Thanks guys for all of your direction that you've given me to get started. Hopefully other people can come in here and find out exactly what it is that they need as well and get their answer based off of what we've all discussed thus far. Again I really do appreciate it and I look forward to speaking with Morillton Community College to see if they've got my transcripts yet so I can start knocking out my general ed! Thanks again folks! Your pal Jerry!
I have to agree with markg43 on all that he wrote, particularly about pigeon holing into a corner.
Computer Forensics is a broad field and no one can know every in and out. If I were going to hire someone based on a college degree, I would lean toward someone with a more general degree like MIS or CS over one specialized in CF. Plus with the general degree, you have more employment options.
Indeed, a good undergrad degree coupled with certificates (undergrad / graduate from University alongside ones such as ACE) will likely be of more value to you.
Dakota State University has an online BS in CS - a well regarded school (their Masters and Doctorates are also rather well regarded) with good pricing… and your GI Bill should help quite a bit with tuition…
Go check out forums.degreeinfo.com - an entire subforum devoted to DL degrees in CS / MIS, etc. as well as great general info for DL degrees.
To further knock out Gen Eds, consider CLEP and DSST exams; there is also Straighterline which is definitely worth checking out (depending on which school you decide on).
Thank yall for all of your help. Everything that you guys have stated in the forum has motivated me to dig harder and deeper into the career of CF. From what I understand and after gathering all of this awesome information, if a man wants a career as a Computer Forensics Specialist, he better damn well be motivated enough and versatile enough to keep trying when it seems like he wont make it. I've kind of mapped it out like this;
I need to talk to the Vetereans VocRehab to see if and when they can start footing the bill for my B.S. degree in IT. While im going to school one math class at a time online trying to get that out of the way and working the crazy job I am right now, I'll continue to look for a part time computer job (somewhere doing anything as long as it can make up the rest of what I need to pay my bills). Then, bump up my schooling to full time enrollment while at the same time gaining valuable experience in the field. Thus, when it comes time to graduate, I'll have the degree, any pertienant certificates and possibly 4 or more years of computer experience! That should get me a decent paying career started right? Now, if I could only find any computer place that would hire me. Next week I get to talk to one of the Cyber Security guys here at the Nuclear Plant where I work! Very excited! -) Can't wait!
Thanks again guys!
Treetop