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Online PhD free degree programs

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(@pawelo210)
Posts: 11
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Dear colleagues.

I wonder is it possible to do online and free PhD in the field computer forensic or computer science.
Does anyone knows University with this possibilities ?

Thank You

 
Posted : 02/10/2015 9:37 pm
MDCR
 MDCR
(@mdcr)
Posts: 376
Reputable Member
 

The question you should ask yourself is - do you even want to take such a "degree"?

Some of the more serious employers like law enforcement, and the military do extensive background checking and such online and free PHDs may be seen as unserious by recruiters and vetting staff, and it could label you as not serious - or someone who wants to cheat and take the easy road in life.

(I actually have been sitting at a table going through recruits and it does not look professional in comparison to experienced people who have a proper degree - or comparable working experience.)

 
Posted : 02/10/2015 11:11 pm
(@athulin)
Posts: 1156
Noble Member
 

I wonder is it possible to do online and free PhD in the field computer forensic or computer science.

Online? Very unlikely. Free? Um, no.

if you want a respected degree, i.e. one that will stand up to critical scrutiny, you have to expect at least 3 years of full-time work, usually more, a fairly substantial part of which would be your thesis work, while the rest would be required studies, usually things like statistics and scientific method and such. The thesis must also pass critical review, and fulfill standard academic requirements for scientific research. You usually have to have some kind of academical credentials to start with, for example a Masters degree.

If your question is serious, stop reading here. I mean it.

However, you can get a doctorate in just about any subject you choose from one of the usual degree mills. Several years ago, there were some 'universities' in central America and Africa that sold them for fairly reasonable sums. Thus, not free, but not exactly expensive either. Google for 'degree mills'.

If you are persistent enough, and wealthy enough, you might be able to get an honorary doctorate from a semi- to fully-respectable university by making a substantial donation to them. But that's a PhD (h.c.), not the real thing.

The unrespectable universities tend of have names that closely allude to a respectable university (say, University of Fairfax, respectable; Fairfax University, not quite as respectable). While they're likely to let you get off without doing any kind of serious research at all, and write any kind pf balderdash as a thesis, you will have to pay them for the privilege of receiving a degree. But they're fairly well known, and if you flaunt a PhD from one of them, your reputation will sooner or later be badly tainted.

 
Posted : 03/10/2015 6:38 pm
(@pawelo210)
Posts: 11
Active Member
Topic starter
 

My question was spontaneous. This thought occurred to me, so I wrote the question. Thank you for your interesting answers and interesting look at a PhD degree. I fully share your view.

 
Posted : 04/10/2015 1:54 am
jhup
 jhup
(@jhup)
Posts: 1442
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There are plenty of PhDs available online, from fully accredited colleges and universities in Europe, and US.

Many military get their degrees, including PhDs online. This is because we are deployed. AMU offers Master's degree in Cyber Security. Champlain College offers a Masters in Computer Forensics.

There are several Cyber PhDs available online, which are proper accredited organizations. Most will not mark any of the degrees as "online".

I vehemently disagree with the notion that an online degree, because it is online, is not proper. I venture to say that brick & mortar degrees are worse when it comes to technology related degrees than comparable online degrees.

Those who take the time to work in the field, while getting their degree is much more valuable to me than someone who took years to be in an ivory tower learning theoretical forensics. The first one not only has hands-on experience, but also knows time and resource management.

We test each hire. In almost all cases academia bred and fed "experts" have no idea what they are talking about. they can recite what was in the book, or what the professor told them, but have no concepts of reality.

As an active forensicator (versus teaching), a PhD is good only, and only to check a box.

My suggestion is you visit Degree Info, and ask there. they are an excellent resource on cost and degrees.

you might want to expand your degree direction to "cyber" with forensics as a concentration. Your chances of finding a proper, low cost PhD will increase exponentially.

Here is one to look into.

 
Posted : 06/10/2015 6:42 pm
MDCR
 MDCR
(@mdcr)
Posts: 376
Reputable Member
 

@jhup

There is a big difference between someone with experience taking a course and someone who just takes it to look better in an application, but does not even know how to image a drive or gather network data.

(Imo, if someone has real and useful experience, i do not give a flying crap about their academic credentials. Sitting home and learning by participating in things like honeynet project, doing original research into the subject or building tools that help the community, earns more respect than some year long academic course with a 2 week dip into forensics where they only have time to learn how to spell "forensics")

 
Posted : 07/10/2015 2:15 pm
(@athulin)
Posts: 1156
Noble Member
 

I vehemently disagree with the notion that an online degree, because it is online, is not proper. I venture to say that brick & mortar degrees are worse when it comes to technology related degrees than comparable online degrees.

A PhD is to a large extent a research degree; it shows that the person can research a question, according to academic standards, document the research properly, and discuss different issues around it, as well as contribute something useful the relevant scientific field. That, in turn, means more than a nodding acquaintance with various supporting sciences, such as math/statistics (a Ph.D. should be able to explain 'three sigma' and why it is important, for example, as well as apply it correctly.), and, depending on the institution, may also require a solid knowledge of the history of science. It has nothing to do with the ability to apply research findings. Or deal with law courts, or crime scenes.

That 'entry' into scientific research is not just about attending courses. It's also being part of an institution, discussing research and research problems with other members of that institution, taking part in someone else's research work, and, very often, working as a teacher, at least for part of the time.

As an active forensicator (versus teaching), a PhD is good only, and only to check a box.

You ask a PhD to do anything outside the field of the degree, without checking competence, you're not exactly doing the right thing. You don't expect a PhD in 'computer forensics' to be a competent forensic analyst.

My suggestion is you visit …

A possibility is also to research Ph.D.s actually awarded from the institution, or publications of the professor and other members of the institution. They should be published, though it may be difficult to locate them outside an academical library. That should help decide if they're any good.

If there are none, it's a warning sign.

 
Posted : 07/10/2015 9:28 pm
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