+- Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb)
+-- Forum: Specific College Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Specific-College-Discussion)
+--- Forum: WGU - Western Governors University Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-WGU-Western-Governors-University-Discussion)
+--- Thread: certs before WGU cybersec? (/Thread-certs-before-WGU-cybersec)
certs before WGU cybersec? - justlearning123 - 11-02-2019
Could I skip a lot of classes at WGU for a Cybersecurity degree by getting the known certs? For example, they have a list of certs their classes prepare your for, could I just get those certs and then be able to skip the classes if I went to WGU? I ask because I don't know how long it would take me to prepare for a cert test, and I would rather take them at my pace, and not be paying WGU monthly while I was preparing for it.
If I got all the certs in advance, and then went to StraigherLine/Study.com/etc, I could probably eliminate most of the classes before I joined WGU. It usually takes me 3x as long to prepare for a cert as is the expected time, but I usually get a 95+ on the test. I know some people take these in a week and are happy with any passing grade, but I do things the way I do them for better or worse.
Could I just get these certs before WGU and skip the classes?
https://www.wgu.edu/online-it-degrees/cybersecurity-information-assurance-bachelors-program.html
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) – Associate of (ISC)² designation
Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) – Associate of (ISC)² designation
Certified Incident Handler (EC-Council ECIH)
Certified Internet Webmaster – Site Development Associate (CIW-SDA)
Certified Internet Webmaster – Web Security Associate (CIW-WSA)
A+ (CompTIA)
Network+ (CompTIA)
Security+ (CompTIA)
Project+ (CompTIA)
IT Operations Specialist (CompTIA)
Secure Infrastructure Specialist (CompTIA)
ITIL®1 Foundation
RE: certs before WGU cybersec? - dfrecore - 11-03-2019
So the main issue at WGU is that you have to take 30cr there. So, yes, you can do it this way, but know that you can't treat it like one of the Big 3 and complete 114cr and just do the cornerstone & capstone there. Also, WGU has certain courses that you MUST do there - they are non-transferable.
A better plan might be to study for a few of the certs ahead of time, and then do those when you enroll.
WGU-Academy has a course for the A+ exams, and the exams are included in the cost. So, maybe you do that and take a few months to study ahead of time, then enroll at WGU-A for a month for $150 for a month and take the A+ course, then go take the exams for free.
RE: certs before WGU cybersec? - quigongene - 11-03-2019
If you're taking this route (I did for the most part....I finished in less than 4 months), make sure to look at all the options on the transfer guidelines:
https://partners.wgu.edu/Pages/BSCSIA.aspx
Some courses get covered by MTA exams, which are ridiculously easy if you have a background in the subject. Some certifications cover more than one class (the CISSP, for example, covers 4 classes, the CISA covers 3). Aditionally, the CCSK (which is an open book test) covers the CCSP.
They've changed some of the requirements, but the spreadsheet of classes and exams I took is here:
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/attachment.php?aid=2602
Good luck!!
RE: certs before WGU cybersec? - justlearning123 - 11-03-2019
(11-03-2019, 09:15 AM)quigongene Wrote: If you're taking this route (I did for the most part....I finished in less than 4 months), make sure to look at all the options on the transfer guidelines:
https://partners.wgu.edu/Pages/BSCSIA.aspx
Some courses get covered by MTA exams, which are ridiculously easy if you have a background in the subject. Some certifications cover more than one class (the CISSP, for example, covers 4 classes, the CISA covers 3). Aditionally, the CCSK (which is an open book test) covers the CCSP.
They've changed some of the requirements, but the spreadsheet of classes and exams I took is here:
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/attachment.php?aid=2602
Good luck!!
I read your progress thread, it sounded like you had a background working with much of the material the certs covered. I think you said you did A+, Network+, and Security+ in a week or so. I would actually need to learn that material, and expect it would take many months for just those 3 classes. That is actually why I was thinking of doing the certs outside of WGU, because it takes me 3x longer than expected, and I don't want to be paying them $600 a month while I'm trying to memorize a bunch of stuff I've never seen before. I've worked in software development for a long time, but never got involved in infrastructure unless a SysAdmin needed help automating stuff.
InfoSec looks like it would be interesting work, and WGU looks interesting since they are certs-focused and Infosec looks like a cert-focused industry. If InfoSec is going to require certs, then getting them while you get a BS does seem like a good idea. I joined WGU 5 years ago, and took one CIW web class. It think it took me 2 months to pass the first of three classes, which was 3x longer than they said I should take. I actually barely passed the class on the pre-test, having studied zero, and got like a 95+ when I took it for real. So I didn't even really need to prepare for the test, but I wasn't doing to take it knowing there was stuff I didn't know. They said I was trying to hard when I pointed out my expected graduation time was like in 12 years. So I dropped out after 2 months.
I'm probably burnt out on software development, and I always wanted to learn more about infrastructure stuff. Maybe I should get a bunch of certs, get a job where I use those certs, then get a BS degree from WGU after I've worked in that field for a while. I've doing this stuff since 1988 and I still feel like I don't know a freaking thing.