Career Question, Business Management or Cyber Security?

[allvia]

What credits do you already have? And from what school(s)? Are you in TX? Using what you already have to apply it to a business degree might be a quick solution, not only to check the box now - but could be helpful later if you think you may have management goals in the future.

Hello Allvia,

Currently in my Junior year midway with Regis, have about 72 or so may be more. Plus the classes I took at sophia.com, study.com and Straighterline. I know should be able to transfer max I could for business degree and almost somewhat max for the cyber security degree. I'm currently in Georgia, the military is paying for the bachelor/master in computer science; that's why for sure in maybe two years I should be done with both. But looking to be proactive and get a degree now; kept going back and forth with both options and just couldn't see for me what best choice for now and future. I would like to do management and/or work federal as an analyst or management some type. My age being 34 is a factor as well. Again thank you for all your help.

Since you'd be paying for this business degree out of pocket (I assume) then the quickest and lowest cost option would likely be the UMPI BABA-Leadership and Management.  You'd have to list out what you have for credits, but you will likely be able to finish up missing Gen Eds from Sophia (ideally you'd want to do the least amount of courses at UMPI).  Normally with active military TESU BSBA would be a good option, but for speed/ease/cost I suspect UMPI in your case would be a better fit. If you do have any empty electives in your CS bachelor left, you might be able to transfer back into that with the UMPI credits (helping move that along as well).  

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

[davewill]

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

Or keep you from earning the bachelor's at all. Some schools don't allow second bachelor's degrees.

[Oneautumn7]

You have a lot going on.

When you say a bachelors in management will help get you a management job, how certain of that are you?  In my experience managers get promoted for proven ability.  Sometimes a degree is needed as a checkbox, but is a degree in management necessary with project experience and a PMP?

Also, do you want to do management in that field? Or is it just an easy way to higher salary?

Do you want to do software or cybersecurity?  For software, can you freelance while working your fulltime job and get experience that way?  I think cybersecurity might have lower entry level pay, because there are jobs out there that are literally just telling the old people at the company not to get spear-phished. But I'd check on that and also look into cybersecurity freelancing or even possibly ways to cross over into it at your current company.

Hello Spohara,

Yes, you're correct, there's a lot going on, that's why I hoped to get outside perspectives and opinions. The chance to get a Management position at my current job, I would realistically give it a 60/40 of able to obtain. With how positions are opening up the chance I would say would be good. I do as well have an active PMP, and how HR is positioning a degree is a must, not necessarily be in business as well. 

I like the management field, I have mostly done software and haven't really played much with cyber security; so I wouldn't know if I like it or not honestly. Freelancing is actually a pretty good Idea that I honestly did not imagine. I would be lying if I say that higher salary wasn't my number one reason for choices I make. Flexibility and opportunities being two and three.

---

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

Or keep you from earning the bachelor's at all. Some schools don't allow second bachelor's degrees.

It wouldn't affect my current track luckily. This would be out of pocket.

[dfrecore]

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

Or keep you from earning the bachelor's at all. Some schools don't allow second bachelor's degrees.

Agreed.  I would definitely look into this prior to doing anything.  Just because you're paying out of pocket doesn't mean the school where you're getting a CS degree will be ok with it.  Double-check and make sure.

[Oneautumn7]

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

Or keep you from earning the bachelor's at all. Some schools don't allow second bachelor's degrees.

Agreed.  I would definitely look into this prior to doing anything.  Just because you're paying out of pocket doesn't mean the school where you're getting a CS degree will be ok with it.  Double-check and make sure.

Hello dfrecore,
I am paying out of pocket. So this really doesn't relate to, I have spoken to my counselor in the college I'm attending now and she said it wasn't a problem. But I am curious as to how they would know since I'm currently attending and good standing? I always was under the impression that was for being admitted that most school don't like 2nd bachelors.

[bjcheung77]

Weird, my lengthy reply was lost... Here's the brief version!  Regis University allows concurrent studies as long as you let the dean know you're taking courses elsewhere and not using it to transfer into the degree at Regis.  They allow concurrent studies and you need to make sure you have at least 30 residency credits at Regis, they allow a max of 90 credits (25% residency requirements).

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT AT ANOTHER COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

In order to insure acceptance of transfer credit once the student is enrolled at Regis University, students should submit the Concurrent Enrollment form available on the Ranger Portal.

Undergraduate students are not permitted to take the last 30 semester hours of coursework at another institution without permission of an associate dean for Regis College.

