Graduate School Programs in Information Systems

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Malikman

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Sep 1, 2004
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Hello,
I am confused about where i would end up if i did xyz graduate program jobwise.
The four am looking at are Informatics,Information Security, Information Assurance and computer security. Can someone enlighthen me on the difference between these and where they would end me up in the job field? I am a information ssytems major and a sophmore, trying to figure out where i want to end up, even though i do have a little time. I am interested in security in relation to computers but not really towards the heavy programming side (i don't think).

Thanks,
Kamron

p.s. sorry that this is crappy english (punctuation probably spelling and all)... I do not have a lot of time at the moment.
 
Hard to really understand security if you don't understand programming. Knowing password policy and basic forensics is nice, but if you don't understand how a buffer overflow attack is done (which you need to know programming to do), you can't really understand how to analyze for vulnerabilities or truly understand how software and systems need to be protected.

Security is a tough concept, plain and simple. It goes from the highest level (social engineering, policy management, physical access) to the lowest level (processor execution control, buffer overflows, cryptography), and a system is only as secure as its weakest link so to do any good you have to understand the whole setup.
 
programming is not that bad once you get use to the fact that you spend more time on it than sleeping. Not bad at all ;)
 
I never said i wouldn't learn, the programming but i don't think i want to be in front of a computer coding over and over. Anyways, do either of you know the terms that i was asking about and where they would end you up job-related wise?
 
Come on nobody knows what these grad school programs mean and where they would end you up? I find that hard to believe...
 
i am trying to figure out if information systems is good to get into? i am torn between going to a school that has a network engineering program or go to one for information systems?
 
I have been looking into grad programs too. From what I have learned is they are all basically the same thing, with just nuances on the naming. Like for example, I was looking at UC Berkeley and they have a masters in information, however you can get it with a emphasis on information assurance. Each program however, may approach things in differant ways. It is a good idea to email the the professors at the schools your looking at, to figure what they are emphasizing and how they approach it. also try and find out how well there grads do upon graduation, if you can find that data.
 
Although, i know they are similiar. Each field has a "concentration" in sometyhing, which would lean you towards a different job style. I am just trying ot figure out which does which, so I am able to make a educated guess of which i want to lean towards.
 
I'll take a shot at it. My undergrad emphasis is Computer Security, and when applying for Internships I talked with a few defense contractors and government agencies about several of these things.
Malikman said:
Informatics
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As I understand it, this is the theory of storing, processing, and communicating information. I haven't looked into it much.
Information Security
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See Information Assurance
Information Assurance
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Guaranteeing that information gets to the intended users and guaranteeing that it gets to no one else. At its core, it's a combination of quality of service and guaranteeing availability with things like encryption and preventing tapping or cross-signal contamination. Most common application is military - command and battlefield intel needs to get to and from commanders and troops quickly, as it rapidly becomes obsolete. While it's still relevant, it must not be intercepted/decoded. There's also other interesting considerations such as time-limited information - the state of the battlefield half an hour ago isn't important or secure anymore, so you don't need to worry about it as much, for instance. Another application is keeping classified and unclassified information separate in communications systems.
computer security.
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The catch-all. The field is really too broad to be described in 1 paragraph, and the term itself doesn't really tell you what you'll be doing in school or in a career specifically.

Now, the problem is that, as I mentioned before, all of these are very technical fields. I can't say whether you'll be in front of a computer 24/7, but you'll certainly be as such for the entire duration of grad school if you don't want to flunk out, because it's a very difficult subject.
 
I'm going to a college in Chicago for a double BA in Information Security Systems and Network Engineering. They are essentially the same thing except each degree has about 4-6 months worth of classes different, then you'll have two degrees instead of one. That's the route I'm choosing as of now...
 
As i said above, I want to work with computer/information security i just don't know what these jobs entail and what i would be doing... as well as the grad school doctrate "term" for that. Those are the few terms i've seen and seem to be what i want but as i said i'm not quite sure, becuase for some reason grad school programs put fancy terms on something that means xyz.
 
