- Amount Awarded: Up to $6,000
- Deadline: April
- Eligibility and Requirements: Eligible students must be women pursuing a degree in cyber security online or on-campus with a 3.3 minimum GPA.
Earning an online Ph.D. in information systems security opens graduates up to a variety of high paying career opportunities. These programs feature a variety of elements that differ depending on the university or college including course topics, enrollment types, tuition structures, and scholarship opportunities. Holding a doctoral degree allows individuals access to the widest variety of careers in their field along with the highest earning potential, making the degree particularly valuable in the current job market.
Some doctoral programs offer specialization opportunities that allow information systems security students to focus their degree, providing them with the highest skill level in their desired area. Specializations enable students to cater their program and subsequent coursework to their career aspirations.
Holding a Ph.D. in information systems security unlocks the most prestigious careers in the field. Graduates can enjoy opportunities to advance within their current company, or pursue higher levels of employment at an outside organization.
Online programs allow students access to high-end online learning technology and tools. This technology gives students the ability to navigate online learning in an accessible, easy way.
The Ph.D. in information systems security is commonly recognized as a theoretical research degree designed to train students for careers in higher education. Students in these programs can pursue new research efforts or build upon existing findings, often working with tenured faculty members.
DBAs typically exist as applied research degrees within the study of management. These programs prepare students to think strategically, apply management theories, and learn to use practical research to identify and solve problems in the field. Typically, information systems security students studying at the doctoral level focus their degree on a Ph.D., exploring a variety of high paying careers after graduation. Although these programs place an emphasis on higher education, they do not confine graduates to one type of career path.
Before gaining admission to an online Ph.D. in information systems security program, applicants must satisfy a variety of prerequisites. These requirements include proof of prior work experience, minimum GPAs, previous relevant coursework, and supplemental materials such as resumes, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Graduates can pursue a variety of careers in the information systems security field, enjoying high salary opportunities across professions. On average, professionals in the field make around $110,000 each year. Graduates can deviate from the traditional career path and choose to pursue other careers in information technology, adapting their skills to a new environment.
Careers | Stats | Description |
---|---|---|
Median Salary: $118,370 Job Growth: 19% |
These scientists are responsible for completing information and computer-related reports and overseeing research efforts. Computer and information research scientists harness their organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail to process data and complete investigative tasks. |
|
Median Salary: $119,348 Job Growth: N/A |
Senior software development engineers upgrade and develop application software and computer operating systems. Often performing lead roles in software development projects, they play vital roles in software development projects, working for specific software publishers and creating applications for business, educational, and personal users. |
|
Median Salary: $87,214 Job Growth: N/A |
Responsible for maintaining and developing databases and software applications, senior programmer analysts use computer programming language to program computers, and develop software systems. Senior programmer analysts analyze client needs, develop systems to meet those needs, and update and create procedures and policies to coincide with the software they develop. |
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Median Salary: $111,385 Job Growth: N/A |
Information security managers execute and create policy and audit plans, identifying operation needs and security risks. They also lead security trainings and communicate policies to other professionals in their organization. |
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics / PayScale
Graduates holding their online Ph.D. in information systems security can consider a wide variety of jobs outside of the typical occupations for their degree. These jobs allow professionals to adapt their unique skill sets to environments in information technology.
Career | Stats | Description |
---|---|---|
Median Salary: $87,186 Job Growth: N/A |
Information technology managers oversee the processes and resources needed to design, plan, and support all types of information services and products. Additionally, they supervise, hire, and train information technology professionals. Skills Overlapped: Network management and administration |
|
Median Salary: $117,408 Job Growth: N/A |
Responsible for building relationships with service providers and external information technology vendors, information technology directors prepare their organizations for security audits and investigations. Skills Overlapped: IT security, infrastructure, and network management and administration |
|
Median Salary: $90,027 Job Growth: N/A |
In charge of scheduling and budgeting maintenance and upgrades for high end operational performance, information operations managers provide hands on support during emergencies, outages, and service changes. Skills Overlapped: IT security and infrastructure, information technology, and leadership |
Source: PayScale
Each college or university features a different tuition rate and schedule. Additionally, enrollment type can impact tuition costs. To help pay for tuition, students can apply for financial aid and explore an array of scholarship opportunities. Students should thoroughly review their eligibility for scholarships before they apply.
Students earning their online Ph.D. in information systems security can explore a variety of scholarship opportunities specifically intended for doctoral students studying information systems security. Listed below are some examples of scholarships students can consider.
Graduates who earn an online Ph.D. in information systems security must pass major milestones before they earn their degree. These milestones include seminars, dissertation seminars, and internships. During their program, students also experience varying program lengths depending on the college or university, and enrollment type. Each program features its own unique format for students to explore.
Throughout their time at their college or university, doctoral students participate in dissertation seminars to conduct the research and drafting necessary to produce their final dissertation.
Students work on their dissertation throughout their program, completing and presenting it at the end of their senior year, typically as their last requirement before graduation.
Many programs require students to complete certain seminars in order to gain an understanding of how to apply their subject matter in their actual career after graduation. These seminars occur at varying points in the curriculum depending on the program.
Some programs feature internship requirements, or offer them as optional. Many students choose to participate in internships during their doctoral program to relate the content of their coursework to in-the-field practices.
At the end of their program, students complete intent to graduate paperwork, and register to complete their program, ensuring they have satisfied all the necessary requirements.
Just before graduation, many students begin to pinpoint what certification opportunities they'd like to pursue once they earn their degree and start preparing themselves for the certification process.
Subject matter can vary depending on the college or university, and students enjoy a variety of useful courses in online Ph.D. in information systems security programs. Below are some examples of common courses found in these programs.
In the network security advances course, students learn to effectively help decision makers accurately gauge, examine, and estimate the impact of implementing a variety of network security protection methods.
Students in the enterprise security risk management course examine research in information security risk management, reviewing scholarly literature in the field, risk modeling, and assessment.
The security governance and management course teaches students to examine governance principles and their application to information security management in order to align them with an organization's long term goals.
Providing an overview of the management processes and organizational controls needed to ensure data protection, the assurance controls and compliance management course allows students to review federal, state, and other governmental and industry standards.
Students can pursue differing program timelines depending on their schedules and their plan for graduation. Students who want to graduate as soon as possible can explore accelerated formats, while students with obligations might consider enrolling part-time.
Enrollment Status | Time to Complete | Description |
---|---|---|
Part-Time |
4-5 years |
Part-time students complete fewer credits each semester. Therefore, they take longer to satisfy their graduation requirements and usually do not complete the program until four to five years after their start date. |
Full-Time |
2-3 years |
Full-time students participate in standard enrollment plans, completing the amount of credits each semester that the university or college structures their degree plans and tuition layouts around. These students typically graduate within two to three years, depending on dissertation completion. |
Accelerated |
1.5-2 years |
Some programs feature accelerated formats to allow students to satisfy their graduation requirements as quickly as possible. These students often earn their degree in two years or less. |
Students interested in earning an online Ph.D. in information systems security can explore a variety of certification opportunities after graduation. Holding certification in a particular area helps demonstrate a professional’s abilities. Additionally, some positions require certain certifications, making them vital for some career paths.
Students pursuing their online Ph.D. in information systems security can pursue membership at a variety of professional organizations. Organizations allow members to participate in events and seminars that provide networking opportunities that can lead to lasting professional relationships and job references.