ITT Tech has a bacherlor program in Information Security. Should I?

[richierich69]

I really want to get into the Information Security field. I'm currently looking for a school, college, or better yet, an online program that will allow me to obtain a degree, preferably a bachelor's degree.

I'm not really sure if I want programming to be my main focus, as learning networking and security is my main goal. Maybe Information Systems would be a more appropriate choice.

Any online college programs that you know of? I saw that ITT is offering an online bachelor's in InfoSec, but I'm not totally sold on it. What's your take?

[Wickdgin]

My school East Stroudsburg University (www.esu.edu) offers a Computer Security degree. From what they're researched and I've seen it's the only undergraduate program of it's kind in the country. I am currently double majoring in Comp Sci and Security.

In my opinion you must have a good understanding of programming to fully understand security. If you don't fully understand what is going on at the machine level, if you don't know how to read a memory dump, how the machine executes an instruction, etc -- then as much as you think you know about security, you will never fully understand it. Security is a complex and probably one of the hardest fields out there because in order to be a true expert you must have an understanding of how computers work from the ground up.

[richierich69]

What a coincidence! I was just reading about your school now as I found it during a web search. Any chance they offer it as an online program? How do you like it?

[detoxsmurf]

You can join me up at utica but expect to pay $30,000 a year for a 4 year degree.

[Juridian]

I'm looking into the ITT program as well....tho they have yet to send me some information.

[richierich69]

I got the brochure. It was mostly fluff and no real info. The website will give you a LOT more info: http://www.onlineprograms.itt-tech.e..._Catalog02.htm

[Wickdgin]

Originally posted here by richierich69
What a coincidence! I was just reading about your school now as I found it during a web search. Any chance they offer it as an online program? How do you like it?

Sorry no online program.

I like it there, but it has been a lot of work. I haven't really touched on any of the security courses themselves yet. If you look at the major outline - the first two years of Computer Security are the same as Comp Sci: Intro to Programming (C++), Computer Organization, Linear Data Structures, Assembler Language & Computer Architecture, Non-Linear Data Structures and Operating Systems. I'm currently taking Assembler and Non-linear.

In your Junior and Senior years you would take Intro to Computer Security, Issues in Computer Security, Network and Data communication, Database Design, and another couple if I remember them right.