Bachelor's in IT looking at 2 different schools

Discussion in 'IT and Computer-Related Degrees' started by ssgmun5000, Oct 1, 2011.

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  1. ssgmun5000

    ssgmun5000 New Member

    First a little bit about myself. I have been in IT for 8 years now and have my CCNA, CCDA and CCNA Voice certs. I feel like getting my degree will help me get to that next level. I am looking at Colorado Tech University and Liberty University IT programs. Liberty for me will be about 12 grand cheaper but their program/coursework does not seem as good as CTU. If anyone can offer any help or advice I would appreciate it.
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    If money is an issue I would recommend Liberty University and/or Fort Hays State University. If money is not an issue than I would recommend find a school that has name recognition. Penn State or Colorado State.URL: Online Education Degree Programs & College Courses - CSU-Global Campus, and etc.
     
  3. dlcurious

    dlcurious Member

    I concur with TEKMAN. If you're considering CTU I take it finances are not an issue, and in that case I would shoot for something with name recognition. Boston U's MS in MIS is another program I consistently see advertisements for that offers name recognition. Good luck.
     
  4. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    Really can't beat WGU cost wise and it's not been a problem for me in my career search.
     
  5. ssgmun5000

    ssgmun5000 New Member

    Yeah I heard about WGU from techexams forums. I asked about there coursework and I am not too sure yet about it. I haven't been to school in over 12 years and from what I gather WGU coursework seems more self-paced/self learn.

    As far as CTU is concerned I have seen what classes I will be taking for the degree and liked it alot. To me it seemed very thorough and in depth on what is being taught. Now of course I did not like how much it was going to cost me. The BSIT-Network Management degree costs 52,780. Liberty U's BSMIS costs 38,000. Money will be a big factor on my decision.
     
  6. ssgmun5000

    ssgmun5000 New Member

    Yeah I heard about WGU from techexams forums. I asked about there coursework and I am not too sure yet about it. I haven't been to school in over 12 years and from what I gather WGU coursework seems more self-paced/self learn.

    As far as CTU is concerned I have seen what classes I will be taking for the degree and liked it alot. To me it seemed very thorough and in depth on what is being taught. Now of course I did not like how much it was going to cost me. The BSIT-Network Management degree costs 52,780. Liberty U's BSMIS costs 38,000. Money will be a big factor on my decision.
     
  7. Cyber

    Cyber New Member

  8. DistanceGrad

    DistanceGrad New Member

    Why do you need a bachelors degree in IT? From the looks of your certifications, you seem to understand the technology. While IT changes rapidly, coursework in bachelors programs do not. You may be on a path to learning old technology that will not advance your career. Around 1985 telecommunications was changed by the introduction of "time division multiplexing." All the experts in Strowger switch and "space division multiplexing" had to rapidly change. Many jobs went away because switches were for the most part non-blocking and physically they became smaller. With the onset of IP communications, even the TDM boxes disappeared. I hope you understand my point... Just in time certfications will keep you much more current and useful to your company than the degree.

    That said, I strongly believe you should pursue a degree. You might be best to do a business degree (do you plan to move up through management?) or even something like psychology where you will be reading, writing and doing research (all great skills as you move through your career). Honestly, I would not bother with an IT degree (even if you aim is to learn programming). In that case, go take face to face courses at a community college. You will learn what you need and make connections that can help you with your work locally.

    I recently retired as the SVP of IT at a major company. I have layed off over 2,000 people in my career and hired at least 6,000. Staying current in IT is the secret to a successful IT career and the formal education should concentrate on rounding you out as a business person. If your intent is to be an engineer or a professional engineer, then going to an accredited school is extremely important.

    Good luck.
     
  9. dl_mba

    dl_mba Member

    There is no teaching/instruction in any online degrees. Everything is self-learning. Some have little interaction with professors/mentors. Its a good idea to select a RA school that is cheaper. I would suggest WGU as they are RA and a lot of people know about the school and it is relatively cheaper and you might get credits for your certifications.
    Also look at UMASS http://www.umassonline.net/degrees/Online-Degree-Bachelor-Information-Technology.cfm , they do have a BSIT degree completion program. They are a well known school.
    As i told before try to avoid DETC and other expensive/online-only schools.
     
  10. ssgmun5000

    ssgmun5000 New Member


    From my experience in my company it seems like they value a degree more than a certification. I feel like having a certs and a degree will help me alot. I really want to be either a Network Engineer or Network Architect.
     
  11. DistanceGrad

    DistanceGrad New Member

    Not sure about your company, but they may value the degree for sure. My point is to move through a degree quickly... unless you will become a licensed PE (which does not exist in IT) then a degree in network engineering or architecture will become outdated. A degree in electrical engineering may be your best bet for shaping the future you would like to have. While DL may be the way you wish to achieve such an outcome, be sure to look at what the face to face engineering schools requirements are... this will give you a better idea of how close you can come to your aims. If you find a degree in electrical engineering technology at a DL school, compare it to what a BSEE would look like at Cal Poly. Then you can gauge for yourself the value of the DL program. You have 8 years experience.

    Be sure to manage your career from the perspective of what you value, not just what the company you work for right now values.
     
  12. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Why not consider a business degree and then a tech focused MBA? Most people mid-career decide to do an MBA these days and they often have to take a bunch of remedial foundation courses to get into the real masters level courses due to not having a business undergrad.
    My undergrad at Thomas Edison is a BSBA Computer Information Systems. It is something that you can do quickly with a lot of testing out options and it will position you very well for an MBA.
    I actually doubt that you need more technical training at this point in your career. What you probably need is better organizational, communication, etc skills that the course of study for a business degree will get you.
    Thomas Edison State College
     
  13. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    That sounds like a good approach and you should get some credits for your Cisco certs. I would not be inclined to spend $35K+ for a BS degree in a field where you will probably know more then some of the instructors. Fort Hayes or Amberton should be some great schools to start with,
     

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