Recommend PhD program in CS or IT

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by jtalama, Jan 27, 2013.

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  1. jtalama

    jtalama New Member

    Hello,
    I'm very new to this forum. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here and I could use your advice. Thank you in advance!

    Question:
    Any recommendations for a PhD in Computer Science or IT. Here's what I'm looking for:

    Requirements:
    * PhD only (no DBA, etc)
    * Online (weekend or short-term residency ok)
    * Information Security specialization highly preferred!
    * Regionally accredited (AACSB, if it applies)
    * GRE not required

    Currently looking at:
    * Northcentral University
    * Nova Southeastern

    Can anyone recommend other schools that fall into the above criteria?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    This seems to meet every requirement except that • it's a Doctor of Science, and • the GRE is required in some cases. But there are very generous waivers; see point 3 under "D.Sc. Admission Requirements:"

    Dakota State University: D.Sc. in Information Systems.
    Specializations include Information Assurance and Computer Security (this is one single specialization).
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    The GRE is an inconvenience, nothing more. I don't understand why so many people are keen to avoid it when doctoral study itself will be so much more time consuming and expensive.
     
  4. rootuser

    rootuser New Member

    I agree with Steve. Especially since most universities consider the candidate and all application materials as a whole, not just the GRE score. You don't have to achieve the absolute highest GRE score if you have strong positives in other areas.
     
  5. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    - Capella University's Ph.D in Information Technology

    - University of Colorado - Colorado Springs' Ph.D in Engineering Security. The program courses can be completed at distance learning; however, dissertation maybe on campus. Contact the school itself to find out more information.
     
  6. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

  7. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    The GRE or GMAT works as a filter. You will be amazed at the amount of students that want to do a PhD that cannot get an acceptable GRE and GMAT score.
    It also gives credibility to a program, an employer is not going to be so impressed if you finished at a program that only requires a credit card that clears for admission.

    I would also look at the placement record, Nova has a good track of placement record for IT and IS. There are other programs that require short residencies such as the PhD in CS from Idaho State.
     
  8. rootuser

    rootuser New Member

    The GRE does act as a filter indeed. But, average GRE scores can be just fine if you bring other things to the table. Yes, you need to pass the GRE, but you don't need a perfect either (depending on your other areas). It also depends on the program as each are different as well as applicant numbers influencing how competitive the pool is.
     
  9. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    I have looked it up for this program. I searched on Google.com stated that University of Idaho offers Ph.D in Computer Science, which can be completed via distance learning. However, I have never seen any reliable information from the school official website.
     
  10. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I spoke to admissions person long time ago (more than 10 years) and the program required residence terms at the time. I am not sure what is the current residency requirement but I would expect this to be less or at least the same.

    1 year is not so bad for a credible PhD but my guess is that most people coming to this forum want zero residence requirement. I met few people that finished the PhD at Nova and told me that they were not required to go at the school at all as they were international students. I guess that Nova is the best you can get given its credibility and low residency requirements.

    Walden, NCU, TUI, Capella, UoP etc have the online options but lack the credibility so I would consider them high risk when it comes to employment prospects after graduation. You might end working more at these online institutions but the reality is that most employers won't believe that your degree would be equally rigorous as any traditional school.
     
  11. jtalama

    jtalama New Member

    Thank you for the input. I'm avoiding UoP, Walden and Capella. Not sure what TUI is... an online friend is going to NCU for his PhD; so far he hasn't complained much except for the price. Does NCU have a bad reputation? I'm in the dark.
     
  12. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Not that I know but there are better options out there. NCU suffers from the stigma of being an online for profit school. The main issue is credibility, you might have worked your ass off for the degree but many might think that your work lacks merit because the online for profit stigma.
    A public University or private non for profit with a strong B&M presence is the best way to deal with the credibility issue. If the school grants regular PhDs for on campus students, many might not even know that the degree was earned by distance or might not think the degree is substandard.

    Many people got PhDs from NCU because there were not better options for DL before but now there are quite a few so there is no reason to take a chance with a online University.
     
  13. rmm0484

    rmm0484 Member

    If you're adventuresome, the excellent University of Leicester offers a distance learning program where all that is required is that you produce a dissertation, which is a standard educational method in the UK, South Africa, Australia and other such countries. It is called a "part time research degree," as opposed to a "taught degree," which has regular classroom attendance.

    Computer Science PhD and MPhil — University of Leicester
     

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