I graduated from Norwich University (http://infoassurance.norwich.edu/) several years ago with a Master's degree in Information Assurance (MSIA). The program was all online with the exception of the last week of classes being held at the university. The school's physical location is in Northfield, Vermont and is both a military and civilian based school. The university is recognized by the NSA and DHS as a National Center for Academic Excellence (http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academic_outreach/nat_cae/institutions.shtml#nh).
The MSIA program was very rigorous and I learned a great deal. The professors are leaders in their field. As for the program, we were required to write a 1000 word essay every week based on our lectures and reading material. We were also required to participate in online discussions and answer questions posed by the professor. Our weekly readings were relevant and current to the IA field. At the end of every seminar/course, we had a paper due that was 5000-10,000 words in length. The paper was based on an actual case study organization that we chose. I believe the program is top-notch and I learned a great deal about Information Assurance. You will definitely spend around 20 hours per week on school related work. For a year and a half, I was glued to my computer and course work. At graduation, we all joked about what we were going to do with the extra time we now had. While the program was all online, I feel a bond with the others in my cohort and the university. I never had this relationship with others in my undergrad classes, which was earned while attending classes in an actual classroom. It is very hard to explain, but it is all worth it in the end.
I believe the MSIA program at Norwich is what has made me quite successful today. I worked at a government agency for several years before landing my current position at a well known university as an information security analyst that is also accredited by the NSA & DHS. Both of these positions recognized my MSIA degree from Norwich as one of the key hiring factors in their decision making process. The University is well respected and I believe I am making a name for myself in the information assurance / security field.
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I graduated from Norwich University (http://infoassurance.norwich.edu/) several years ago with a Master's degree in Information Assurance (MSIA). The program was all online with the exception of the last week of classes being held at the university. The school's physical location is in Northfield, Vermont and is both a military and civilian based school. The university is recognized by the NSA and DHS as a National Center for Academic Excellence (http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academic_outreach/nat_cae/institutions.shtml#nh).
The MSIA program was very rigorous and I learned a great deal. The professors are leaders in their field. As for the program, we were required to write a 1000 word essay every week based on our lectures and reading material. We were also required to participate in online discussions and answer questions posed by the professor. Our weekly readings were relevant and current to the IA field. At the end of every seminar/course, we had a paper due that was 5000-10,000 words in length. The paper was based on an actual case study organization that we chose. I believe the program is top-notch and I learned a great deal about Information Assurance. You will definitely spend around 20 hours per week on school related work. For a year and a half, I was glued to my computer and course work. At graduation, we all joked about what we were going to do with the extra time we now had. While the program was all online, I feel a bond with the others in my cohort and the university. I never had this relationship with others in my undergrad classes, which was earned while attending classes in an actual classroom. It is very hard to explain, but it is all worth it in the end.
I believe the MSIA program at Norwich is what has made me quite successful today. I worked at a government agency for several years before landing my current position at a well known university as an information security analyst that is also accredited by the NSA & DHS. Both of these positions recognized my MSIA degree from Norwich as one of the key hiring factors in their decision making process. The University is well respected and I believe I am making a name for myself in the information assurance / security field.