Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy

Well, the time is fast approaching for me to decide between continuing on to a MS or a PhD. Both degrees are interesting and professionally relevant to my current and future plans.

The cost is approximately, assuming no transfer-in credit hours in either case:

MS (USD24000.00) followed by a graduate certificate in digital forensics (USD5000.00)

PhD (USD45000.00)

Ultimately, I intend to teach digital forensics and work, primarily on a consulting basis, in an area related to IT security or forensics.

I would appreciate your comments and insights.

 

Hi,

I actually teach computer security for a college. In my experience, most of our instructors don't even have masters degree but plenty of certifications such as Cisco security professional, CISSP, EC-council, Security +. MCSE security among others. I also teach security for some training companies and most of them care about CISSP, MCSE+security and Ec-council. Master's degrees and even PhDs are not necessary in this field in my opinion. Most employers look for security certifications so my advice would be to get some certifications instead. I did the Stanford Advanced Computer Security certificate and this was helpful mainly because of the name but most employers prefer CISSP over a Stanford certificate.

I wouldn't waste my time with a PhD since nobody is going to care about this unless you are planning to apply for a tenure track but this is hard with a DL degree anyways.

hope this helps,

 

MS degree...

 

MS then move on to a PhD if you feel up to it.

 

Why not start on the track of the MS and if you enjoy it, continue on to the PhD?

Many schools will provide this ability and some even require a doctoral student to earn a masters while working toward the PhD.

 

If I decide to pursue the masters degree, then I will likely choose a research-only doctorate degree. By the time I complete the masters degree(s) and the law degree, and a significant amount of independent readings in the meantime, I will have pretty much prepared myself for the doctorate degree.

Thanks to all for your thoughts.

 

I'm currently learning in the Master of Science in Leadership and Information Technology program through Duquesne University, which is likely the program you allude to in your sig.

For starters, the DU MSLIT program is not a classic IS/CIS/MIS major, but rather more akin to a management degree. The program stresses leadership and management of IT. No research methods course exists in this program. The curriculum lacks programming and database courses. Essentially, the program trains current or future mid/senior managers and executives. To meet graduation requirements, a student may select either the capstone or colloquium.

During a team conference call for my "Leadership in the Virtual Workplace" class, one of my team members elaborated on the capstone. To make a long story short, the experience sounds more like controlled chaos. According to my team member, she said that she was engaged in evening conference calls 3-4 nights per week during the course. The object of the course is to develop various projects for a community. There is much coordination involved between participants, hence the evening teleconferencing. I will probably opt for the collquium rather than the capstone.

By the way, our professor for the virtual workplace course is truly awesome. She's written a few books, consults on a part-time basis, and was able to bring in two very good, guest lecturers from Rutgers and William & Mary. Students either dial in or can connect via VoIP through Blackboard Live Classroom to the audio lectures. The course is offered once per year.

After attending Tarleton State for one semester in pursuit of an actual IS degree, the level of engagement and excellent interaction brought me back to Duquesne. Customer service (i.e. student support) is outstanding at DU. I actually met the TSU IS faculty immediately prior to starting the DL courses there last year. They are great people. But for me at this time, something also lacks in regards to the DL experience at TSU.

Having said that, I believe that I'll be able to transfer 4 of the DU courses to TSU, and require just 6 more courses to complete an IS master's degree there a year after finishing up at DU. If I harbor any ambitions of advancing in the IT sector or possibly attempting the DSc. through Dakota State, then completing the IS degree through TSU is the ticket, at least in my mind. I've also considered a DBA in residence at UT-San Antonio.

Amazingly, since TSU raised DL tuition, I pay slightly less per course at Duquesne even though I'm a Lone Star resident. This tuition disparity occurs due to the very generous veterans discount offered by DU.

I'm also looking at the Digital Forensics grad certificate through UCF. But that will probably come after finishing what I started at TSU. For one of the UCF courses requiring a courtroom defense -- it can be completed virtually -- I envision flying into or driving to Orlando and simply staying with one of my brothers.

In conclusion, it all depends on what you are looking for. I'm not trying to sway you one way or another. In my view, DU's MSLIT program teaches more about successfully negotiating corporate politics and actually relating to people than serious CIS study. Nevertheless, it is still a wonderful learning experience.

 

Yes, it is the degree offered by Duquesne University.

Hence the reason I am drawn to the MSLIT. I have years of hardcore technical background and am looking to transition away from that type of IT work.

Sounds like a huge positive especially for a graduate degree.

The focus of the MSLIT w.r.t. "successfully negotiating corporate politics and actually relating to people" plus higher-level regulatory and protection issues surrounding information systems is precisely what I am seeking.

Depending upon the requirements of the graduate school I choose for the doctorate degree, the graduate certificate in digital forensics from the University of Central Florida, the masters degree from Capitol College, or the masters degree in digital forensic management (currently underdevelopment) from Champlain College are potential candidates.

Thank you for your perspective on Duquesne University; very much appreciated.