As Kaitlin Lange approached the end of her bachelor杏吧专区檚 program in 2022, a conversation with Dr. Michael Totaro, associate professor in the School of Computing & Informatics, planted a seed.
杏吧专区淗e told me, 杏吧专区榊ou should go to grad school. It would help your career, and it would just be a great experience,杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿 she says.
The idea was as exciting as it was intimidating. How could she manage the demands of graduate school while working full time?
That杏吧专区檚 when she learned about the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 M.S. in Informatics online program, offering accelerated courses that fit her busy schedule.
杏吧专区淚 feel like people think you have to really grind and maybe cut out certain things in your life, but you don杏吧专区檛 have to do that,杏吧专区 says Lange. 杏吧专区淭he online program is tailored to people with careers or other responsibilities.杏吧专区
Thanks to that flexibility, Lange didn杏吧专区檛 just earn her master's 杏吧专区 she set the stage for a thriving career in cybersecurity.
Balancing Life and Online Learning
When Lange enrolled in grad school, she was already working full time as a process analyst and software developer for NASA杏吧专区檚 Stennis Space Center.
The flexibility of the online program made pursuing her master杏吧专区檚 possible while advancing her career.
杏吧专区淚 needed the online delivery to keep up with my job,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 have an autoimmune disease, so juggling my health, work, and school was sometimes a lot. But having that online opportunity was just so amazing to me.杏吧专区
Balancing life杏吧专区檚 demands required careful organization. Lange planned her study time around work, dedicating evenings and weekends to assignments.
杏吧专区淚t never conflicted with my schedule,杏吧专区 says Lange. 杏吧专区淭he workload would sometimes fluctuate, but planning things in advance helped me stay on track.杏吧专区
Still, one concern lingered. How would she build connections without the classroom setting she杏吧专区檇 grown accustomed to?
杏吧专区淎t first, I was worried about working on group projects and connecting with peers,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淏ut we used Teams and Zoom calls, and we built relationships by collaborating that way.杏吧专区
It wasn杏吧专区檛 just the technology that made the experience smooth 杏吧专区 it was also the support from the faculty.
杏吧专区淚 would do my schoolwork after work, and all of the professors were still quick to address concerns,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淓ven when I杏吧专区檇 email them late, the response time was always awesome.杏吧专区
And with that support, Lange crossed the stage once more.
From Informatics Graduate to Cybersecurity Professional
Since earning her M.S. in Informatics, Lange has been able to leverage her knowledge of systems management and data security to advance her career in cybersecurity.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檝e learned a lot about different programming languages and how to manage complex systems,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭he courses helped me in my early role as a process analyst and software developer by giving me a handle on what to expect in the workforce.杏吧专区
Lange杏吧专区檚 career trajectory continues to climb as she works as a subcontractor for Technalink, managing the security and privacy of multiple systems.
Her role as an information system security officer (ISSO) involves significant responsibilities as part of a team working to protect vital data.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 responsible for maintaining the security and privacy of four systems within the U.S. Department of Labor,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 do risk management, compliance, vulnerability assessments and things like that.杏吧专区
Not one to rest on her laurels, Lange is currently furthering her expertise through certificate programs offered by Stanford 杏吧专区.
杏吧专区淩ight now, I杏吧专区檓 working on certifications in machine learning and artificial intelligence, as well as bioinformatics,杏吧专区 she says.
Her advice to those pursuing online degrees?
杏吧专区淒on杏吧专区檛 be too hard on yourself, and take the time you need to finish,杏吧专区 she says.
Ready to advance your career in data analytics? Learn more about UL Lafayette's online M.S in Informatics program.
