University of the Cumberlands Online PhD in Information Technology

Discussion in 'IT and Computer-Related Degrees' started by Marcus Aurelius, Jan 29, 2018.

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  1. wingshot

    wingshot New Member

    Previously, there was concern about plagiarism. The policy I see now is a cumulative three strikes and you're out policy that spans your academic career at UC. Thus, every incident is now reported to a central database at the school.

    First offense: any plagiarism incident (no matter how unintentional) yields a 0 for the assignment.
    Second offense: if it happens again (not necessarily in the same class), you receive an F for the course.
    Third offense: if it happens again (again, not necessarily in the same class), you are expelled from the school and the academic dishonesty will be noted on your transcript.

    Also, if at any point in the future the school determines that you plagiarized any part of your dissertation, your degree will be revoked and such will be noted on your transcript.
     
  2. snark

    snark New Member

    Congratulations on making it to ITS-839! It sounds like 736 was very difficult. Can you share what your experience was like and what you might do differently given your current perspective?

    Regards, Snark
     
  3. snark

    snark New Member

    Hi Wingshot,

    I don't know what you are seeing in your classes, but I don't see obvious cheating anymore. I think that the program has completely changed from where it started. People have to produce high-quality work or they fail. I took two classes last term and the average class grade in both classes was in the 60s until week seven where the averages increased to 70-71 after the final paper was graded. The work required and grading expectations were no joke. I wrote a few papers in one class where the prof knocked 9-19% off my grade because he thought that I should have added one more sentence to a single paragraph or that I should have added an extra word or two to a sentence on a six-page paper. I earned an A, but it was tough going.

    Best of luck in your classes-Snark
     
  4. kicksix

    kicksix New Member

    I think my biggest issue was the original topic I chose lacked enough peer-reviewed research. 736 is extremely heavy on research and requires a minimum of 50 pages and even more citations. The majority of your sources need to be within five years (from the date you submit your final dissertation, so keep that in mind). I ended up changing my topic a quarter of the way through and had to backtrack. There is a running annotated bibliography due each week, so the course is a continual commitment throughout the 16 weeks. If I had to do it all over again, I would have started an annotated bibliography before 736 to ensure there was enough research on the topic. Also, time management is more critical in this course than any other. At first, I did not understand why you would write chapters one and three AFTER two, but it makes sense in the grand scheme of things. The more you research and complete your literature review, the more you will understand how you will contribute/add to the body of knowledge. Best of luck!
     
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  5. snark

    snark New Member

    Hi KickSix,

    Thanks for your commentary and guidance on 736 and the dissertation process. I personally have changed my topic a few times (five) already due to the rapid pace of academic publishing in the data science discipline, so I feel your pain with regards to having to pivot. I cannot imagine how unnerving and stressful that would be with the time constraints imposed by 736 though.

    I have had a nagging feeling for a while that I should complete my annotated bibliography before starting 736. I am not sure how I am going to fit that effort into my schedule, but I am going to commit to working on it now. I bought the literature review textbook recommended by the University--I hope it helps.

    Good luck on chapters 1 and 3, and on your comps!
     
    kicksix likes this.
  6. cwocarpenter

    cwocarpenter New Member

    Thanks for the info! I'm in the fourth course so far, concentrating on the master level courses first as this blog has recommended (Cybersecurity). My goal is to be done in about 3 1/2 years. I have an area for research picked out (IIOT) but not a pinpointed research topic yet (I'm thinking about accreditation for IIOT systems). My main goal is to keep my cost low but finish timely. I have some concerns about the level of literature but I have found quite a few resources so far. Any advice?
     
  7. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    Can I ask what theses topics you considered in the area of DS? I'm considering a PhD myself one day, but I'm fairly new to the field of data science so I'm not even sure what a thesis topic looks like in that area.
     
  8. kicksix

    kicksix New Member

    Nice topic! Mine is the IoMT (Internet of Medical Things). Although I haven't read any peer-reviewed literature regarding IIoT, I can tell you from experience researching IoMT that you will be able to find an abundance of articles that relate to your topic. The IIoT and IoMT are essentially subsets of IoT (the IIoT and IoMT use IoT devices). I used several IoT peer-reviewed articles because they were relevant to the IoMT. Best of luck!
     
