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Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

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Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#1

Post by rayalez »

Hi! I'm trying to find a good online program to get Bachelor's degree in CS, my goal is to switch careers and get into AI and Machine Learning. I will also likely need the degree to apply for the AI/ML Master's program(OMSCS).

I'm a self-taught programmer(web developer), I have a bachelor's degree in a field unrelated to tech.

I want to master the fundamentals of Computer Science, and all the Math I need to be ready for an AI/ML Master's program (and for studying ML on my own). Getting a degree is also important to me - so I need both the knowledge and the credentials.

Can you recommend some good options? What criteria should I use to pick the best one? What should I keep in mind?

I would really appreciate any help!

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#2

Post by bufferoverflow »

I have a bachelors in CS from a regular state 4-year college, and never had a problem getting hired. There's not enough good developers.

Obviously, there are better CS programs out there. If you can get into MIT, that will be the best experience of your life.

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#4

Post by robbrit »

You might be able to get into a Master's program without a Bachelor's in CS, provided you can demonstrate understanding of the material. OSSU has a great curriculum for replicating that: https://github.com/ossu/computer-science

A Master's or Ph.D. will help you get into more research-oriented programs where you're working at the cutting edge. If you don't care too much about reading papers and that sort of thing, you can also get good mileage out of Udacity's AI nanodegrees: https://www.udacity.com/school-of-ai

I did the AI nanodegree a couple years ago and was able to get hired in an AI-focused role through their referral program, however I had a decade of software engineering experience to complement it so it was easier for me. If you want to focus on modern machine learning, the AI one might be a bit too general and you'd be more interested in the machine learning program.

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#5

Post by ohaideredevs »

bufferoverflow wrote: post #2

I have a bachelors in CS from a regular state 4-year college, and never had a problem getting hired. There's not enough good developers. Obviously, there are better CS programs out there. If you can get into MIT, that will be the best experience of your life.

I have a degree in something entirely unrelated. Always wondering if I should bother getting a Masters in CS if I plan to stay in the field long term. Seems to only be worth it if I get into a top 5 school, and even then, it seems like a year of study might be worth more than a degree.

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#6

Post by tranced »

robbrit wrote: post #4

You might be able to get into a Master's program without a Bachelor's in CS, provided you can demonstrate understanding of the material. OSSU has a great curriculum for replicating that: https://github.com/ossu/computer-science A Master's or Ph.D. will help you get into more research-oriented programs where you're working at the cutting edge. If you don't care too much about reading papers and that sort of thing, you…

I have an associate's in CS and think this might be the best route for me since transferring for a BS/BA might be too much time commitment. You think this is possible without a bachelor's in hand? Any recommendations?

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#7

Post by sgloutnikov »

A Bachelor's in CS is not a requirement for OMSCS, just a recommendation [1]. You can still apply and maybe get with a strong application--things like good recommendations, strong past academic history, a good understanding of core material.

[1] https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/admission-criteria

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#8

Post by sorenn111 »

ohaideredevs wrote: post #5
bufferoverflow wrote: post #2

I have a bachelors in CS from a regular state 4-year college, and never had a problem getting hired. There's not enough good developers. Obviously, there are better CS programs out there. If you can get into MIT, that will be the best experience of your life.

I have a degree in something entirely unrelated. Always wondering if I should bother getting a Masters in CS if I plan to stay in the field long term. Seems to only be worth it if I get into a top 5 school, and even then, it seems like a year of study might be worth more than a degree.

I disagree. Degrees matter in terms of credential signalling. I wish the world were a different way, but degrees are a signal that employers do NOT ignore no matter what the HN crowd says about autodidactic CS learning (even though I agree with them on that). Georgia Tech has a great online Master's program which many of my peers took which I think is more readily accessible.

Re: Ask HN: I want to get a Bachelor's in CS online. What are some good programs?

#10

Post by rayalez »

sgloutnikov wrote: post #7

A Bachelor's in CS is not a requirement for OMSCS, just a recommendation [1]. You can still apply and maybe get with a strong application--things like good recommendations, strong past academic history, a good understanding of core material. [1] https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/admission-criteria

Unfortunately I do not have the strong understanding of theoretical fundamentals of CS, or math. I have practical programming experience, but that's about it.

I'm looking to take the program not just for the credentials, but also to cover all of the math/CS knowledge I will need for OMSCS.

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