Admissions: Procedure and Process

Admission to SANS Technology Institute's Master's Degree Programs

We welcome your interest in the SANS Technology Institute's Master's Degree Programs and encourage you to use our downloadable application to expedite your admission process. Below are detailed steps to help you complete the process. If you have any questions along the way, please do not hesitate to send an email to info@sans.edu.

STEP 1 - Qualifications, Application and Required Credentials for Admissions

All Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have at least 12 months of professional work in information technology, security or audit.
• Upon completion of the Master's Degree Program it is expected you will have three years of significant work experience in information technology, security or audit.
• Be employed or have current access to an organizational environment that allows you to apply the concepts and hands-on technical skills learned in the Master's Program.
• Have earned a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college or university, or equivalent international education, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.80. There are two exceptions to the 2.80 minimum described below. (Please note that your baccalaureate does NOT have to be in the field of information security/information technology).
  • Exception 1: A minimum cumulative GPA of less than 2.80 may be considered for acceptance if Applicant has years of related work experience, and holds at least two current major GIAC Gold Certifications with a score of 80 (or average of 80 if there were two parts to the exam) or higher.
  • Exception 2: A minimum cumulative GPA of less than 2.80 may be considered for "Provisional Admittance" into the Master's Program if Applicant has years of related work experience; and the "Provisionally Admitted" student must have a score of 80 (or average of 80 if there were two parts to the exam) or higher in each of the first two major courses taken during the first year of the Program (this includes passing the two gold papers) in order to receive "Admittance" into the Masters Program.
• For questions about transfers of credit for previous SANS/GIAC work, see Transfer of Credit, Previous SANS/GIAC Work.

If you meet the requirements, please follow the steps below to apply for admission..

Admissions Application Form and Application Fee

A nonrefundable application fee of $450.00 must be submitted with your application. application forms can be downloaded here.

• Application Fee must be paid via credit card, U.S. currency or check, international money order, or an international check in U.S. funds drawn on a bank in the United States.

Send checks to:

Or call 301-654-7267 with your credit card information, and explain that you are making payment for the college admission fee of $450.

Applications will not be considered without payment of the application fee.

Upon acceptance to the Master's Degree Program, students are required to pay a nonrefundable $50 library/media fee.

Official Transcript(s)

Please have your college/university submit official transcripts directly to:

Letter of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation from your employer, or one of your customers if you are a consultant, will help the admissions committee evaluate your application. Applicant's employer must furnish a recommendation form supporting Applicant's continuing education. Please download the Employer Recommendation Request Form here.

Résumé

Please send a current résumé that highlights your related work experience in information security.

Outcome Statement

This is an important step in the application process, so please give it your best effort.

If you are accepted to STI, you can expect to make a sizable investment in time, energy and money to complete the program. To protect you and to remain true to our mission statement, the admissions office asks you to complete an Outcome Statement as part of the admissions process. This step helps STI determine whether or not your goals and interests fit with ours.

Purpose:

• The purpose of the Outcome Statement is to tell us what you expect the outcome in your life to be after successfully completing your Master's Degree.
• It is preferable if you provide some details of your background and experience.
• We will review your Outcome Statement periodically to see if you are making progress toward achieving your desired outcome.

Requirements:

• The paper may be a minimum of one sentence to a maximum of two typed pages.

Leadership Essay

Purpose:

STI seeks to admit students who have demonstrated leadership ability in the past and who will become the leaders in information security in the future. For that reason, we require all applicants to submit a leadership essay describing leadership qualities that the applicant has demonstrated in the past. We define leadership and leadership competencies in the article posted here. We are looking at the quality of the writing (content, grammar, spelling, etc.) since our master's program is writing intensive.

Requirements:

Your leadership essay will be comprised of two parts.

• Part A: List three competencies that you believe you have some strength in and provide examples. It is perfectly acceptable to refer to a competency that is not listed in the article referenced above.
• Part B: List three competencies that you want to work on. Please use a separate piece of paper for Part B.