A grade of “C-” or better must be earned for undergraduate coursework to be accepted in transfer.

Link: https://www.regis.edu/_documents/academi...atalog.pdf

[Oneautumn7]

Weird, my lengthy reply was lost... Here's the brief version!  Regis University allows concurrent studies as long as you let the dean know you're taking courses elsewhere and not using it to transfer into the degree at Regis.  They allow concurrent studies and you need to make sure you have at least 30 residency credits at Regis, they allow a max of 90 credits (25% residency requirements).

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT AT ANOTHER COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

In order to insure acceptance of transfer credit once the student is enrolled at Regis University, students should submit the Concurrent Enrollment form available on the Ranger Portal.

Undergraduate students are not permitted to take the last 30 semester hours of coursework at another institution without permission of an associate dean for Regis College.

A grade of “C-” or better must be earned for undergraduate coursework to be accepted in transfer.

Link: https://www.regis.edu/_documents/academi...atalog.pdf

Hey bjcheung77,

Thank you for that information; as you said all my upper classes will be done in Regis and it would be separate from what I would do with WGU. I'm not transferring anymore credits to Regis. All I got left are the last upper credits; most of the core classes have been completed at Regis so don't have anything to worry about there.

[davewill]

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

Or keep you from earning the bachelor's at all. Some schools don't allow second bachelor's degrees.

Agreed.  I would definitely look into this prior to doing anything.  Just because you're paying out of pocket doesn't mean the school where you're getting a CS degree will be ok with it.  Double-check and make sure.

Hello dfrecore,
I am paying out of pocket. So this really doesn't relate to, I have spoken to my counselor in the college I'm attending now and she said it wasn't a problem. But I am curious as to how they would know since I'm currently attending and good standing? I always was under the impression that was for being admitted that most school don't like 2nd bachelors.

It sounds like you're OK, so I won't belabor this. Colleges participate in the National Student Clearinghouse, kinda like a credit bureau for academia, that lets them know all of the schools a student has attended. They can use this to demand you send them a transcript from all your other schools before graduation.

[Oneautumn7]

Make sure that having a bachelor completed won't interfere with your plans to have the military assistance keep paying for your bachelor/master in CS.  If it does stick with the path you're on, even though it may be the slower one to take.

Or keep you from earning the bachelor's at all. Some schools don't allow second bachelor's degrees.

Agreed.  I would definitely look into this prior to doing anything.  Just because you're paying out of pocket doesn't mean the school where you're getting a CS degree will be ok with it.  Double-check and make sure.

Hello dfrecore,
I am paying out of pocket. So this really doesn't relate to, I have spoken to my counselor in the college I'm attending now and she said it wasn't a problem. But I am curious as to how they would know since I'm currently attending and good standing? I always was under the impression that was for being admitted that most school don't like 2nd bachelors.

It sounds like you're OK, so I won't belabor this. Colleges participate in the National Student Clearinghouse, kinda like a credit bureau for academia, that lets them know all of the schools a student has attended. They can use this to demand you send them a transcript from all your other schools before graduation.

Hey davewill,

Thank you for that information, did not know that. I discussed it before with my counselor but I just set up anther appointment with her on Tuesday to make sure I understood her correctly and that everything is okay. With that being said do you have any opinion between the two majors (BSBAM or BSCS)? Thank you again.

[davewill]

Hey davewill,

Thank you for that information, did not know that. I discussed it before with my counselor but I just set up anther appointment with her on Tuesday to make sure I understood her correctly and that everything is okay. With that being said do you have any opinion between the two majors (BSBAM or BSCS)? Thank you again.

I'm a little confused, I thought the BSCS was already in progress and you were deciding between management and CyberSec.

Anyway, it all comes down to what you would enjoy doing the most. If you want to be a software engineer, do the BSCS and start working as a developer as soon as possible. If you want to manage development teams, getting there from a BSBAM might prove difficult. However, If you have aptitude for managment, then it's usually not hard to make that transition after a few years as a developer. The managers who have actual hands-on experience are always the best to work for.

The same goes for CyberSec, do it if and only if it represents what you want to be doing as your main job after you finish the degree. If you just want to have a little CyberSec on your resume, get a cert or microdegree or some such to stack on top of the BSCS. If after doing the cert, you decide it's the greatest thing, I think doing a CyberSec master's after a BSCS makes more sense than any other combo.