MSc Cost Question

[tntcoder]

What certs did you go for out of interest and how did you find them?

Got CompTIA Linux+ and EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker, currently doing Offensive Security Certified Professional, and a CCNA at some point. They are a bit of a challenge, but they teach you a lot and hopefully will have some relevance on the job scene (i hope).

Thanks for all the advice, I should be able to put together 6k for the Royal Holloway course, but i can see why UCL would be higher valued, will have to research it further.

 

[dowie]

Interest rates, and perhaps the fact that he would have nothing against which to secure the loan?

interest on a 15 grand loan vs increase in net present value from gaining the MSc

not a hard choice tbh....

 

[dowie]

Never heard of a masters costing £15K tho! Most of them are about £3K-£4K !

depends on the subject area - I'd wager that a lot of law stuff probably costs a bit more than average

financial engineering/financial mathematics masters also go for 15-20k or so and generally don't have funding available for them

 

[Una]

Got CompTIA Linux+ and EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker, currently doing Offensive Security Certified Professional, and a CCNA at some point. They are a bit of a challenge, but they teach you a lot and hopefully will have some relevance on the job scene (i hope).

Thanks for all the advice, I should be able to put together 6k for the Royal Holloway course, but i can see why UCL would be higher valued, will have to research it further.

Tell you what the most important thing is, especially if your aiming at pen tester... One of the first questions I was asked in the interview. If you want to do the highly technical side of computer security as opposed to risk assessments/policy crap... get some vulnerabilities in software found, proof of concepts, exploits you have written. Anything that you have published on bugtrack/full disclosure etc.. as well as academic security publications. These are much more valuable than certs.

 

[meghatronic]

/is quite smug that he applied for a straight MSci course

That isn't a postgraduate degree, though. It's a 4yr Undergrad masters.

 

[Duff-Man]

interest on a 15 grand loan vs increase in net present value from gaining the MSc

not a hard choice tbh....

It is when there are plenty of funded options available. As I stated earlier, most science-based MSc courses have funded places available.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I had no idea you could get funding for a Masters. I'm thinking of staying on to do a Masters for another year simply becuase I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at University and I think that just an extra year to further myself even more would maybe prove useful in the future.

Just wondering about the merits of an MSc in a similar subject area to my undergraduate degree, though.

 

[dowie]

It is when there are plenty of funded options available. As I stated earlier, most science-based MSc courses have funded places available.

and as I stated earlier...

If funding isn't available then just take a loan out.

 

[Duff-Man]

I had no idea you could get funding for a Masters. I'm thinking of staying on to do a Masters for another year simply becuase I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at University and I think that just an extra year to further myself even more would maybe prove useful in the future.

Just wondering about the merits of an MSc in a similar subject area to my undergraduate degree, though.

What is your subject area?

For the most part, science-based MSc courses tend to be either somewhat more vocational than the equivalent undergraduate course (leading more directly to an industrial placement), or more research-based (leading on towards a PhD and a research career).

Often though, MSc courses can be more specialised than undergraduate courses, taking in multiple disciplines. These can give a chance to take a slightly different career direction whilst still using your existing skill set.

Personally, I did a maths undergraduate degree, then moved on to an MSc in aeronautical engineering. It was a fairly theoretical course, focused heavily on numerical methods and computational fluid dynamics though, so complemented my degree course well. I had the option of several interesting careers in the aerospace industry that would have been difficult without the MSc, but ultimately decided on a PhD instead.

 

[Duff-Man]

and as I stated earlier...

If funding isn't available then just take a loan out.

UCL isn't the only University to offer MSc courses in IT security. All options should be exhausted before resorting to a commercial-rate loan that will take many years to pay back, after graduation.

Are MScs really paid that much more than BScs in IT security? In most fields, all graduates start on the same salary. MScs and PhDs only tend to rise more rapidly through the ranks, so it really is a very long-term benefit.

EDIT - remember, the loan you take out must cover living expenses for the year as well. With even modest single-room accomodation going for around £120 - £150 per week in London, and with food / transportation / bills etc your £15k becomes £25k very rapidly. With EPSRC funding you will get your course fees paid, and also get £13.5k PA to live on.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Business - but the MSc allows me to specialise in an area of my choice, which I find appealing. I've thoroughly enjoyed the subject and despite graduating this year just feel like.. I could further myself. I'm not expecting to gain the sort of kudos you would with an MSc from UCL or Oxford but then it isn't a similar price, either.

Just seems like a worthwhile way of spending the next year whilst I apply for grad jobs etc, a process which itself can take absolutely ages.

Studying for an MSc seems more enjoyable than working in a McJob or whatever whilst I wait for a good post-degree job.

