Wilmington university (MA in cybersecurity) or take certifications? Need help to decide

Hello Everyone,
I need help to decide if I should attend Wilmington university to get my Masters in Cybersecurity or try to self study on certain security exams and take the certification exams. I would be taking the masters in cybersecurity through my employer reimbursement program so most of it, if not all will be fully funded. Also, My employer will pay for certification exams and any courses that will help me get ready for any certifications, however the reimbursement they offer is only up 1000.00 for certifications, but for degrees and certificate programs they offer up to 5250.00 per year. Which one should I do, is it worth it to get my masters in cybersecurity even if I don't have any background or experience in cybersecurity. Will the masters open up doors to entry level cybersecurity jobs because I don't have any experience or should I should I just self study for such exams like Security +, Cysa +, etc. and then take the exam. I have been working as a Help desk analyst for the past 6 years now at my hospital. Any advice and opinions would be appreciated. 



    okay, thanks for your feedback Skyliinez92. Also, if you were to choose a concentration in a program, which one would you think would be most beneficial, the

    Cyber Terrorism Concentration or SCADA Cybersecurity Concentration

  • iBrokeITiBrokeIT GRID, GICSP, GCIP, GXPN, GPEN, GWAPT, GCFE, GCIA, GCIH, GSEC, CySA+, Sec+, eJPT Member Posts: 1,312 ■■■■■■■■■□
    A degree will certainly hold more value for a longer period of time than certificates.

    Why do you want to go into cyber security? Have you actually researched various positions and their responsibilities in the cyber security field?  What was your criteria for selecting Wilmington University and what others did you consider? How does it align to the role you want after you graduate?

    I would advise you to take responsibility for your career path and school choice by not outsourcing this decision to someone else.  You should identify a role or roles you want to fill in the cyber security field then choose the best school and degree to get you there, not the other way around.
    2019: GPEN | GCFE | GXPN | GICSP | CySA+ 
    2020: GCIP | GCIA 
    2021: GRID | GDSA

    WGU BS IT-NA | SANS Grad Cert: PT&EH | SANS Grad Cert: ICS Security | SANS Grad Cert: Cyber Defense Ops
    A degree will have a longer term value in most situations. If your still in help desk you might want to consider how long it is going to take you to get that degree and if you are willing to stay in that position during that time.
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