FAQ

Admissions Questions

Can I be admitted before finishing my bachelors degree?

No, there will be no admittance without a bachelor's degree.

Can I start following the program curriculum and apply for The SANS Technology Institute at a later date?

Yes, you can transfer in a SANS course and GIAC certification as long as it is in the master's curriculum, you have a score of at least 80 (or average of 80 if there were two parts to the exam), and it is current.

Do I need to be an American citizen in order to apply to this Masters Program ?

We are an international program, so you do not need to be an American citizen nor do you need security clearance. We welcome students from all over the world. Although based in Maryland, the SANS Technology Institute's programs will serve students in all states and many countries around the world.

How many years of work experience do I need for either of the Masters Programs?

You must have a minimum of 12 months of work experience upon acceptance in the program and 3 years upon completion.

If I have years of related work experience, hold a Gold GIAC Certification, yet my GPA is below 2.8, will I still be accepted?

Yes, if you hold two current major Gold GIAC certifications related to the curriculum with scores of 80 or above. If you only have one major qualifying Gold certification, it is possible to be "provisionally accepted." If you are provisionally accepted, then within one year, you will need to score 80 % or above in your first two major classes (which means that you must pass the two related gold papers too).

Differences between the degree programs

Of the two Masters Programs, which is considered the more difficult ?

The Masters in Information Security Engineering is considered the more difficult one. It is designed for the person destined to take on technical security leadership, guiding and managing the security and networking specialists. The Information Security Management degree is designed to prepare the next generation of highly skilled chief information security officers.

Length of Time Issue Questions

If I earned my Gold Certifications more than 5 years ago, does the 5 year matriculation rule start from then ?

No, you have 5 years to complete the degree from the time you are admitted into The SANS Technology Institute. For example, if you were admitted today, you would have 5 years from today. It does not matter if your certifications held were earned prior to 5 years ago.

How long do I have to complete the degree ?

You have up to 5 years to complete the degree.

Enrollment Questions

Is enrollment based on a semester system ?

No, enrollment is ongoing; acceptance is rolling. You can apply to The SANS Technology Institute anytime

Travel Questions

Will travel be required ?

Yes, some travel will be required. Over the course of the Masters program, all degree candidates will attend three (3) Residential Institutes, which run 6 to 7 days. At the conference students will study and work with other students on a full-time basis, in addition to taking a conference class.

Classes and Variety of Delivery Vehicle Questions

Are SANS Technology Institute classes different from live training or the courses available via other delivery vehicles ( i.e. SANS OnDemand, SANS vLIve!, etc) ?

No, they are the same classes. Additionally, STI has extra requirements such as the requirement that the GIAC exams be passed with a score of 80 or higher, Gold papers, Written Assignments, and Community Project Requirements.

Besides attending courses, what other things count towards your degree ?

Attending courses utilizing any of the authorized delivery mechanisms certainly counts towards your degree, as does the certification and the Gold Paper. Master's students also must attend three Residential Institutes to perform Community Project Requirements. See our Community Project Requirements page for information about the Residential Institutes/Community Project Requirements.

How are the classes in the Master's Degree Program delivered; is attending a live training event the only delivery vehicle ?

There are a variety of delivery mechanisms to take the course. These include not only Live Training/Residential Institutes, but also online training (known as SANS vLive!, SANS OnDemand) etc. Many courses are available online but not all of them. Please see the course delivery options page for more information.

Where are the course schedules listed ?

The Master's Program curriculum is listed at: http://www.sans.edu/academics/curricula/msise (Engineering) and http://www.sans.edu/academics/curricula/msism (Management). Also see community project requirements.

Course descriptions and schedules are available at the SANS course page; click on the applicable course then scroll down to see where upcoming training will be provided.

If students wish to take some courses in other than a live training setting, they should refer to the "Delivery Method" column here to see which course delivery options are acceptable for master's students. Many courses are available online but not all of them.

Community Requirement Questions

What are the Community Project Requirements ?

The Community Project Requirements consist of three Residential Institutes, one required WorkStudy & Orientation, one Group Discussion & Written Project with a partner at a SANS event, two Presentations based on your research at two SANS events with audience, Joint Written Project in which you work with a partner via email/phone, one Teaching Assistant assignment for the MSISM Program, the GIAC GSE for the MSISE Program, and one Awareness Talk in your community.

For details, see the community project requirements page.

Why the Residential Institute ?

The Residential Institutes provides live face to face time with the students. The SANS Technology Institute education provides opportunities for you to build your own network of security professionals from the other students and the faculty. These are the people you can call on and who can call on you, when in need. This is such an important component of your education that we have engineered team activities into the programs to enrich your educational experience, to begin contributing to the security community, and to expand your network of peers.

Scholarship & Financial Aid Questions

Are scholarships or financial aid available ?

See the STI tuition assistance page.

Is there anyone who will work with students to help them with financial aid options ?

One of the ways to lessen the cost of the program is to utilize the Work Study Program (formerly known as the SANS Earn & Learn Volunteer Program). If a Masters Program student needs financial aid, we will make reasonable effort to give them priority in the SANS WorkStudy Program. Every admitted Masters program student is assigned a staff advisor and a faculty advisor.

Authorization Questions

Are you authorized to award the Master of Science in Information Security Degrees ?

SANS Technology Institute is authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission to award the Master of Science Degrees in Information Security Engineering and Information Security Management.

SANS Technology Institute is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000).

Candidate for Accreditation is a status of affiliation with a regional accrediting commission which indicates that an institution has achieved initial recognition and is progressing toward, but is not assured of, accreditation. It has provided evidence of sound planning, appears to have the resources to implement the plans, and appears to have the potential for reaching its goals within a reasonable time.

Candidate for Accreditation status was granted in March 2010.

How do the credit hours determine the amount of time spent in classroom and lab instruction ?

The credit hours are set up to help you determine the amount of time you will spend in classroom and lab. The fewer credits means a shorter course; the more credits means a longer course. Most courses are equivalent to a conference course that lasts six days. In general, those courses are at least 3 credits; and an extra credit hour is given when there is evening training (called Bootcamp) and/or a Gold paper is required. The credit hours you earn at SANS Technology Institute may not be transferable to another institution.

Will The SANS Technology Institute be a NSA Center of Academic Excellence ?

We will be looking into it.

Location

Where are you located ?

We are not a traditional brick and mortar campus, so we do not have a campus in a specific location. Training is generally done in hotel conference locations across the United States and in some international locations. We provide a variety of different delivery mechanisms. These include training events in specific cities; as well as webcasts (vLive!), OnDemand, etc. from the convenience of your home. Many courses are available online, but not all of them. Also one must travel to perform most of the Community Project Requirements.

Exam Questions

Are the exams proctored ?

Exams are proctored.

Are the Gold Papers scored on an 80 % score and above ?

The Gold Papers are graded on a grading scale. A score of 70 % or higher is considered passing, and such a score is entered as a pass score in the STI student's records.