It is somewhat school dependent, but most MSIS programs are basically an MBA with a technical aspect. In fact, a number of the core courses I took for my MSIS were MBA classes. I would say about 25% to 33% of the classes were MBA classes. The rest were MSIS specific or electives.

I did a resident program at Mississippi State University mainly because it was at a point when I was looking for a career change. (I studied Sociology/Anthropology in my undergrad.) I felt the resident program was better suited for me and wanted a more immersive environment in my learning.

From what I've seen, the online format is usually more expensive. I'm not sure why that is. It would make more sense to make it less expensive as the format has less overhead expense than the resident programs. But, the market will bear the higher prices, so that's the nature of the beast.

There are more and more quality online programs every year. Check out the NSA list of Centers of Academic Excellence. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those.

I've looked at SANS before and really like their curriculum. Theirs is pretty heavy on the technology and light on the management. However, until they get regional accreditation, I personally wouldn't consider it. My understanding is that they are very close to getting regionally accredited, but its not a quick process.