If English is not Applicant's Native Language

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for Applicants whose native language is not English. We require a minimum score requirement of 100 (Internet-based test) over-all with each of the sub-categories (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) preferred to be at a minimum of 25 each. The test scores must be sent to us directly by the testing agency. The TOEFL Bulletin of Information and registration form can be obtained at American embassies and consulates, offices of the United States Information Service (USIS) and U.S. education commissions.

Applicants who cannot obtain a TOEFL Bulletin and registration form locally, may request them from:

TOEFL Web Site

• IELTS can be used as a substitute for TOEFL. We require a minimum score requirement of 7.5 over-all with each of the sub-categories in IELTS preferred to be at a minimum of 7.5 each. IELTS scores must be sent to us directly by the testing agency.
• If you are a resident alien, please enclose a copy of your appropriate documentation with your application.

Reapplication to SANS Technology Institute's Master's Degree Program

Applicants applying for re-admission to SANS Technology Institute's Masters Degree Program must submit the following:

• The application form described above. Please write "Application for Re-Admission" and "I have NOT consulted or corresponded with any SANS faculty/instructor or staff member regarding re-admission" OR "I have consulted or corresponded with [insert name], who is a SANS faculty/instructor or staff member regarding re-admission" at the top.
• Reapplication Fee
• Current Resume with Three References
• Employer Letter of Recommendation

Applicants are not required to provide additional supplemental materials (transcripts, test scores) unless their original application is over two years old.

Application Submission

The completed Application for Admission and supporting credentials should be directed to:

The transcript will be sent by your school, and if the employer wants to send the letter directly, that is fine; but everything else should be in the package you send.

STEP 2 - Confirmation of Application Package

We will notify you within five business days of receiving your complete application package.

STEP 3 - Admission Review & Applicant Interview

• Application Packages will be reviewed by SANS Technology Institute's Admissions Committee.
• All information and materials furnished may be verified to preserve the integrity of the Institute, and each Applicant may be scheduled for a prequalification telephone/online (or in-person if convenient) interview.

In some cases, STI may determine that the application preliminarily appears acceptable except that the essay (s) is not acceptable. In those cases, STI may, but is not required to, allow the applicant a one-time opportunity to rewrite and resubmit the essay (s) along with a fee of $100. Then, STI will review the rewritten essay (s) and make a decision about whether or not to accept the applicant.

STEP 4 - Acceptance Notification

You will be notified by email regarding acceptance decision by the Admissions Committee into the Master's Program within 30 days from the Institute's receipt of the complete Application Package.

STI does not use a traditional semester or trimester system, therefore admissions to the institution is conducted on a rolling basis. Upon acceptance into the Master's Program, you may begin taking courses. Most required courses for the Master's Program are offered two to four times per year at live training events in various locations and many courses are available on-line.

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The Admissions Process - Summary

To apply for admission in STI's Master's Degree Program, the applicant must do the following:

1. Complete the online application form here.
2. Complete the two required essays. In addition to mailing hard copies of your essays, please e-mail them as two separate document attachments to info@sans.edu.
3. Submit a current résumé of your related experience in information security. In addition to mailing a hard copy of your résumé, please e-mail your résumé as a separate document attachment to info@sans.edu.
4. Submit the Employer Recommendation of Candidate Form in a sealed envelope from the recommender.
   If the applicant is applying as an independent applicant instead of being supported by their employer, a recommendation form by anyone that holds two or more GIAC Gold Certifications at the 500 or higher level may be substituted for the employer recommendation.
5. Request his or her undergraduate institution to forward an official sealed transcript DIRECTLY to SANS Technology Institute.
6. If English is not the student's native language, provide date of TOEFL examination and TOEFL Score (see procedure section).
7. If the applicant is a resident alien, please enclose a copy of your appropriate documentation.
8. Submit $450.00 as a non-refundable Application Fee. Applicants can mail the check to the below address with their application materials or call (301) 654-7267 to pay by credit card.
   Applicants can send materials to:
   
   SANS Technology Institute
   8120 Woodmont Ave. Ste. 205
   Bethesda, Maryland 20814
   
   Contact us at: info@sans.edu or call 855-6-SANS-ED (855-672-6733)