Have any current govt/defense contract workers heard of AMU? (find a job, contractors)

[Nemesis16]

Originally Posted by juniperbleu

From the people I know interested in National Security jobs, it seems like most of them get an entry-level job with an undergrad degree and then get money to go to a school like the National Defense Intelligence College. Most of the people in the program are military or government employees in places like the FBI.

Yeah, I've heard/read that the National Defense Intelligence College is a great program; probably the best in the world and most respected because you have to possess a TS/SCI clearance. The only problem is that it's govt./DoD exclusive.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by Nemesis16

Yeah, I've heard/read that the National Defense Intelligence College is a great program; probably the best in the world and most respected because you have to possess a TS/SCI clearance. The only problem is that it's govt./DoD exclusive.

Yes, that's why I mentioned that they all got a job with the government first. The FBI has some sort of entry-level program that helps you get your foot in the door with regards to security/intelligence experience, and then later you can work towards an Analyst or Agent track.

[lchoro]

Originally Posted by Nemesis16

UVA doesn't offer anything remotely close to this major and Tech's programs are lacking depth.

I believe those are usually covered under ROTC programs under the Military Studies curriculum. Otherwise, I'd look under Criminal Justice programs for classes in counterterrorism. I would try University of Maryland at College Park which has a CJ program.

Found the undergrad program for Homeland Security at University of Maryland University College (UMUC) which is their "night" school...

http://www.umuc.edu/programs/undergrad/hmls/

[ZakAttack]

Originally Posted by Nemesis16

UVA doesn't offer anything remotely close to this major and Tech's programs are lacking depth.

Well, I can see that since you are looking for a specific type of degree, as those schools in this area mostly seem to focus on MBA's, etc.

Just keep in mind, that a masters in homeland security, counterterrorism, etc, is very similar to an undergrad degree in Criminal Justice, in that it limits your options tremendously and they are very rarely ever 'needed' to obtain a job in homeland security, counterterrorism, etc.

Now, if you are already working for the government, and they pay for you to attend something like the NDIC, then you can't go wrong.

[scottfs]

I work for a defense contractor and frequently see resumes for proposals. Never heard of that school personally.

[GoHokiesGo]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Should we weigh our workforce by the school we attend, or by the degree we have? I think it's a mistake to do such a foolish thing by looking at the college names. There's group of people out in the workforce who did not attend college -or- have gone to a small community college, who are doing better than their big school counterparts. If I were a hiring manager, I would take a look at the person's resume first.

That's not at all what I was trying to imply that your school name means everything. My wife's family thinks anything short of an ivy league PhD is lackluster, so I constantly argue that it's not the name that's important, it's the individual aptitude.

I will however stand by the point that an online-only school, ie-stricly online classes with no actual B&M campus to speak of, isn't worth as much. Of course, that's a generalization so there may be exceptions. If I were a hiring manager, I'd give a look at the full resume before making a decision about anything to compare both education and experience. Obviously, the more experience you have in your field, the less your school matters. Especially in this area with so much military experience or similar, you'll find that the experience can far outweigh the name on your degree and many people that don't have degrees can reach high up positions.

If we were hiring managers and had 2 equally qualified candidates for an open position, except one had a degree from a reputable school and one an online-only school - which would you choose? I'd personally choose the reputable grad 9 times out of 10, all other things equal. Most managers I've spoken to would say something similar. There are always exceptions to everything though.

My point was that there are so many reputable colleges and schools that offer full online degrees that it would make more sense to try one of those. You get the degree from a good school or institution and it carries some of that prestige with the name. A lot of the state schools can even be cheaper than private online institutes. The OP stated his case that most schools dont offer the program he's looking for, so he may have an exception.

My company has it's exceptions as well, there are some people from small, lesser known schools. Nothing says that a grad of a smaller, unknown school is not capable of performing at a high level. However, the majority of our people come from well-known educational backgrounds, and I don't think it's unrelated that they're very good at their jobs. Again, it will vary from field to field, I suppose, but it just helps and gives you a leg up if your application has everything else equal but a better school. That was my only point, I wasn't attempting to offend anyone as I personally know plenty of people in the industry that haven't had much of an educational background and do great at their jobs.

[Nemesis16]

Originally Posted by ZakAttack

Well, I can see that since you are looking for a specific type of degree, as those schools in this area mostly seem to focus on MBA's, etc.

Just keep in mind, that a masters in homeland security, counterterrorism, etc, is very similar to an undergrad degree in Criminal Justice, in that it limits your options tremendously and they are very rarely ever 'needed' to obtain a job in homeland security, counterterrorism, etc.

Now, if you are already working for the government, and they pay for you to attend something like the NDIC, then you can't go wrong.

Thanks alot for all the feedback everyone. To clarify, I'll be graduating from a b&m university with a BA in Poli Sci. in the fall and have spoken to a few defense contractors like Man-Tech and Booz Allen about entry-level intel. analyst positions within my qualifications. I'm just looking at my options after I get hired to bolster my resume for future opportunities when they arise. I assumed an expertise in Homeland Security(WMDs, bio-agents,etc.) would be vital in my future line of work. Concurrently, I juggled the idea of looking into an MBA or MPA(something managerial oriented) to compliment my degree. Would this be a practical choice or just pick one? Thanks alot again for the plethora of knowledge from all posters.

[Nemesis16]

Originally Posted by lchoro

I believe those are usually covered under ROTC programs under the Military Studies curriculum. Otherwise, I'd look under Criminal Justice programs for classes in counterterrorism. I would try University of Maryland at College Park which has a CJ program.

Found the undergrad program for Homeland Security at University of Maryland University College (UMUC) which is their "night" school...

Homeland Security - School of Undergraduate Studies - UMUC

Yeah, I've looked at UMUC but I'm looking for Master's/graduate programs.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by Nemesis16

Thanks alot for all the feedback everyone. To clarify, I'll be graduating from a b&m university with a BA in Poli Sci. in the fall and have spoken to a few defense contractors like Man-Tech and Booz Allen about entry-level intel. analyst positions within my qualifications. I'm just looking at my options after I get hired to bolster my resume for future opportunities when they arise. I assumed an expertise in Homeland Security(WMDs, bio-agents,etc.) would be vital in my future line of work. Concurrently, I juggled the idea of looking into an MBA or MPA(something managerial oriented) to compliment my degree. Would this be a practical choice or just pick one? Thanks alot again for the plethora of knowledge from all posters.

I'd say get a job, see how you like it, and then figure out which degree to go for. By talking to coworkers and supervisors you should get a good idea of what is needed/desired for that particular field, and also if there are financing options available. By all means discuss your desire for a graduate degree during interviews, but you don't have to lock yourself into one just yet.

[Nemesis16]

Originally Posted by juniperbleu

I'd say get a job, see how you like it, and then figure out which degree to go for. By talking to coworkers and supervisors you should get a good idea of what is needed/desired for that particular field, and also if there are financing options available. By all means discuss your desire for a graduate degree during interviews, but you don't have to lock yourself into one just yet.

K. I'll definitely love the job, I'm just trying to fastrack my career by not losing a semester of schooling since I have a rather akward graduation time. Again, thanks for the feedback.