+- Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb)
+-- Forum: Main Category (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Main-Category)
+--- Forum: Graduate School Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Graduate-School-Discussion)
+--- Thread: Northern Arizona University? (/Thread-Northern-Arizona-University--33292)
Pages:
1
2
Northern Arizona University? - ChilliDawg - 09-17-2019
Hello. Has anyone here taken the Masters program in C.I.T. through Northern Arizona University?
I have applied through WGU for the MSIT, and am in that phase where I am not making the next move, and have their recruiters calling me like crazy. I am having second thoughts about WGU, and really want to lean towards a state school.
I am reading on the WGU Reddit that Northern Arizona has a competency based program and is priced around $3000 per 6 month term. Would love to hear if anyone else has experience with it.
From what I am reading, it is a HEAVY writing program, all the way through.
Thoughts\input?
RE: Northern Arizona University? - Merlin - 09-20-2019
(09-17-2019, 05:51 AM)ChilliDawg Wrote: Hello. Has anyone here taken the Masters program in C.I.T. through Northern Arizona University?
I have applied through WGU for the MSIT, and am in that phase where I am not making the next move, and have their recruiters calling me like crazy. I am having second thoughts about WGU, and really want to lean towards a state school.
I am reading on the WGU Reddit that Northern Arizona has a competency based program and is priced around $3000 per 6 month term. Would love to hear if anyone else has experience with it.
From what I am reading, it is a HEAVY writing program, all the way through.
Thoughts\input?
I considered the MCIT program via NAU (technically I am still considering it since I've heard good things about the program) and the MSIT from WGU, but I decided to focus on my MBA @ WGU first. I would like to pursue a more tech-focused degree after my MBA, but if I do, I'll probably go with the OMSCS or an MSCS from WGU once that opens to the public (which should be next year from what I'm hearing).
That said, I'm curious about your second thoughts regarding WGU. The IT degrees at WGU are generally well-regarded in the IT community. I get that a state school looks a bit more traditional on a resume, but I'm wondering if that is the main rationale for your second thoughts or not?
You'll find that any competency-based program is going to require a lot of written assignments. WGU is nice because it offers a mix of exams/certs and projects/papers, which is nice for people who prefer exams. Personally, I prefer writing papers since I feel like I have a better handle on what I need to do (or study) there. That said, some programs require a lot more writing than others (NAU may fall into this category), so that could get painful after a while.
RE: Northern Arizona University? - ChilliDawg - 09-23-2019
(09-20-2019, 06:30 PM)Merlin Wrote: I considered the MCIT program via NAU (technically I am still considering it since I've heard good things about the program) and the MSIT from WGU, but I decided to focus on my MBA @ WGU first. I would like to pursue a more tech-focused degree after my MBA, but if I do, I'll probably go with the OMSCS or an MSCS from WGU once that opens to the public (which should be next year from what I'm hearing).
That said, I'm curious about your second thoughts regarding WGU. The IT degrees at WGU are generally well-regarded in the IT community. I get that a state school looks a bit more traditional on a resume, but I'm wondering if that is the main rationale for your second thoughts or not?
You'll find that any competency-based program is going to require a lot of written assignments. WGU is nice because it offers a mix of exams/certs and projects/papers, which is nice for people who prefer exams. Personally, I prefer writing papers since I feel like I have a better handle on what I need to do (or study) there. That said, some programs require a lot more writing than others (NAU may fall into this category), so that could get painful after a while.
Merlin,
You really did hit the nail on the head. I was aiming for a bit more of a traditional school on the resume'. I have done tons of research on WGU, and I am convinced that it is a great program for working adults, such as myself. So much so, that I recommended WGU to a friend and he enrolled and is quite happy with his progress and the program, overall. I almost selected WGU for undergrad, but ultimately settled on TESU, mainly because of the "state university" moniker. Now that I am ready to pull the proverbial trigger on a Masters program, I keep finding myself second guessing whether or not I am investing my money wisely(based on name only). Concerned about future prospects in IT Management.
I think I am just going to forge ahead with WGU. I am already rolling on the enrollment process.
RE: Northern Arizona University? - Merlin - 09-23-2019
(09-23-2019, 11:14 AM)ChilliDawg Wrote: Now that I am ready to pull the proverbial trigger on a Masters program, I keep finding myself second guessing whether or not I am investing my money wisely(based on name only). Concerned about future prospects in IT Management.
I think I am just going to forge ahead with WGU. I am already rolling on the enrollment process.
Honestly, if you're in IT, the degree is nice but is mostly superfluous to certifications and experience. If you know your stuff, you don't even need a degree to go as far as you want in IT. I know a bunch of people in high-ranking technology management roles who have no degree at all. Everything they have they earned by proving themselves on the job. That said, if you're coming into a new company, the degree will help set you apart from other candidates who don't have the degree, but most hiring managers are more interested in what you have done to understand what you can do, so your resume and/or portfolio is key, with certifications coming in second, followed by degree(s) in a distant third place.
So realistically, it won't really matter where your degree comes from if you have the right stuff on the resume. And if you don't, you probably won't be hired anyway regardless of the degree. The only place where it may matter is if you're in the running for a role where you are neck and neck with someone else with the same experience and certifications. If you have a degree and they don't, or your degree seems more relevant, that could give you a leg up.
