91–100 of 265 posts
I got mine through Auburn distance learning. The main appeal to me was that it was the same degree as in-residence. You were just watching the classes online. This was pre-COVID, so many more universities may do this now, but it seemed rare back then. I really enjoyed it. Also, to caveat, This masters was in Software Engineering, which is obviously different than Computer Science (one of my undergrad degrees). I've a…
As someone who has a MS in CS (I did a combined BS/MS program) and who interviews lots of people, I don't think a MS in CS has much value as a credential (if any). If you enjoy taking classes and get a lot out of them, that's primarily where the value will be. It definitely helps a ton to have a undergraduate degree. CS is great, but if you have been working in the industry for a while, most people do not really care…
Basically anywhere where you have to compete with a lot of people, it is the first filter to cut the stack from 100 to 50.
I mean, if you want to do it just for fun, knock yourself out. Just don't delude yourself about what you hope to accomplish.
I'm personally in the Georgia Tech Online Master's in Computer Science (OMSCS) program right now and can't say enough good things about it. The coursework is rigorous, deep, and varied, you really do learn quite a bit through the program and more than just random learning on your own, you get a degree out of it. Plus you get the opportunity to do some research and publish papers.
I did sort of the opposite of OP, during my masters I stopped just about halfway in because I just couldn't justify the time investment needed to complete the program over gaining experience at the startup I was already heavily involved in. I completed all the "fun" courses, the ones that really taught computer science, but the focus and attention I needed to complete courses like advanced logic and discrete mathemat…
The "not fun" ones on the other hand are the ones I remember the most from because those memories aren't competing with lots of other exposure to those concepts and thus they left a lasting impression that I might not have gotten any other way.
Going down the path of "fun" might be easiest and overall more enjoyable, but it also ultimately might be less fulfilling in the end. Your mileage may vary, of course.
No way this guy earns his money back. There is no salary premium for a CS master's. Employers that want to see one are places you don't want to work. I mean, if you want to do it just for fun, knock yourself out. Just don't delude yourself about what you hope to accomplish.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have a more mixed experience with the OMSCS. Overall it's a good program, and if the choice is between Udemy or OMSCS then it wins hands down. For me the central issue is online vs. in-person. Education is an interactive experience, the value of a good professor and classmates is helping to identify issues when you are stuck and nudge you just enough for you to connect the dots. As an undergraduate I liked attendin…
I was in the second or third cohorts, and I dropped out during the first course because the assignment was to write their registration system for them for free. They had specific requirements for Java, MySQL, etc. If I'm going to work, I'm sure as hell not going to be paying to do it.
Different if you want to upskill as a programmer
Off topic, but the fact that three schools are tied for #2 and three more tied for #6 in these grad school rankings (and FIVE tied for #11) strikes me as a hilarious commentary on the arbitrariness of these rankings. Like, if you weren't fudging the numbers some, but were trying to come up with real scores, you'd have that many exact ties?
As someone who has a MS in CS (I did a combined BS/MS program) and who interviews lots of people, I don't think a MS in CS has much value as a credential (if any). If you enjoy taking classes and get a lot out of them, that's primarily where the value will be. It definitely helps a ton to have a undergraduate degree. CS is great, but if you have been working in the industry for a while, most people do not really care…
You won't even get a reply (from employers where folks want to work), such as Netflix, SpaceX, JPL, most other BigTech without a CS/IT/EE degree. Resume goes straight to /dev/null. Basically anywhere where you have to compete with a lot of people, it is the first filter to cut the stack from 100 to 50.
I’ve seen data scientists from political science backgrounds, UI engineers who studied literature and philosophy, and I have a CS degree myself, but I’m originally from the bioinformatics space.