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Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

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Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#21

Post by razakel »

intermittently wrote: post #15
cdancette wrote: post #2

For a master, you have The Georgia Tech OMSCS. Most of the on campus classes are available.

Genuine question regarding a masters programs instead of a BS: I've already got an undergrad degree, but it's not related to the computer science field at all. I have taken a few CS classes and know the very basics of coding (loops, conditionals, using functions, etc). Despite that, I'm assuming I should go for the BS instead of the masters since there's still quite a bit of CS knowledge I'm lacking (most algorithms,…

In the UK, there are usually two streams of masters programs - those aimed at people with the necessary background, and conversion courses aimed at people who don't.

Assuming you're in the US, though, you probably had to study all sorts of irrelevant junk for your BS.

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#23

Post by cosmosa »

I am currently 60% through the GT omscs program. I’d say it’s good for your money. So far I have been unimpressed with the quality of the recorded lectures both compared to other recorded lectures and on campus lectures. Group projects are a pain. The focuses especially in ML are weak, you really have to do a lot of work on your own in order to be competent in a specialization. Because of the lack of courses they offer I’ve ended up taking 3 / 6 courses which I didn’t need to take or enjoy taking. I’d say it’s best if you want to get a well rounded overview of some modern trends in cs rather than focusing on any specialization.

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#24

Post by phone_book »

dsp1234 wrote: post #4

If you already have a BS (or higher) in another field, then Oregon State University has a 60 credit completely online computer science BS degree. They have 1, 2, 3 and 4 year tracks depending upon each person's available time commitment.[0] If you already have a BS in computer science or a related field, then see this comment[1] [0] - http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/... [1] - https://news.…

I have 4 courses left in this program. There is a subreddit here https://www.reddit.com/r/OSUOnlineCS/

The program has it's pros and cons. People complain but they expect a top 5 CS education from an online program at OSU which isn't going to happen. Overall I learned a lot though and I found it better than attempts at learning through MOOCs, mostly because of the motivation behind paying.

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#26

Post by jsnk »

eranation wrote: post #10
cdancette wrote: post #2

For a master, you have The Georgia Tech OMSCS. Most of the on campus classes are available.

Can attest to that (graduating from it next Friday!). Few points - the main pitch for this is the cost, even if it was not a top 10 ranked MSCS program, it was still one of the most cost effective degrees in the US. The total cost for me was around $8,000 including everything (you can lower it if you take it less slowly than I did). The diploma is the same as the on-campus one by the way. I'm actually attending the c…

Thanks for sharing your experience with OMSCS.

Did you work on OMSCS full time or part time? How did you end up scheduling in studying masters level courses into your daily life? And how long did it take at the end?

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#27

Post by jnwng »

wyc wrote: post #20

When you're applying for online-only degrees, keep in mind what you're giving up. While the quality of the education may be comparable, much of the value of attending in-person is to build career-lasting relationships with smart, interesting, and trustworthy people. For many of us, sitting directly across from someone else while having a meaningful conversation is still unparalleled by what any communications technol…

(full disclosure, i work as an engineer at coursera)

just wanted to highlight that one of the degrees that UIUC (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) offers, the Master of Computer Science in Data Science, is available on Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/masters-in-computer-data-sc...

the benefit of this is that the way we structure our degrees, they mostly end up being a collection of courses and specializations already provided on the platform; you can try some of the courses without having to go all-in on the degree just yet. (of course, there's a ton of added benefits for enrolling in the degree program, like high-engagement learning opportunities that you don't normally get from the MOOC experience)

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#28

Post by figurehe4d »

intermittently wrote: post #15
cdancette wrote: post #2

For a master, you have The Georgia Tech OMSCS. Most of the on campus classes are available.

Genuine question regarding a masters programs instead of a BS: I've already got an undergrad degree, but it's not related to the computer science field at all. I have taken a few CS classes and know the very basics of coding (loops, conditionals, using functions, etc). Despite that, I'm assuming I should go for the BS instead of the masters since there's still quite a bit of CS knowledge I'm lacking (most algorithms,…

I'm in the same boat as you, what I'm currently planning on doing is getting the 'cs undergrad' experience by taking a bunch of the lower division classes at my local community college, then doing the upper ones through the university's program of extended studies (the one I'm trying for) then just going straight for the masters. There are some risks, ergo, if I don't reach the master's then I won't have much to show for it other than the classes I took (don't see that happening but still possible), and its going to take awhile; at least 5 more semesters, just to finish math prereqs (up to linear algebra). I don't think the latter is very avoidable, no matter where I go however, and the former is a factor of the later.

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#29

Post by xapata »

dsp1234 wrote: post #4

If you already have a BS (or higher) in another field, then Oregon State University has a 60 credit completely online computer science BS degree. They have 1, 2, 3 and 4 year tracks depending upon each person's available time commitment.[0] If you already have a BS in computer science or a related field, then see this comment[1] [0] - http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/... [1] - https://news.…

If you already have a BS in another field, you might be better off taking Georgia Tech's MS CompSci (https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/).

Re: Ask HN: Fully online CS degrees?

#30

Post by USNetizen »

The University of Maryland (a fully accredited and well respected State school) has a completely online CS program (Bachelor of Science with an option for several minors and specializations as well). Having taken part of my CS program on-site (at other schools) and part with them online, I can say it is very comparable to other programs, quite rigorous, and you get a lot out of it.

You do lose out on some networking opportunities, but I was an older (military veteran) student anyway and couldn't stand the immaturity of most of my classmates while attending in-person class. I found the online ones more distraction-free. It will require quite a bit of discipline, especially in the mathematics courses, to get through it but it is definitely a great program and affordable at the same time.

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