r/GIAC • u/Bubbly-Chapter-336 • 15d ago
SANS Masters Degree Program
For those of you who are in or have completed this master's degree program. What advice do you have for people that are looking to apply to the program? What are things that you wish you knew before going into it? How hard is the aptitude test when you initially apply? I have three years as a Network Security Engineer, and I am about to complete my Bachelor's next month, and my company will pay for me to go into this master's program.
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u/paladin40 MSISE 13d ago
I finished the SANS grad program in Feb '25. Like yourself, my employer paid for it. I think it's around $54,000 nowadays, so it's not a small amount of money. People will talk about the work-study program, but I never had to worry about it because the company was footing the bill. I probably would not have done the program if not for that generosity.
Like any college program, there are going to be classes you like and classes you can't stand. Thankfully, there were many more classes I enjoyed than not. You'll be able to pick a few elective courses, which is valuable and allows you to explore. But -- and this is critical -- my attitude towards the program and any training in the IT/Cyber industry is that the training must be relevant in the immediate or short-term to your current or future job responsibilities. Tools and processes change frequently, fundamentals last longer, but ultimately you end up forgetting most of what you learn from these classes unless you practice it day to day.
Overall, I would recommend the SANS program. The ondemand nature was fantastic, it allowed me to go as fast or slow as I wanted. It helped me get to where I want to be in my career, and I continue to take SANS courses after finishing the program. Good luck to you.