University of the Cumberlands Online PhD in Information Technology

I keep changing everything. I'm now leaning towards the Information Security concentration or maybe Information Technology since it would save me two classes due to some approved transfer credit.

Information Technology

1. ITS 531 – Business Intelligence,
2. ITS 630 – Organization Leadership and Decision Making,
3. ITS 631 – Operational Excellence,
4. ITS 632 – Introduction to Data Mining
5. Elective - ISOL 634 – Physical Security

or

Information Security

1. ISOL 531 – Access Control
2. ISOL 532 – Telecommunications and Network Security
3. ISOL 533 – Information Security and Risk Management
4. ISOL 534 – Application Security
5. ISOL 536 – Security Architecture and Design
6. ISOL 631 – Operations Security
7. ISOL 634 – Physical Security

The Information Security classes look like they would be more interesting and beneficial to learn, but the IT track would save me two classes. Saving two classes is not a huge deal in the scheme of the PhD considering it will be the difference of either 20 classes or 18 classes total, but it would still save $1900. Luckily I can use the Physical Security class as an elective for the IT track and then work on the 800 level courses, with the hope that the IT classes improve in the future. It it is tough to see how completing the Business Intelligence, Leadership, Excellence or Intro to Data Mining classes would provide any kind of meaningful skill to a future employer, or if any of those classes would help prepare me for the CISSP.

 

Can you please let me know where did you find these videos that you mentioned ("after reviewing ITS634's videos by Dr. Sherri Brinson"). Thank you

 

I think the following based on my experience in regards to this:

"It it is tough to see how completing the Business Intelligence, Leadership, Excellence or Intro to Data Mining classes would provide any kind of meaningful skill to a future employer, or if any of those classes would help prepare me for the CISSP"

IT security is a evolving field and now that we are moving away from the traditional networking concepts into cloud computing, there will be immensely more data generated (logs, intrusion signals positive/negative, etc.) and these classes will help you immensely because you can use data mining techniques to dig through the information overload to identify open ports or etc which are very difficult to isolate on cloud vs in a secured data center.

 

Okay, that makes sense!

 

After I registered for the course all the videos were available on the course page. I was hoping we would be learning some tools for data mining, but instead there were a bunch of formulas and a great deal of information that was way beyond me; there is no way I would be able to learn it all in eight weeks, nor did the professor seem to explain the formulas other than to say we could read more about them in the textbook. I cannot remember if Dr. Brinson's uses an earlier edition, but the course registration says the book is Introduction to Data Mining (2nd Edition). Each week is a new chapter or two, and I already ordered the book and it is mostly Greek to me, e.g.,

Cohesion is measured by the within cluster sum of squares (SSE)


Introduction to Data Mining (2nd Edition) (What's New in Computer Science) by... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0133128903/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_WvF.AbTT7QHPV via @amazon

I dropped Dr. Brinson's course and registered for the Physical Security course by Ying Liu; there isn't anything available on the Physical Security course site yet other than a syllabus, but that syllabus is his syllabus from his hybrid Intro to Data Mining course from Spring 2018. Perhaps I'll take Ying Liu's Data Mining course in the future if Physical Security goes well.

 

If I am not mistaken, he is also teaching this CORE course "Data Science and Big Data Analytics"

 

I'm not sure what else she teaches, but Dr. Solomon teaches Data Science and Big Data Analytics and I believe he stated that he has students learn Python programming in that class, which sounds more like something in which I would be interested.

Can anyone comment on the quality of any of Dr. Michael Solomon's courses?

 

Really? I only spot Dr. Solomon teaching ITS834 and I am currently taking that course. It seems to be easy, but really looking for quality work. He does not take late works.

 

Hm.. each course is 8 weeks long (as in the undergrad and graduate programs) - are you considered full-time student taking 1 course at a time? I ask because it matters to my employer

 

Yes, I think so.

 

I

If you are taking fully 18 credits per year, 6 terms 6 classes; you are a full-time student. Nova Southeastern University offers 3 semesters per year; each semester is 2 classes ( 8 credits); you are require to take Fall and Spring as consdering full-time; while summer is optional. So, 16 credit per year is full-time; so 18 credits definitely full-time.

