because of my college degree). My boss didn't want well-rounded, he wanted someone who could do the job (which is why he refused to hire college grads). So again, it's all dependent on the company and what they're looking for.
    Business degrees pretty much suck. They are the exception to the rule of having a college degree helps net any job. If you have a science degree, you can get a business job, if you have a business degree, you can't get a science job. I'll recomend to anyone not to get a business degree. There's no reason.

    The difference between an associates and a bachelor's is in the amount of work you do AND the amount of things not associated with your major. Thats what separates those degree programs.

    And yeah, it's company dependent, but I would say for most long term jobs where you will be doing more than just working with a network, they want you to be well rounded, as they will want you to do a little bit of management, a little bit of communication with the higher ups, etc.


    @NetSecExpert: With that experience, I think getting a degree would DEFINITELY be in your best interest. Then you'll have the paper and the experience, which I would say will probably net you a job doing just about whatever you want.
    [H]ard|OCP <--Best hardware/gaming news out there--|
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    Light a man a fire and you\'ll keep him warm for a day, Light a man ON fire and you\'ll keep him warm the rest of his life.

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