Degree Path(s)? | Defend the Web

BlackVikingPro
8 years ago

0

Hey guys, so I pretty much have my mind set on grabbing myself a Master’s or PhD of Science in Computer Science and Engineering. I also want to grab me a Master’s of Science in Cyber Security Engineering.

Now, I want these degrees to be able to broaden my work fields, some jobs I’d be interested in joining are such as FBI Cyber Security or FBI Cyber Forensics… or maybe a Security Researcher for InfoSec.. or maybe a Cyber Warfare Engineer in the Navy… I mean the possibilities are endless (not really).

So I just wanted to ask some quick questions about my career path(s). I’d really like to specialize in Cyber Security and Cryptography and such (complicated math pretty much); or doing something with my PhD in Computer Science such as maybe working for Google (a little far-fetched). Are these degrees really what I’m looking for though?? Will these degrees get me these jobs easily? I also plan to take some courses for Cyber Security at InfoSec Institute; and I plan to go to college at somewhere like Georgia Technical Institute.. If there are better colleges that specialize in these fields though, I’d love to hear some.. I only plan to go to a United States based college though, I am open to suggestions for out-of-country University’s though :)

Thanks for all the help and support in advance :)

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Where is Caesar when you need him?

tehron
8 years ago

0

[quote=BlackVikingPro]Will these degrees get me these jobs easily?[/quote]
Certainly not.

If you want the kind of job you describe, you have to have outstanding abilities like brain power, great knowledge (the one noone can teach you), and experience, apart from being really lucky.

f0rk [HackingGuy]
8 years ago

1

Along with what @tehron said,
Penn-State University offers a CyberScience Institute that you might not mind taking a look at.

There’s no place like 127.0.0.1

Margus [modulo-]
8 years ago

1

Disclaimer: the following is my personal opinion and not objective overview of the job market :)

Generally, what I have noticed that nobody really cares for the degree as such too much.
Mostly it can help you pass the first round of the application, where you simply need to “tick boxes” to not have your CV binned.

From there onward, put yourself in the shoes of an employer: what is a better bet - a recent student with a fancy paper, or someone with demonstrable skills and experience. However, a degree can be a good starting place if you cannot put together a decent plan for individual study, it will get you moving in the right direction.

In many ways a generic Computer Science degree might even be better, as it would give you the knowledge of how things work, rather than teaching how to use tools. Of course, many Security Degrees might do both, which is what you want in the end.