Recommendations for Graduate Programs? 68
xblanksx asks: "I am a soon to be college graduate and I have been looking into graduate programs pertaining to computer forensics and computer crime investigation. So far the only program I have been able to find is the 'High Technology Crime Investigation' program offered through GWU. Since I am finding it rather hard to find any other programs, what other graduate programs might be out there pertaining to computer investigations?"
Plenty of time to think about it (Score:1, Offtopic)
I'm in the middle of figuring out which school I'll be attending in the Fall, and had all of my applications in by Jan 1.
Re:Plenty of time to think about it (Score:2)
Re:Plenty of time to think about it (Score:2)
Re:Plenty of time to think about it (Score:2)
uhm google much? (Score:1)
http://www.graduate.ucf.edu/CurrentGradCatalog/co
These were just on the first two pages of a google search for "computer forensics graduate school". You couldn't have possibly looked that hard.
SFU? (Score:3, Informative)
If you're interested, drop me an email, or contact the head of the lab [cs.sfu.ca].
STFU? (Score:1)
I don't know whether it says something about me or about Slashdot, but I initially read that as "A lab at STFU is just starting a joint venture with the RCMP."
CSI-ish (Score:4, Interesting)
Also, I saw ITT-Tech advertising with just such a program, so that might degrade your college-graduate status. (Damn it, that piece of paper is WORTH SOMETHIN')
Frankly, I think that the much-bally-hoooed "age of digital warfare" has been upon us, but we just see it as furniture. Spyware and malware is or should be illegal, finding the perp should be an FBI enforcement issue. I doubt highly that terrorist organizations are sitting on thier collective laurels with respect to digital and information warfare. I'm SURE the army has 'information warriors' in thier propaganda arm.
Anywho, best of luck to you my fellow Gen-Xer (Are we still called that? Or maybe echo-boomer).
Re:CSI-ish (Score:2)
Good suggestion. I would just like to add that most colleges, including the poster's, also have career counselors [odu.edu] who can give guidance on what programs are good or not. They have various stacks of guides and ratings that can be more informative than a simple Google search [google.com].
OT: UMass has great chemistry! (Former Lederle dweller, not sure if
Re:CSI-ish (Score:2)
Work in the real world first? (Score:2)
School is fun, but you need some real world experience in order to function in this world. Universities tend to be a bit isolated with their approach to things, and their teachings don't necessarily reflect reality.
If you go straight to grad school, t
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:3, Insightful)
Here is my analysis (i am not a finance person):
1/ Go to grad school:
-50k to pay for 2 years school
80k starting salary
2/ Work as an entry level IT position with a BS:
50k starting salary
5% raise per year (high I know, but the math is easier)
So you go to school for 3 ye
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:2)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
I believe your analysis falls short right about here. In reality, many graduate programs (particularly Ph.D. programs, but also some Masters programs) will pay for tuition, health insurance, and give you a stipend. If you want to get a Masters and your program doesn't pay (but offers a paying PhD program), you can always enroll in the PhD program and drop out once you get your Masters. Even if the program doesn't expli
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:2)
Forget that, he should go for the degree now, and get on with it after.
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
or you can get scholarships which are significantly higher than ones found in undergrad and MAKE $40,000 a year going to grad school. Actually, this year, I made $55,000 ;) For some, grad school is a decent paying job :)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:2)
Re:Work in the real world first? (Score:1)
A different take... (Score:2)
NSA reccomendations (Score:2, Informative)
What do you want? (Score:4, Insightful)
2 schools of thought (Score:5, Insightful)
There are two schools of thought on how to search for a grad school. The first is to find a professor that you like and then look at the program. The best way to do this is to look through all the papers that you've written as an undergrad and look for the names that show up often in your bibliography. These are people who are interested in what you like. Chances are, they are surrounded by other people doing what you like. Take a look at the program that they teach in, do they offer classes that you like, are other people publishing things that interest you. The danger here to two fold. The first is that the person who you like is a jerk in person, you can find that out by corresponding with them by e-mail, see if they pay attention to you and treat you with respect. Ask your current professors about the person, most academic fields are pretty small, and word gets around. If you ever visit the campus, talk to their grad students and other people in the program. This is the best approach to take if you plan on either doing a ph.d, which is mostly working with an advisor one-on-one, or plan on staying in the same place for both masters and ph.d. One last hint, make sure they'll be staying at the institution, I almost got burned on this one.
The second school of thought, better if you're getting a masters and then moving into the private industry, is to find a program that interests you. Since you seem to have tried this, I won't add much more here except to say that I hear at Carnage Melon has a good computer security program, not sure if its what you're looking for though.
Re:2 schools of thought (Score:2)
feedback (Score:1)
More Options Than You Think (Score:2)
Purdue CERIAS (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/ [purdue.edu]
It's a well-known and top-notch program, one of the first of its kind.
Its head is Eugene Spafford, who seems to be well-known [wikipedia.org] in tech circles and is part of the Center's claim to fame.
CERIAS offers, I think, both masters and PhD's.
I looked at it a few years ago, but I'm sure that it's still worth looking into. I think that their site recently was dugg for some security checklist or something
GWU (Score:1)
US News (Score:1)
Certification (Score:1)
Read this first (Score:2)
Re:Read this first (Score:2)
Re:Read this first (Score:2)
Computer Crime Investigation? (Score:2)
"Of course mathematics is wonderful and anyone who goes to graduate school in mathematics is much more brilliant than anyone who, say, chooses a starting salary of $100K o
Re:Computer Crime Investigation? (Score:2)
Not really. An MBA does not a good manager make. The best managers are the ones with technical experience. Companies worth working for know this. Also, companies worth working for don't mind spending the extra money to have the best employees physically working in the United States. It's like every other industry, the lowest tier gets outsourced, while the real skill stays in house.
Maybe this looks interesting... (Score:2, Informative)
If only there were actual qualified people to ask (Score:2)
Don't be afraid to talk to people. Especially when you aren't a criminal or complaining, most law enforcement people are more than happy to talk to people.
Iowa State University (Score:2)
Probably the best advice I can give on selecting any program
Geography (Score:2)
Get a job, ya bum (seriously) (Score:2)
Get out of school and get into police agency (Score:3, Informative)
Find a person, not a program (Score:2)
And, as a side note, don't get caught up looking at a program that says "Computer Forensics" on it. There are only a few for a reason. It takes a strong general education in math and computer science and computer engineering to do that sort of work. So, you should get a detail look at some CS
make someone else pay for it (Score:1)
If you are about to have a CS degree, apply to the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, ICE, or some other federal agency. They are begging for people with technical degrees. You will likely be the resident tech guru and quickly get an assignment and trainig in forensics. If you like it you can
URI (Score:2)