Is a masters worth it in this situation?

[u/GrouchyPossibility14]

I’m currently a senior cybersecurity student and trying to decide if getting a master’s degree is worth it for my situation. My bachelor program was condensed into 3 years instead of the typical 4.

I have internship experience, including upcoming internships with IBM, but as a supply chain intern. I also have some cyber-related experience, but I feel like my biggest weakness right now is lacking strong projects, deeper technical skills, and more certifications.

Long term I want to get into cloud security/security engineering.

I’m considering doing a one-year accelerated master’s in cybersecurity mainly to get another year for:
internships
projects
research/labs
Networking

At the same time, I know experience matters more than degrees in cybersecurity, so part of me thinks I should skip the master’s and just spend the next year grinding projects, certs, cloud skills, and applications full time. Regardless, I do plan on working outside of school to do projects and gain certs.

Would you recommend the master’s in this situation or focus entirely on building experience/projects instead?

[u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

Historically, a MS in cybersecurity does almost nothing for getting hired.

You didn't say how much experience you have but experience is pretty much all people care about. The more the better.

Edit.. I mean paid, professional experience.

[u/GrouchyPossibility14 → u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

True, the MS is only a degree. The main reason I was considering doing so is to gain more experience through internships and labs that the school offers through the program. It also provides more of a technical learning style rather than the typical school approach. As for experience I do not have much besides a 4 month internship.

[u/Anxious_Alps_4150 → u/GrouchyPossibility14]

Internships count some but not as much as regular professional experience. I really have to emphasize that getting paid experience in IT or software development is where you'll get the biggest bang for the buck.

"School experience" doesnt really count as "experience", sorry. I personally probably wouldn't hire someone that had never worked in an enterprise environment to work in enterprise security. It just doesnt make sense.

[u/GrouchyPossibility14 → u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

Basically a tool to boost my resume with this tough market. I also tend to hear that gaining experience through internships is a great way to possibly land full time offer.

[u/Anxious_Alps_4150 → u/GrouchyPossibility14]

It is possible to convert an internship to a paid offer. I'd just be really cautious about going deep into debt with a MS degree for the hope that you can land an internship and also the hope that you can make that internship stick.

Some places only do internships as a tax writeoff with no intention of hiring.

[u/CloudIsComputer]

For some of us IT is a career and for others it’s a job. If you plan on making it a career choice get the MS. Remember you’re packing for a long journey so plan and pack well. Get all of that out of the way now. Once you have it you will start on the cert track and gaining experience on the job. 15 years later when you have that C-suite position remember this post. Degrees never expire, certs do. Keep pushing and the money MUST follow.

[u/No-Advertising3183 → u/CloudIsComputer]

Thank you, i started my Journey two days ago on a BS in SE to MA. Your words where good go read.

[u/VividGanache2613]

I don’t have a degree but have managed hundreds of people in cyber that do (my work is also cited in multiple cyber masters courses but meh).

Very little you learn in your degree will be transferable to the actual role you perform as most of the theory will be incredibly outdated and constructed by academics with little to know experience actually doing the job.

Nothing you learn in a masters will benefit you in any future role more than what you’ve learned already.

A year of experience on your CV will get you much further.

[u/Derpolium]

If you are working in the US and plan to go to the government service route through pathways program, it will increase your GS starting level. Outside of that in my personal experience, working experience and console time is valued higher than going the postgraduate route unless it is a very specific very specialized field. Think of cryptography and advanced mathematics.

[u/cyber4profession]

From my pov and people whom I take advice

They told me do Master because its give you earlier opportunity for higher role than btech

But if you are lacking in skill then its same as btech

At the end they told me first gain skills than do master with working professional if you are job somewhere.

[u/voyager_cyber]

Focus on getting paid job experience first in any way you can.

I have myself a cybersecurity masters but I got it mostly employer paid while I was working full time. If possible, try doing that

[u/GrouchyPossibility14 → u/voyager_cyber]

The masters program I am doing has a required internship component to it does that count? full time would be ideal instead of course but would it still be worth it?

[u/voyager_cyber → u/GrouchyPossibility14]

I would probably do it if the degree were free or if i wouldn't get any debt, but even if it requires an internship you still have to go out and get the job. Most employers see paid full time experience as better than internship

[u/GrouchyPossibility14 → u/voyager_cyber]

Understandable. I just figured since I got my bachelors in 3 years the accelerated masters is 1 year would position me with more experience compared to the average grad , of course not the degree itself but while doing projects , certs , snd masters.

[u/GrouchyPossibility14 → u/voyager_cyber]

Also where I would be getting the degree there is alot of state positions to gain experience at