Thoughts on a Master's in Cybersecurity (especially for gov work)?
I'm starting college this fall and strongly considering a Computer Science B.S. degree. My end goal would definitely be Cybersecurity, but from what I've read, a Cybersecurity B.S. is less employable and less flexible. There is a Security "concentration" in my CS degree that I would probably choose, although this option isn't ABET-accredited (but the "general CS" option is ABET-accredited). The B.S. in Cybersecurity at my school is NSA CAE-CD accredited. Does the ABET accreditation matter, especially for government jobs?
Speaking of! I want to work in Cybersecurity, but more specifically for the Federal Gov. I personally would rather take the stability and especially the government benefits in the public sector over the higher pay but layoffs, higher stress, and worse benefits in the private sector. This is also partly because I have a chronic health issue and good healthcare coverage is essential for me.
So here's my main question(s): 1. Which degree option is best? CompSci Security? CompSci general? Cybersecurity? And 2. is a Master's in this field worth it? Ever since I was younger, it was my plan to get a Master's I absolutely love learning, so I always just pictured myself continuing my education after my B.S. to gain more in-depth knowledge in the field. I am a huge STEM nerd and really love science and math, so I'm wondering if a M.S. would allow me to do more intellectually challenging / higher level work in this field, especially for the feds. Is a M.S. generally valued by federal employers? If I get a M.S., which would be best? A general CS master's? A CS master's with a specialization in Cybersecurity/some aspect of Cybersecurity? Or a M.S. directly in Cybersecurity?
Also, how competitive is it to land government roles in this industry? Being able to work for the feds sounds a lot more appealing to me than the private sector does and sounds really exciting. Thanks so much in advance!
Speaking of! I want to work in Cybersecurity, but more specifically for the Federal Gov. I personally would rather take the stability and especially the government benefits in the public sector over the higher pay but layoffs, higher stress, and worse benefits in the private sector. This is also partly because I have a chronic health issue and good healthcare coverage is essential for me.
So here's my main question(s): 1. Which degree option is best? CompSci Security? CompSci general? Cybersecurity? And 2. is a Master's in this field worth it? Ever since I was younger, it was my plan to get a Master's I absolutely love learning, so I always just pictured myself continuing my education after my B.S. to gain more in-depth knowledge in the field. I am a huge STEM nerd and really love science and math, so I'm wondering if a M.S. would allow me to do more intellectually challenging / higher level work in this field, especially for the feds. Is a M.S. generally valued by federal employers? If I get a M.S., which would be best? A general CS master's? A CS master's with a specialization in Cybersecurity/some aspect of Cybersecurity? Or a M.S. directly in Cybersecurity?
Also, how competitive is it to land government roles in this industry? Being able to work for the feds sounds a lot more appealing to me than the private sector does and sounds really exciting. Thanks so much in advance!