  9. snark

    snark New Member

    I was working on the differentiation of cancer cells from normal cells for certain types of human tissue using tissue slide images. I also had a lot of other clinical diagnostic ideas using EMR data to identify conditions and disease diagnosis. I will likely partner with clinical pathologists after I get my degree to work on similar projects.
     
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  10. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    Wow, that's really cool!
     
  11. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    I returned back to the University of the Cumberlands after taking 2 core courses in 2018 because I see Blockchain Technology offering. I am on the third course of Blockchain specialization while working on my MBA program. My plan to complete all two courses in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. I'll finish my MBA at the Imperial College London in August 2022; then start engaging 100% on core courses and researches.
     
  12. BlueMason

    BlueMason Audaces fortuna juvat

    ..just put my application in! Fingers crossed :)
     
  13. BlueMason

    BlueMason Audaces fortuna juvat

    ..and time to celebrate! Received notification of my acceptance! ..Ph.D. - here I come!
     
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  14. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    Congrats!

    Can you describe the application process? I'm considering UofC for my own PhD in the future (among Old Dominion and a few other schools.)
     
  15. BlueMason

    BlueMason Audaces fortuna juvat

    Thank You!
    Process was rather straight forward, really; the standard info about prior education, transcripts and then a written interview which contains five questions. Answers needed to be between 125 and 500 words. Now, I am an UC Alum, so perhaps it was an easy and straight forward application. The emphasis I am going into is Digital Forensics as I have been in that field for over a decade. Good luck in your studies - looks like you've got a bit on the go yourself :)
     
    Dustin likes this.
  16. GNS3

    GNS3 New Member

    Hi TEKMAN,

    Long-time reader/follower here. Glad to hear you decided to come back. I've been accepted for a little over a year now, and I am planning to start the program with the Blockchain specialization at the start of Summer II. How are the Blockchain specialization classes treating you? Are they quality in your opinion?

    Thanks,
    GNS3
     
  17. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    Blockchain seems like a "hot" field, but I worry that by the time your PhD comes out it's already obsolete. I think I read something else on DI about that particular issue as it relates to cryptocurrencies.
     
  18. snark

    snark New Member

    Hi,

    I am hoping to gain some insight into how others that have made it to the IRB phase are planning to, or have collected data for the methods section of your PhD. I have seen some students reach out to what seems like a small groups in LinkedIn and administer surveys. Any other ideas?

    Thanks!
     
  19. GNS3

    GNS3 New Member

    Hi Dustin,

    Definitely a "hot" field! I concur that, as it relates to crypto, it will become obsolete soon-ish. However, I'm more interested in it for the deep study of the blockchain system in and of itself - the digital ledger. I see use cases being numerous while much of the future being connected to some sort of blockchain. Whether it is a smart contract or digital currency, I think the future is related to a digital ledger of some sort.
     
  20. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    Hi GNS3,

    I think it is a good specialization to have if someone comes from the development side of the field. Those classes are good, I like the research and writing because it helps me to dig up researcher and conference papers to articulate critical thinking. The only thing I don't like about the classes, there is some overlapping material from one class to another. Another thing that I would recommend you spend your own time developing your own application along with the specialization courses. I have not done much because I doing MBA at the same time; while managing a family as a single parent and working full-time.

    Dustin,

    I don't think Blockchain is going to be obsolete. Blockchain should be treated as TCP/IP, a technology that drives the Internet in the information age. If you have time, read the book "Life after Google" by George Gilder, an American Futurist who predicted "Life after Television" which was the Internet. Blockchain technology is not mature yet, Blockchain is beyond Cryptocurrencies. It will disrupt many industries, especially banking or any services that require intermediaries such as real estate, attorney, and etc.

    I believe in Blockchain, but not so much in cryptocurrencies...soon you'll see Crypto Dollars, China is currently experiementing Crypto Yuan. Many central banks are currently exploring Blockchain technology.

     
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