HELP: IT Gurus lend me your advice

I currently have an Associates Degree in Network Security. I am going to be starting school in January to finish a Bachelor's Degree. There are about 3 routes I can go, but only two of them I am interested in.
One route is Internetworking Design and the other is Computer Security. Now, Computer Security seems rather low on the totem pole to me. By saying Computer Security, I am thinking Security at the Workstation level. I enjoy working with Cisco IOS, and that is why I am interested in Internetworking Design.
The reason why I am stuck is because I am going to continue on to my Masters in Security Management. I am wondering if I will be hurting myself by going with Internetworking Design and Security Management?

COKE CAN wrote in post #2193914
Computer Security seems rather low on the totem pole to me. By saying Computer Security, I am thinking Security at the Workstation level.

If you are ever going to consider a general IT job, depending on what sort of company it is you will have to know security for networked servers, web servers, routers, etc. Not just workstations.

Morgandy wrote in post #2194323
If you are ever going to consider a general IT job, depending on what sort of company it is you will have to know security for networked servers, web servers, routers, etc. Not just workstations.

I work IT already. My point is, the description goes no further than "computer."

So I found the break down of the classes:

Concentration in
Computer Security

CIS 242 C++ Programming
CIS 333 Network Security Fundamentals
CIS 343 Implementing Internet / Intranet Firewalls
CIS 414 Operating Systems Security
CIS 419 Database Security
CIS 499 Senior Seminar in Computer Information Systems


Concentration in
Internetworking Technology

CIS 242 C++ Programming
CIS 337 Internetworking Basics
CIS 339 Internetworking Design
CIS 411 Advanced Routing
CIS 413 Internetworking Switching
CIS 416 Internetworking Support -Troubleshooting
CIS 418 Advanced Internetworking Design
CIS 499 Senior Seminar in Computer Information Systems

That Security outline doesn't sound like it would be limited to workstations. But to me it seems that many of the classes are useless, based on their descriptions. The Networking outline pretty closely follows the Cisco certification route, and all but C++ seems to make sense.

You'll always get a good-paying job running Cisco, and it's quite interesting. It's also hard to get stuck doing dumb crap when you know a lot of Cisco. In security, if you're not careful, you can end up doing a lot of dumb crap, like monitoring firewall logs or IDS logs.

Running the network, especially with a lot of training in Cisco, gets you away from the end user who has a Windows problem. Man, I don't miss those calls.

The security field is hot right now, which means it's in a flux in many ways. People are still learning how to secure stuff, whereas the knowledge about securing networks is fairly well established. IMHO, stick with Cisco, learn a bit of Pix to understand packet security, and look into the Cisco Security courses and certification (if that interests you). The pay is better, the work's more interesting, and you generally don't have to deal with stupid end user issues.

IMHO, after 22 years in the field, 18 networking, 12 security.

Scottes, yea, after looking at the breakdown I think I am going to Major in Internetworking Design and Minor in Security. The Security Minor was only 4-5 classes and all but 1-2 were classes outside of what I would have taken with Internetworking Design. I figured during the Advanced routing time I would go ahead and get my CCNA out of the way. The fiance wants to move to New York in a couple years, so I am hoping a Master's will help.

Yeah, security is the buzzword, so having that word on your resumé may help you. But I don't view the course contents with any great admiration. The second course seems better, and you could convert to security "on the job".

COKE CAN wrote in post #2194441
So I found the break down of the classes:

Concentration in
Computer Security

CIS 242 C++ Programming
CIS 333 Network Security Fundamentals
CIS 343 Implementing Internet / Intranet Firewalls
CIS 414 Operating Systems Security
CIS 419 Database Security
CIS 499 Senior Seminar in Computer Information Systems

Concentration in
Internetworking Technology

CIS 242 C++ Programming
CIS 337 Internetworking Basics
CIS 339 Internetworking Design
CIS 411 Advanced Routing
CIS 413 Internetworking Switching
CIS 416 Internetworking Support -Troubleshooting
CIS 418 Advanced Internetworking Design
CIS 499 Senior Seminar in Computer Information Systems

I do understand the C++ programming in Computer security, but I don't really see it in interneworking. Oh well...

Beside that, if you want to go the overall security field, remember that security is a whole system, so basically you should go for both courses, plus something else (i.e. Social Engineering is never mentioned, but its probably the most dramatic problem in IT security these days, since all the other bases are more ore less covered almost anywhere, in a way or another).

OTOH, if you want to go with the plain vanilla network security I'll go with the second one plus some other Cisco courses. I am a CCIE myself, and I know for experience that high level certifications are rarely running out of a job. Personally, I do not do "running networks" anymore (I'm more oriented towards global IT security, and that's what the company i run does, we do consulting @360 degrees on the matter).

In effect, the most important thing is to stay out of the end user range, and let somebody else manage that. You won't miss working in a helpdesk/support

I am done working Help Desk. I did that for 9 months with a company. The company I am with now is paying for my school and Master's so I really want to get it done.

P.S. I do not like programming, any one want to do my C++ homework? jk

I wouldn't worry about the C++. It's probably quite trivial.

Scottes wrote in post #2194565
I wouldn't worry about the C++. It's probably quite trivial.

I hope so!

COKE CAN wrote in post #2194441
So I found the break down of the classes:

Concentration in
Computer Security

CIS 242 C++ Programming
CIS 333 Network Security Fundamentals
CIS 343 Implementing Internet / Intranet Firewalls
CIS 414 Operating Systems Security
CIS 419 Database Security
CIS 499 Senior Seminar in Computer Information Systems

Concentration in
Internetworking Technology

CIS 242 C++ Programming
CIS 337 Internetworking Basics
CIS 339 Internetworking Design
CIS 411 Advanced Routing
CIS 413 Internetworking Switching
CIS 416 Internetworking Support -Troubleshooting
CIS 418 Advanced Internetworking Design
CIS 499 Senior Seminar in Computer Information Systems

Can't you just get a major in one and a minor in the other? That would seem to me to make the most sense.

rklepper wrote in post #2194963
Can't you just get a major in one and a minor in the other? That would seem to me to make the most sense.

That's what I decided after reviewing the classes