Id like to get some college in programming (bachelors at least) that will help me get to a career area with programming and systems security. However, I need it to be an online course due to a busy life schedule and lack of funds. I was wondering if anyone in this field or someone who is an HR overseeing these employees in this field could shed some info on great places to get a degree with that will really help in landing a great career.

I'll let you know right now that "programming" courses and computer science tracks won't teach you jack diddly about being a software developer. However, a bachelor's or master's in computer science is your best bet to keep HR departments from throwing your resume out without looking at it.

More important than a degree though is solid evidence that you know what you're about. Typically this means experience, either in profession or open source work. A programmer fresh out of college with an impressive open source portfolio is vastly more likely to get the job than one without a portfolio.

As far as schools, they don't matter as much provided they're accredited.

My biggest piece of advice is don't expect a degree to get you a great career, because that path only leads to disappointment.

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