 

[Duff-Man]

Business - but the MSc allows me to specialise in an area of my choice, which I find appealing. I've thoroughly enjoyed the subject and despite graduating this year just feel like.. I could further myself. I'm not expecting to gain the sort of kudos you would with an MSc from UCL or Oxford but then it isn't a similar price, either.

Just seems like a worthwhile way of spending the next year whilst I apply for grad jobs etc, a process which itself can take absolutely ages.

Studying for an MSc seems more enjoyable than working in a McJob or whatever whilst I wait for a good post-degree job.

Sounds like you should go for it. Specialisation is one of the most important reasons to do a post-graduate degree (more so than any notion of salary advancement - at least in most fields).

 

[int]

I'm taking an MSc (MSci) which involves a year in industry/internship in my 3rd year. Gives me a chance to earn money to pay off a years uni & accom loans (plus enough to keep me alive throughout that year ).

MSc courses after a "break" are usually offered to employees, where companies believe they'll benefit from it (therefore the companies pay for it too).

 

[[TW]Fox]

Sounds like you should go for it. Specialisation is one of the most important reasons to do a post-graduate degree (more so than any notion of salary advancement - at least in most fields).

It's a very hard decision to make. One of my most succesful areas has been Finance (1st in finance modules so far) and this is also the area I did my placement in. I guess that points to a career as an accountant but it seems a bit... dunno, plus professional qualifications are the important area there.

Sigh. So much to think about!

 

[dowie]

UCL isn't the only University to offer MSc courses in IT security. All options should be exhausted before resorting to a commercial-rate loan that will take many years to pay back, after graduation.

Are MScs really paid that much more than BScs in IT security?

I don't know about IT security specifically but I work for a software firm and the starting salary at my place for a BSc is low 30s whereas an MSc is high 30s to 40k.

If the aim is to get into a company and progress vertically then having UCL on the CV is a plus. The guys who got placed in the more interesting departments at my place went to brand name universities. (i.e. more research/cutting edge stuff in R&D as opposed to QA team etc...)

Though I guess if the aim is to get into the field in general and progress horizontally, get more and more technical rather than going for management positions then it might be to go for the course with the strongest research group in the field and try to get the best possible thesis supervisor you can.

 

[ten1a]

Banks do offer special career development loans. . You start repaying it after you've been in employment for 6 months.

I too got one such loan to fund my Bar Vocational Course (BVC) this year, which costs £12,000-£13,000 depending on where you go however, they normally pay for living costs too... I'm not sure if I can name the bank I got it from on here (their "symol" is a collection of red and white triangles ).

The loan is called a PSL - Proffessional Studies Loan - and once you've made an appointment to talk to someone, they can make it very specific to your needs. You then start to make repayments 6 months after the course ends, and there are provisions for repayment of the interest only for up to 3 years after the course ends should you struggle to find work (which shouldn't be a problem really)

To be honest, it isn't a bad idea to do a masters part-time and work at the same time, it's the best way to do so if you're worried about loans/debt... etc it sort of pays for itself, but it'll mean juggling work and study.

Good luck.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

After graduating from Warwick last year, I decided to do a MSc course there too. I paid £5100 for the year, which is considerably less than what you would be paying!

At Warwick, only international students (non EU) pay that much... I think part of my fees are covered by my LEA.

 

[[TW]Fox]

After graduating from Warwick last year, I decided to do a MSc course there too. I paid £5100 for the year, which is considerably less than what you would be paying!.

What did you chose, what was it like, how did it differ from your undergrad and do you think you made the right choice and why?

 

[dowie]

At Warwick, only international students (non EU) pay that much... I think part of my fees are covered by my LEA.

No it depends on the course - for example look at the mathematical finance course at Warwick tis a highly regarded course and a lot of top banks specifically target the students for front office quant/trading or risk management roles. Unsurprisingly the fees are a bit higher than most courses (16k).
There isn't much research council funding for a course where the vast majority of grads are destined to go onto six figure jobs in the city.

 

[Danger Phoenix]

What did you chose, what was it like, how did it differ from your undergrad and do you think you made the right choice and why?

I did a course called Engineering Enterprise Excellence (name changed to Managing for Business Excellence for 2008) with Warwick Manufacturing Group for the Masters, after doing a Computer Science BSc.

The main reason I decided to do a Masters was because I thought my 2:2 just wasn't good enough and I wanted something else on my CV. I chose this particular course as I wanted some business and management education and it was the only one at Warwick that accepted a 2:2.

EEE focuses on learning rather than being taught so unlike my undergraduate course there are no long boring lectures, but more team work and presentations which actually allow you to learn. Furthermore, there are no exams which I think is really good because there is no industry where your employer will lock you in a room and tell you to write him/her a report from memory.

I think I did make the right choice because although this course is hard work, it has been fun and interesting. There has never been a moment where I wished I had not done this course. Plus the fact that I have learnt things which will help me a lot when I start work (management/business skills) also make me feel that my decision was the right one.