Seeking the Right Ph.D.

I am searching for the right Ph.D. program for me and I would appreciate any input. I have a MS in Computer Science and a resume covering over 20 years of successful software development and information security. I have many wishes for the right program, but primarily I want it to be mostly online and I want it to be genuinely technical. My reason for seeking the Ph.D. is to teach and seek opportunities in academia. Non-academic career advancement is a nice side-effect, but not really a serious consideration.

What do you recommend? Programs that seem to focus on the business aspects of IT are not what I am after. I am not at all against the business parts of what I do for a living, in fact, I am in management, but I am still seeking a program where my MS in Computer Science is a requirement or at least a preference.

Also, I have already applied at Nova Southeastern and I have a month or so to wait for a decision. I am looking for some good alternatives so I can pursue my goals regardless of my application at any one school.

Thanks in advance for your ideas!!

 

I would have said Nova should be one of the first places to check out. Another option might be the Doctor of Science in Information Systems from Dakota State University Doctor of Science - Information Systems (D.Sc.I.S.) at Dakota State University .

 

Does Doctoral degree matter to you, or you consider only Doctor of Philosphy (Ph.D). The reason I ask this question because sometimes it matter to somebody. There is other option such Colorado Technical University's Doctor of Computer Science. Nova Southeastern University's Ph.D in Computer Science, Computer Information System, and Information System. They also have specialization in Information Security (Information Assurance) as well. I would recommend Nova Southeastern over any of the distance learning instiutions offer Doctoral degrees.

 

Have you considered Dakota State University Doctor of Science program in Information Systems. There is a specialization Information Assurance and Computer Security. I have applied and waiting for decision.

 

I totally understand where you're coming from in terms of not wanting a business oriented IT program. I've been asking why every school seems to offer doctoral degrees in business, with strange IT slants, but no one can give me an answer yet. However, I think i've figure out the answer; IT IS VERY EASY TO TEACH, especially, considering the fact that online schools are staffed mostly with adjuncts with lightweight business oriented degrees from other online schools. So as a way out and as a way of making life easy for the schools who offer them, as well as make it easy for the adjuncts who are ill-equipped or skilled enough to teach highly technical programs online, the programs must be business-oriented, which to me make such IT programs unattractive.

In fact, in some cases, you can actually do yourself more harm than good in getting a PhD in Business when all your previous lower level degrees are in highly technical and sought after areas like computer science. Oil companies are notorious for hiring technical graduates for myriads of business positions as most technical companies prefer to staff their senior management team with folks who rose from the ranks with technical backgrounds, not with MBAs. Positions that really require MBA are staffed with graduates from big name schools with recognized MBA programs - not with online business program grads.

Right now, Nova Southeastern University offers the most technical computer science/ core IT program that is highly respected, and flexible in terms of ability to take the program online as well as on-site. Dakota State program doctor of science program comes close, but again, Information Systems has a business/management slant to it. Every other program out there is business-oriented because of the ease of teaching them by adjuncts with degrees from other online schools - a clear waste of time, financial resources, and effort.

 

I disagree with your statement that Information systems is business-oriented. According to WIKI
"Information Systems (IS) is an academic/professional discipline concerned with the strategic, managerial and operational activities involved in the gathering, processing, storing, distributing and use of information, and its associated technologies, in society and organizations.[4] As an area of study, IS bridges the multidisciplinary business field and the interdisciplinary computer science field that is evolving toward a new scientific discipline.[5][6][7][8] An information systems discipline therefore is supported by the theoretical foundations of information and computations such that undergraduate students have unique opportunities to explore the academics of various business models as well as related algorithmic processes within a computer science discipline.[9][10][11] Typically, information systems or the more common legacy information systems include people, procedures, data, software, and hardware (by degree) that are used to gather and analyze digital information.[12][13] Specifically computer-based information systems are complementary networks of hardware/software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, & distribute data (computing).[14] Computer Information System(s) (CIS) is often a track within the computer science field studying computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their software & hardware designs, their applications, and their impact on society.[15][16][17] Overall, an IS discipline emphasizes functionality over design.["

Computer Information Systems is often the application of the theoretical, which is the reason for Dakota State University offering the Doctor of Science degree in Information Systems.

I got a master degree in computer methodology. It was a hybrid program in that it offered some elements of computer science, such as data structures and operating systems, and information systems, such as programming languages.

 

By the way I forgot to mention that I have submitted an application to DSU for the Doctor of Science program. I hope to specialize in Information Assurance and Computer Security. I work professionally with IBM mainframe networks and have concentrated on Network Security. That is not business oriented even though the use is Enterprise in nature.

 

Don't forget that Capitol College now offer Doctor of Science in Information Assurance.