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Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

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Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#11

For a low-risk way to make this decision, check out programs like Georgia Tech's Online MS in Computer Science. [0] It confers the same degree as the on-campus program at a small fraction of the cost. Take a class while working and if you like it, continue to pursue the MS (either with GT, or you could transfer the credits somewhere else). If not, drop out and you're only out ~$800. [0] http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/

That's a good idea. What is the market value of the online degree? Is it comparable to full time degree?

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#12

It's never too late to learn as long as you're learning something you're interested in. Period. For me it was machine learning, which I started to study in 2016 (at age 43), despite having skipped math at Uni. But it was a lot of fun to learn! Also, in my experience, you won't pick up a language by doing something unspecific. If you want to learn Rust, start a specific project which lies on the border of what you kno…

That helps. Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#13
post #11

For a low-risk way to make this decision, check out programs like Georgia Tech's Online MS in Computer Science. [0] It confers the same degree as the on-campus program at a small fraction of the cost. Take a class while working and if you like it, continue to pursue the MS (either with GT, or you could transfer the credits somewhere else). If not, drop out and you're only out ~$800. [0] http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/

That's a good idea. What is the market value of the online degree? Is it comparable to full time degree?

Quote: “It confers the same degree as the on-campus program at a small fraction of the cost.”

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#14
post #11

For a low-risk way to make this decision, check out programs like Georgia Tech's Online MS in Computer Science. [0] It confers the same degree as the on-campus program at a small fraction of the cost. Take a class while working and if you like it, continue to pursue the MS (either with GT, or you could transfer the credits somewhere else). If not, drop out and you're only out ~$800. [0] http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/

That's a good idea. What is the market value of the online degree? Is it comparable to full time degree?

There's no indication on the degree that it's online, so the same as the on-campus degree. The only differentiation that an outsider could possibly audit is that the online degree only allows for a coursework degree, whereas the on-campus degree allows for a thesis-based coursework (or you could do a coursework degree on-campus too).

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#15
I'm someone who went back to school and what I suggest is that you take advantage of the knowledge you have learned. I would recommend looking at programs and see which universities have courses/expertise in things you actually want to accelerate your own learning. Going to a B university to take courses/be around students that are learning from an expert in a subfield is just worth it more than going to an A university or an easy university just for a Master's. I'm sure there's plenty of other personal things you have to balance but I am happier with my education mainly because I went to somewhere that specialized/had experts in things I specifically wanted to get better at where as if I took the 'easy option' I would have been less happy with the time spent v. personal growth.

Also if there are particular courses you want to take it's worth contacting professors who have done that course in the past and make sure they don't have a sabbatical/retirement coming up. While this may not guarantee anything I have seen people disappointed by ending up in that situation where the particular lab ended up working on a major project and the number of courses available for master's students was less.

You need to have a plan for what you want out of your Master's and then choose to do it in my opinion, just assuming a Master's is going to take you to the next level betrays the fact that a Master's degree is usually a first tier true postgrad specialization, where a doctorate would be a second tier, and postdoc/principal researcher/etc would be what I consider a third tier of specialization. You have to do the due diligence to understand what you are signing up for.

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#16

For a low-risk way to make this decision, check out programs like Georgia Tech's Online MS in Computer Science. [0] It confers the same degree as the on-campus program at a small fraction of the cost. Take a class while working and if you like it, continue to pursue the MS (either with GT, or you could transfer the credits somewhere else). If not, drop out and you're only out ~$800. [0] http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/

"

Preferred qualifications for admitted OMS CS students are an undergraduate degree in computer science or related field (typically mathematics, computer engineering or electrical engineering) from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; however, work experience will not take the place of an undergraduate degree. The following are required for admission"

Never mind what you have done in the last decade or so, hopefully you got a CS degree and had a 3.0 GPA.

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#17
post #5

Be very sure you like research and academia. CS != programming. You haven't mentioned anything about teaching/mentoring others, or hobbies. Maybe it's time to focus less on your job?

Thanks, I like academia, but would like to return back to industry.

Awesome. Knowing what you like and what not is half the battle.

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#18
post #7

Definitely pays off to go back to school. You will be in an environment where everyone around you, tenured professors and young students alike, are pushing hard to keep learning and growing. That will be specially true if you pick a research area in which the state of the art changes every 6 months (maybe distributed computing fits this description, I'm not sure, I work with AI/DL/RL). And if you are the kind of pers…

I for some reason, don't like AI/ML and its cousins. I could just be bad at them, but I get annoyed with the hype around it. There of course are people doing amazing things in it, but I don't see myself among them.

What grievances do you have with the field, outside of generally being annoyed? Just curious, as I work in the field.

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#19
I can't see it being worth the time investment if you're already working in the field and aren't going to try getting into academia. And I have an MSc myself.

After you have a BS you pretty much know how to study and what interests you, so you get much higher returns on time investment by picking your preferred subject and reading a few books on it.

Re: Ask HN: Makes sense to do Masters in Computer Science after 13 years experience?

#20
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I for some reason, don't like AI/ML and its cousins. I could just be bad at them, but I get annoyed with the hype around it. There of course are people doing amazing things in it, but I don't see myself among them.

What grievances do you have with the field, outside of generally being annoyed? Just curious, as I work in the field.

Most people I have met who claim they are AI/ML experts, usually do linear regression or use pytorch or Tensor flow to get results. I don't say that's not valuable. But I don't think they are experts.

The hype has attracted manager like people who call themselves AI experts who have read a book on what AI can do and simply write blogs on the dangers of AI.

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