Colorado Technical University

Master's degree, Doctorate, or just Certificates?

I'll be starting my undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems with an emphasis in Information Systems Security fairly soon. It's an online degree with DeVry University, known well for their technology degrees among others and not just online. I want to get further education after I get my undergrad degree. My old roommate, at this university I was at for about a year, ended up getting his undergrad degree in computer science and skipping his master's and going straight for his doctorate which he did end up getting and now he's working for Google. I thought about doing that, but ONE, I don't know if a doctoral program (non-online) would accept an online undergrad degree as a requirement. TWO, my cousin who teaches computer science classes advised that I go for my undergrad degree and then get Cisco certificates instead of going for another degree. What do you think?

Public Comments

1. A masters or PhD is always better than just certificates. Many Masters includes embedded certificates in the program so in fact is a 'super set' of just getting certificates. A PhD is higher again. If you want to do a PhD you can certainly try to do it from a bachelors but I was advised by my teachers to do a Masters first to ease yourself into it. Masters in information assurance are readily available either online or via class attendance eg http://www.regis.edu/sps.asp?page=academics.grdeg.mscit.assure Thanks Bill
2. I would start for a doctorate from the beginning.