RE: Northern Arizona University? - mysonx3 - 09-23-2019
(09-20-2019, 06:30 PM)Merlin Wrote: ...or an MSCS from WGU once that opens to the public (which should be next year from what I'm hearing).
Do you have a link/any more information regarding this?
RE: Northern Arizona University? - Merlin - 09-23-2019
(09-23-2019, 04:11 PM)mysonx3 Wrote:(09-20-2019, 06:30 PM)Merlin Wrote: ...or an MSCS from WGU once that opens to the public (which should be next year from what I'm hearing).
Do you have a link/any more information regarding this?
There was a twitter post last year that mentioned that an MSCS degree was in development and more information would be available in the future. The note about it likely being introduced next year came from my program mentor.
If there are posts on the WGU website about the MSCS program, I haven't seen them. The only information I have been able to get on it has been filtered through my mentor. It sounds like they are working on ABET programmatic certification for the BSCS and MSCS and will likely officially announce the MSCS program once ABET is confirmed.
RE: Northern Arizona University? - sanantone - 09-23-2019
(09-23-2019, 04:19 PM)Merlin Wrote:(09-23-2019, 04:11 PM)mysonx3 Wrote:(09-20-2019, 06:30 PM)Merlin Wrote: ...or an MSCS from WGU once that opens to the public (which should be next year from what I'm hearing).
Do you have a link/any more information regarding this?
There was a twitter post last year that mentioned that an MSCS degree was in development and more information would be available in the future. The note about it likely being introduced next year came from my program mentor.
If there are posts on the WGU website about the MSCS program, I haven't seen them. The only information I have been able to get on it has been filtered through my mentor. It sounds like they are working on ABET programmatic certification for the BSCS and MSCS and will likely officially announce the MSCS program once ABET is confirmed.
WGU will likely require a BS in CS and won't admit you no matter how many CS credits you have.
RE: Northern Arizona University? - mysonx3 - 09-23-2019
(09-23-2019, 05:01 PM)sanantone Wrote: WGU will likely require a BS in CS and won't admit you no matter how many CS credits you have.
Why do you say this? Looking over their website, it looks like none of their other master's degrees require you to have a bachelor's in anything specific. They are either completely agnostic to what your bachelor's was in, or they provide alternative routes to admission. Though one could easily argue that the MS in Accounting effectively requires a BS in Accounting since the only alternative option is a CPA license, which would be tough to get before beginning the program.
Is it because of the highly technical nature of the subject that you think they'll block anyone without a CS degree?
RE: Northern Arizona University? - sanantone - 09-23-2019
(09-23-2019, 05:32 PM)mysonx3 Wrote:(09-23-2019, 05:01 PM)sanantone Wrote: WGU will likely require a BS in CS and won't admit you no matter how many CS credits you have.
Why do you say this? Looking over their website, it looks like none of their other master's degrees require you to have a bachelor's in anything specific. They are either completely agnostic to what your bachelor's was in, or they provide alternative routes to admission. Though one could easily argue that the MS in Accounting effectively requires a BS in Accounting since the only alternative option is a CPA license, which would be tough to get before beginning the program.
Is it because of the highly technical nature of the subject that you think they'll block anyone without a CS degree?
The accounting program is the reason why I said this. Anyone familiar with the accounting field knows that people tend to get a master's so that they can meet the 150-credit requirement for CPA licensure. There are much better schools out there that will admit you as long as you have the prerequisite accounting courses plus a certain number of accounting electives. WGU's stance on this is nonsensical.
For the data analytics and cybersecurity programs, they provide alternatives that you have to spend money on and have to have completed within the last five years. What difference does it make if someone has a degree in one of those fields or a BS in another field plus an undergraduate/post-baccalaureate certificate or equivalent credits? There is no difference. It's a poorly thought out requirement.
The program that I'm in at University of Florida requires a bachelor's degree in a natural science, forensic science, criminology/criminal justice, or anthropology. My bachelor's degrees are in business administration and social science, and I was still admitted. Do you know why? It's because I have a bunch of doctoral credits in criminal justice! This is the difference between having full-time faculty members working as program advisors who can exercise discretion and having a bunch of worker ants who can only check boxes.
I would like to know which certification would demonstrate that someone is prepared to complete an MS in CS. Is there a certification that requires you to know calculus and discrete math?
RE: Northern Arizona University? - Merlin - 09-23-2019
(09-23-2019, 05:01 PM)sanantone Wrote:(09-23-2019, 04:19 PM)Merlin Wrote: There was a twitter post last year that mentioned that an MSCS degree was in development and more information would be available in the future. The note about it likely being introduced next year came from my program mentor.
If there are posts on the WGU website about the MSCS program, I haven't seen them. The only information I have been able to get on it has been filtered through my mentor. It sounds like they are working on ABET programmatic certification for the BSCS and MSCS and will likely officially announce the MSCS program once ABET is confirmed.
WGU will likely require a BS in CS and won't admit you no matter how many CS credits you have.
My assumption is that they will require either a BSCS, BSSD, BSIT, and/or X number of years of documented experience in a CS/SD related field. But we won't know until the program requirements are established.
In any case, I'm not too worried about it. If I can't meet WGU's requirements for some reason, I have other options.