 

Thanks - this definitely looks interesting!

 

They haven't mentioned anywhere about these specializations or am I missing something?
OR the easiest question would be are there any other specializations besides these two (IT & IS) ?
Looks like find of the year so far, (actually find of this decade).

 

The specializations are the masters degree courses. They claim there are five, but I only found three:

Information Security Courses

• ISOL 531 – Access Control
• ISOL 532 – Telecommunications and Network Security
• ISOL 533 – Information Security and Risk Management
• ISOL 534 – Application Security
• ISOL 535 – Cryptography
• ISOL 536 – Security Architecture and Design
• ISOL 631 – Operations Security
• ISOL 632 – Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Planning
• ISOL 633 – Legal Regulations, Compliance, and Investigation
• ISOL 634 – Physical Security

Digital Forensics Courses

• MSDF 530 – Investigation and Triage
• MSDF 531 – Windows Digital Forensics
• MSDF 532 – Windows Registry Forensics
• MSDF 533 – Digital Forensics Tools and Techniques
• MSDF 630 – Digital Forensics Evidence
• MSDF 631 – Malware Analysis and Mitigation
• MSDF 632 – INFOSEC Leadership and Communications
• MSDF 633 – Laws, Regulations, Investigations, and Compliance
• MSDF 634 – Web Browser Forensics

Information Technology Courses

1. ITS 530 – Analyzing and Visualizing Data
2. ITS 531 – Business Intelligence
3. ITS 532 – Cloud Computing
4. ITS 630 – Organization Leadership and Decision Making
5. ITS 631 – Operational Excellence
6. ITS 632 – Introduction to Data Mining
7. Elective
8. Elective
9. ITS 699 – Information Security Project (1hr)

Computer Information Systems

• Not found

Computer Science

• Not found

 

Digital Forensics , let me apply tonight, would love to start in CS/DF...

 

The following article regarding 'Day 1' visas doesn't help with the school's reputation.

https://qz.com/1269299/f-1-visa-day-one-h-1b-alternative-work-authorization-cpt/amp/

I dropped my class scheduled to start in July and will likely drop-out of the program entirely. Although, I liked the Cryptography course that I took, the contents for Physical Security appear to be to read three chapters this week and take a quiz. There doesn't appear to be much actual teaching in any of the courses that I have been able to preview.

It might be time to look somewhere else for a PhD program.

 

Yeah well, at this price point... good luck.
"Day 1 CPT" schtick seems to be an entirely legal loophole-exploiting... a welcome one, considering the cr@p that is H1 lottery nowadays. I'm not sure I'd play that game, but can't blame the predominantly Indian students that do.

 

I see where this article comes from especially since I worked for 6 years on H1 before getting my residency. Two of my colleagues (both on H1s) 'exploited' the same thru MIT and standord, but I don't see people boycotting those either
The whole H1 thing is broken badly but that doesn't mean to discard H1 altogether or boycott all those companies that offer H1.

 

I probably should have been more clear. I dropped my Cumberlands course after learning that had very little in the way of teaching, and was the about the fifth or sixth class that I checked-out that had virtually no instruction.

The 'professors', most of whom were adjuncts with PhD's from Capella, simply put up the Powerpoint slides that went with the book and read them; even at that, they used videos which were mostly from previous class recordings. Additionally, the instructors appeared to have very limited knowledge about the subject on which they were supposed to be professing. I saw this not once, but repeatedly.

After I dropped the class, a friend sent me the article about the H1 visa, as she was looking into the PhD IT program, but once she saw article decided not to pursue Cumberlands any further, believing the program would be looked at, as nothing more than a diploma mill.

Although MIT may a similar type 'day 1' visa program, I seriously doubt that MIT has the same complete lack of instruction that Cumberlands was presenting in the half dozen courses that I checked out.

The PhD program is a long journey and will cost about $35,000. I just cannot justify the amount of time and effort that it will take to complete such a program, only to later to have to defend the credibility of that degree from many who already question the legitimacy of any online degree program, particularly a PhD degree program from a university which only appears to be catering to a group of desperate individuals.