Morazl said:
I'm going to a college in Chicago for a double BA in Information Security Systems and Network Engineering. They are essentially the same thing except each degree has about 4-6 months worth of classes different, then you'll have two degrees instead of one. That's the route I'm choosing as of now...
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I thought Network engineering was a Masters concentration of Computer Engineering.

If there is a easier way to get it, I'm all ears! :eek:
 
I really don't understand what type of job having a mater's in those above fields would get you. The only semi-related master's that usually bumps you up in jobs is a master's in C.S. vs undergrad only. Beyond that it seems like undergrad with some solid experience would be more worthwhile than getting a master's in something so narrow. I just don't see the point unless you're planning on becoming a researcher in the field.
 
Cheetoz said:
I thought Network engineering was a Masters concentration of Computer Engineering.

If there is a easier way to get it, I'm all ears! :eek:
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A Network Engineering (read #2 on that page) curriculum only has a limited subset (if any overlap exists) of the Computer Engineering core curriculum. The two are in no way interchangeable, nor is one close to being a proper subset of the other.

Most network engineering curriculum I've seen involves understanding the available and emerging hardware in the networking industry, and merging with solid understanding of that hardware the related software necessary to realize individual-to-enterprise goals.

Most computer engineering curriculum I've seen involves heavy electrical engineering as it relates to computer science, often with a broad emphasis on board- and circuit-level design and development.

Neither curriculum requires a Master's Degree; rather, a Master's Degree will open the possibility of achieving a Ph.D. (depending on location, quality of program and other factors) and will also allow you to teach at the collegiate level (often at a Junior College, or University at the Assistant Professor level.) It often displays an ability to thoroughly research a topic to the point of conclusionary statements, which can be emphasized through a master's thesis and other related documents. For a Master's Degree where the emphasis is less on theory and more on practical application, often a comprehensive exam or a large presentation can replace the thesis.

Most of this is my own observations--I'm sure the curriculum changes by location, but these are my best generalized observations.

202276
 
Anybody know any ideas about the original post and the original three/four grduate degrees jobwise?
 
Malikman said:
Anybody know any ideas about the original post and the original three/four grduate degrees jobwise?
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What does the school have to say about this? I think they'd be in a better able to tell you what those degrees actually are, than the handful of people in this forum with any graduate degree, let alone the very specific ones you're interested in.
 
Well,
I have gotten these degrees from a few schools... I guess i should try to e-mail the ones i got them from and ask what type of jobs these will further me towards... i hadn't thought of that for some reason. haha.
 
Cheetoz said:
I thought Network engineering was a Masters concentration of Computer Engineering.

If there is a easier way to get it, I'm all ears! :eek:
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It's actually a Network Management BA, not Engineering, my bad.
 
It doesn't matter what the focus of the degree is. If you want a job in the industry, get experience. The degree just means you can make a decision and stick to it. My degree is in electronics (EET), yet I'm doing computer and network support for a mid-sized company.
 
I agree, but degrees and experience go hand-in-hand, together they're great.
 
BootSector said:
It doesn't matter what the focus of the degree is. If you want a job in the industry, get experience. The degree just means you can make a decision and stick to it. My degree is in electronics (EET), yet I'm doing computer and network support for a mid-sized company.
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isn't that why the field is saturated?
 
Cheetoz said:
isn't that why the field is saturated?
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The field is saturated with people with paper certs from places like http://www.computertraining.com/ that I hear advertised on the radio over and over. Degrees (and certs to an extent) open doors, but they don't get you through them by them selves.

Morazl said:
I agree, but degrees and experience go hand-in-hand, together they're great.
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This is the ideal scenario, but it's not always easy to achieve.
 
AMD_Gamer said:
what is better informations systems or a network engineering degree?
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"better" in terms of what?

from what I understand, being a Information Systems Security student, security is the fastest growing field right now.
 
I think when you say what is better... you have to first figure out where you truly WANT to be... unless your goal is money... then just look up what job pays best.
 
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