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Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

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Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#31

Post by j_walter »

perplex wrote: post #26

Something I've looked for a few years now is Oregon State University has undergrad program that is 100% online: https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate... I'm not enrolled but it it is accredited and (at least in my opinion) OSU has a good CS program. They also have a postbaccalaureate program that gives you a a CS Degree if you have an existing undergrad.

I'm enrolled in the postbac program. It's good so far and while not a great value (~$30K) compared to some, it's still a good program and worthwhile.

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#32

Post by Zircom »

bitL wrote: post #14
toomuchtodo wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any recommendations as to a distance learned BS to pair with this?

University of London has a BS in CS, however it's a 3-year degree so I am not sure it would be relevant in the US. https://www.coursera.org/degrees/bachelor-of-science-compute...

BS degrees in the UK are a little different than in the US, 3 years is standard because a lot of what would be first year coursework in the US is covered and credited by their GCSE/GCE exams(somewhat similar to to how you can test out of lots of first year credits in the US with AP tests).

In any case I've never seen anyone with a UK degree have any difficulty having it being equated to a US degree for hiring purposes, and that online CS degree from University of London specifically requires 30 hours of college credit from US students so it still comes to 4 years in the end.

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#33

Post by mrosett »

jaredtn wrote: post #3

I'm currently enrolled in Georgia Tech's OMSCS program - http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ . 2-3 years of part-time work for $7000, and it's a fully accredited degree with no distinction from the on-campus degree. It's no pushover, a lot of work is required. But the opportunity to get a top-10 CS degree for under ten grand total is unparalleled.

I’ll second this recommendation. I wrote a summary of my thoughts on the program after I graduated in 2017:

http://writing.maxrosett.com/reflections-on-the-georgia-tech...

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#34

Post by rezeroed »

vishbar wrote: post #10
JoelMcCracken wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you studied here?

I've studied there for an MSc in Computing. It was good. The classes are a bit business-schooly but I got some good support from tutors. Obviously it depends on the individual tutor--the one for my project module wasn't as clear and supportive--but some are really fantastic.

I abandoned the BSc computing. It was rubbish. Java this, java that, java something else. There was one interesting course, a third year course Natural and Artificial Intelligence; nothing else was interesting - bread and water. There was a first year course something along the lines of What is the Web. If you've only ever used ms office, maybe ok, but for an HNer or tech enthusiast a waste of time.

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#35

Post by lozaning »

rootusrootus wrote: post #7
jaredtn wrote: post #3

I'm currently enrolled in Georgia Tech's OMSCS program - http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ . 2-3 years of part-time work for $7000, and it's a fully accredited degree with no distinction from the on-campus degree. It's no pushover, a lot of work is required. But the opportunity to get a top-10 CS degree for under ten grand total is unparalleled.

Over on the OMSCS subreddit there is regular discussions of competing programs as well, like ASU, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, etc. Everyone is getting into the game, it seems, though I think that OMSCS still provides the best value. I'm on class #6 myself.

I've been toying with the idea of getting the OMSCS degree for a while. Just took a peek at the stanford offering based on your post. Holly wow, the cost of a single stanford course is almost expensive as the entire OMSCS course from GT.

Curious if any stanford grads would argue stanford alumni status is worth the additional cost.

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#36

Post by bonestamp2 »

adam1210 wrote: post #24
jaredtn wrote: post #3

I'm currently enrolled in Georgia Tech's OMSCS program - http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ . 2-3 years of part-time work for $7000, and it's a fully accredited degree with no distinction from the on-campus degree. It's no pushover, a lot of work is required. But the opportunity to get a top-10 CS degree for under ten grand total is unparalleled.

I graduated from this last year! It is definitely a lot of work, excellent value for the price.

Can you help me understand how many hours/week you spent on it and how many years it took you to complete it?

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#37

Post by greenpizza13 »

jaredtn wrote: post #3

I'm currently enrolled in Georgia Tech's OMSCS program - http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ . 2-3 years of part-time work for $7000, and it's a fully accredited degree with no distinction from the on-campus degree. It's no pushover, a lot of work is required. But the opportunity to get a top-10 CS degree for under ten grand total is unparalleled.

Cohort #2 graduate here. Love the OMSCS program, and I've seen through friends how it's improved since my time. I don't know if it's the best out there but the cost/benefit is through the roof.

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#38

Post by hello_moto »

tigerlily wrote: post #13
jaredtn wrote: post #3

I'm currently enrolled in Georgia Tech's OMSCS program - http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ . 2-3 years of part-time work for $7000, and it's a fully accredited degree with no distinction from the on-campus degree. It's no pushover, a lot of work is required. But the opportunity to get a top-10 CS degree for under ten grand total is unparalleled.

I've got a colleague who is brushing up on his math before he takes on this very degree. I think he's going down to four days a week from next year, to accommodate his study.

Why is he brushing up on Math? Is he doing Data Science?

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#39

Post by EliRivers »

I did a Masters in Maths with the OU, continuously over five and a half years. It was brutal. The percentage of people who make it all the way to to the end is savagely low (although you can cash in your chips part-way through for a lesser, but still impressive, post-graduate award).

It's guided, and the tutors are available to help, and there's the help of your fellows in the forums, but it's very much on you; this does mean that if you're motivated and persistent, you don't just get good at maths - you learn how to take a textbook and tear it into tiny little pieces like some kind of math monster.

"Here's the textbook, here's some problem sheets that will buy you a seat at the exam if you do well enough, and here's that exam - it's three hours, you'll race to answer enough questions, everything rides on it and there's five of them, plus your thesis". They were not messing around, I discovered :/

If you really are eager to learn more, and ready to challenge yourself, it's good.

Re: Ask HN: What are good distance learning Bachelor's/Master's degrees one can do?

#40

Post by wuunderbar »

datguacdoh wrote: post #20
jaredtn wrote: post #3

I'm currently enrolled in Georgia Tech's OMSCS program - http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ . 2-3 years of part-time work for $7000, and it's a fully accredited degree with no distinction from the on-campus degree. It's no pushover, a lot of work is required. But the opportunity to get a top-10 CS degree for under ten grand total is unparalleled.

Have a colleague who completed this last year, seemed to be a fantastic value. He had to drop to 4 days a week for a few of the more intense semesters, but seemed honestly proud of completing and brought back a ton of knowledge to the team.

What kind of team are you on, and what specifically did he bring back that was helpful?

(Context: wondering about the value of a Master's in CS for my future self)

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