Possibly pursuing part-time masters degree. Seeking advice on options and GRE's.

guineagirl96
Thu, 03 Aug 2017 20:49:08 +0000

Hello everyone,
I’m graduating in May 2018 with a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics. I’m fortunate in that I already have a job offer for when I graduate, located in Maryland. The employer will pay for grad classes after hours, as long as you can justify them. I would most likely only be able to take one class at a time for at least my first three years as an employee.

I’m interested in crypto (specifically cryptanalysis) and computer security (especially the more offensive side: hacking, reverse engineering, etc). I know I want to get a Master’s, but I’m not sure exactly which field. Math, applied math, cyber security, and computer science all appeal to me. I don’t know which of these would be best for my areas of interest, and was wondering if you guys had any ideas on the pros/cons of each.

I have been looking into schools. Johns Hopkins, UMBC, and a couple others are appealing to me, and I’m exploring other options as well (including online classes). I don’t exactly know how taking one class at a time affects admissions and whether some schools are better for this, particularly since most of the classes would need to be night classes. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

My last question has to do with GREs. If I take one class at a time, I would presumably have to apply at some point to become a degree seeking student. Would I need to submit GRE scores in that case? If so, should I take them before I graduate? I would assume I’d need both the GRE and the GRE Math Subject Test.

Thank you so much for your time and advice!