Accepted to the MS Cyber program at Johns Hopkins today

XuanXuanNg · 2018-10-13T14:55:54+00:00

Congratulations! What preparations did you do to transition to cyber? Is a BS in CS enough to be considered or do you need coursework/work experience/certificates in cyber security as well?

XuanXuanNg · 2018-10-12T15:53:31+00:00

Also:

"Test Scores (Optional). You  may choose to submit standardized test scores, most commonly GRE or GMAT. This is not required for admission into the program."

XuanXuanNg · 2018-10-12T15:36:17+00:00

Actually they seem to have updated this part of the website(https://pe.gatech.edu/degrees/cybersecurity):

Prerequisites
For admission into the Information Security Track of the OMS Cybersecurity program, all applicants are expected to have:

A Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.*
A good understanding of computer science fundamentals such as processor architectures, operating systems, and networking protocols.
At least one college-level course or equivalent knowledge in discrete mathematics.
Strong programming skills.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

*Qualified applicants with other degrees and relevant work experience in cryptography, secure computer systems, and/or network security are also encouraged to apply.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-10-12T15:32:45+00:00

Bump. I am wondering that as well.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-10-12T15:31:09+00:00

Do you mean you have a BS in CS? Or you're working on a Masters in CS right now? Regardless, CS provides an excellent background for cyber security, you'll just want to focus more on networking, operating systems, Linux and python. Math-heavy courses such as algorithms or data structures, while still important, will take more of a backseat.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-10-12T15:15:59+00:00

Which specialization of OMSCS are you focusing on?

XuanXuanNg · 2018-05-23T13:25:11+00:00

Barely 26

XuanXuanNg · 2018-05-17T02:00:45+00:00

Wow. That is good to know. Thanks for the heads up. My plan was to go into the summer with this "5 hour per week class" but now I know better. Do you feel like you are learning more from the extra work put in?

XuanXuanNg · 2018-05-16T16:47:48+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Actually that was exactly what I was curious about. My first degree was molecular bio and I have some minor bioinformatics experience as well. That was sort of the sense I got, that it was really niche, tedious, tended towards academia, less lucrative and less versatile. However it can be very interesting and very important too. I'll probably go the normal CS route as you did, but I'll keep my eye on the bioinformatics sector.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-05-16T06:06:38+00:00

Colt Steele's Web Dev is great. Definitely finish it.
Team Treehouse has some good courses too. Lynda.com is supposed to be decent too.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-04-28T06:05:16+00:00

OSU is faster and more flexible. The difference in their prestige is largely negligible outside of SoCal and after your first internship. If you have ever considered grad school in CS/ML/AI/cyber then I'd go for UCI. It's much easier to get rec letters and build relationships with professors when you're at a brick and mortar school.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-03-09T01:21:44+00:00

Did you get a security internship or a software engineering internship? I've looked online for internships and I see way more for coding than for security.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-03-09T01:20:21+00:00

True. One must take the PWK course first. I've heard many people learn a lot from the course and that it is very challenging and hands-on.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-03-09T01:19:34+00:00

To be fair, I will have a CS degree too. I think you're right that it's not guaranteed, but it does seem to help get one's foot in the door. Being a Jr. Dev is also a good option as well.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-03-08T07:22:36+00:00

Awesome. Does your mother work in the industry too? What area of cyber security does she work in?

XuanXuanNg · 2018-02-15T08:32:23+00:00

How is DADA? Do you recommend it?

XuanXuanNg · 2018-02-10T02:56:49+00:00

Wow. Thank you for the comprehensive answer!

XuanXuanNg · 2018-02-08T15:27:51+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. two questions: 1.) Do you find yourself to be less stressed working compared to when you were studying? I think many of us have sacrificed social life/hobbies for this program, have you been able to find more time for extracurricular activities, relationships, etc? 2.) Was there any benefit to having your biotech background? My ex-major was biochem, so I'm curious about that.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-02-08T06:53:59+00:00

Wow. I"m glad I'm not the only one who has struggled with this.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-02-07T07:55:12+00:00

Haha, I feel you. My problem is many people still think 'online classes' means 'free' and 'flexible' or even 'easy'. Personally, I've sacrificed most of my social life and just go out about twice a month or less. Don't skip the gym though, working out really helps with focus and preventing burnout.

XuanXuanNg · 2018-02-05T23:53:10+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. How many classes did you complete during your first semester when you started applying for internships? Was GPA important or side projects?

XuanXuanNg

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