Schools I Chose for MSCS

Okay, I've done a pretty good search of RA schools offering:

1. Distance learning Masters degree in Computer Science
2. Provides for doing a thesis
3. Provides a wide breadth of courses and offers them regularly
4. Has a good measure of respectability
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   One of the schools I chose was chosen for the status of the university and the program. Another program is very solid, US-News top 50 school and has reasonable prices for tuition. The last school I choose on paper has a strong program, also has very reasonable prices for tuition; however, it would be considered my "safety" school. The schools I'm applying to for a Fall 2005 admission are:
   1. Columbia
   2. University of Florida
   3. Florida Atlantic University
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      When I went back to school it was always with the intention that I would get my masters degree. Lately, I've started thinking that I would like to look at trying a PhD as well; however, I don't know whether I'll have enough gas in the tank when I finish my MS. I'll just have to wait and see.

 

Jo,

What Columbia is that? Columbia University in New York?

 

That's right -- Columbia University in New York. As I mentioned earlier, I'm applying to this school because its the highest rated school that offers a Thesis-based masters degree in Computer Science. I think it also has a pretty decent academic reputation across the USA. Of course, I'm just applying. If I'm actually accepted I'll have to think long and hard about whether its worth it to spend $1000+/sem. hour in tuition!

 

Columbia has an excellent reputation. I took two courses in their MS in Computer Science program. But the cost was a killer for me. The courses were the best DL courses I've taken -- and I've completed DL courses at 6 schools.

(A friend of mine is nearly finished with his online Columbia MS in CS -- but I think he paid nothing because his father has an academic position.)

 

The faculty seems to have impecable credentials! So, I'm not suprised that the DL courses are top notch. I think price may be an issue for me as well. My employer has tuition reimbursement, but it maxes out at $4000/calendar year. That covers about 1 class! I would have to deplete my PhD nest egg to cover the extra costs and I would probably take an extra year to graduate. If I'm accepted I'll have to evaluate whether that extra "prestige" would be worth it. A MSCS at the University of Florida would cost me nothing and it is rated 40-something by US News compared to 20th for Columbia. However, I think Columbia would be well respected from shore to shore in the US. I'm not to sure about UF.

 

I am thinking about earning a masters degree in Computer Science. I am looking at the distance learning programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Rennselaer is rated in the top 50 by U.S. News.

 

Yes, both of those are good schools -- particularly UMass. However, UMass doesn't allow distance learning students to complete a thesis. I don't know about Rennselaer, but it is quite a bit more expensive than the University of Florida for me. As an in-state student UF will cost me about $200/semester hour. If you don't want to do a thesis and are wanting a top school, take a look at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. Its rated #5 and seems to have a very nice DL program.

 

Greetings,

I am not in the level of finding graduate school yet. but if you go to http://www.geteducate.com and download the graduate schools' profile for distance learning...

It helps alot, it also includes tuition too.

 

I took a financial engineering course through cvn. Like you, the cost was just too much. I suppose that's the ivy league premium. The course was very good. Their philosophy seems to be trying to duplicate the in-class experience. My only beef, and I'm fairly sure it was an anomoly, was two-weeks after the final they contacted me and said they never received my midterm! I read them the riot act as to why I was finding out about this 10 weeks or so after taking the midterm. Somebody there screwed up and they resolved it quietly.

If you can afford the program, there's no quibbling with the pedigree. Unfortunately, I would have had to take out a second mortgage, and sell my first-born.

 

UF vs. Columbia provides an interesting dilemma. Columbia certainly carries more prestige. Because it's an ivy, most people assume it's excellent, although Columbia, as an engineering school, is not among the very best. The top of the heap is probably MIT, Stanford, Berkely, UIUC. Most people don't know this or don't care.

Nevertheless, I would say if you terminate with a masters, Columbia might be the better choice for its name. If you go on to a PhD, then the masters school becomes less important. However, as you say, if you do Columbia, then there might not be enough money for the PhD. So if you choose Columbia are you also implicitly ruling out the PhD down the road?

 

Yikes. I don't usually care about typos, but considering it's my home town, I mean "Berkeley."

 

The whole reason for choosing only schools where I could complete a thesis was to prepare me for PhD studies. So, if I went to Columbia, I would probably have to take things much slower toward my PhD and in fact I might have to stay out of school for a year or two.

Of course, you bring up an interesting point. I am going after a PhD for multiple reasons: potential to teach as an adjunct when I retire from industry, prestige, personal satisfaction, but probably most importantly, to increase my opportunities in the workplace. Consider this, how would you compare my opportunities if I were to stop with a masters from Columbia versus having a PhD from Nova or other DL PhD? I tend to believe that overall, my opportunities would be greater with the PhD. In otherwords, a PhD always trumps a masters degree. But, what is your take?

(For all those considering the expense of the Columbia degree, when I say opportunity I'm not talking about chances to make more money, but more creative opportunity.)

 

I agree. Any accredited PhD will trump a masters. The leap from the masters to PhD is much greater than from BS to MS. I know people who blew through undergrad and grad coursework in the sciences and then completely stalled at the research stage.

A PhD should open more doors - certainly for teaching and research based positions in industry. I guess there's always the danger of appearing overqualified for positions that don't require a PhD.

My gut feel, for what it's worth, is if you're worried that Columbia will take longer, and given that it certainly will run down your bank balance farther, AND, if you're not 100% sure of the PhD after the masters, then I would lean towards UF. If the PhD is a goal, then it makes some sense to try and reduce the number of road blocks in getting there. Time and money are two of the biggest road blocks, and also two things that none of us have infinite amounts of. Plus UF is a very solid school.

It sounds like you have a good plan as far as aiming at three different targets. From the sounds of it, you have an excellent shot at all three. However, sometimes things don't work out as planned (maybe Columbia doesn't accept you, for example), and the silver lining is that it makes the decisions easier.

 

What is the difference between a master of science in Computer Science, a master of engineering in Computer Science, and a master of Computer Science? I have noticed that schools offer these different degree programs. Does it really matter to an employer which degree you have? If an employer wants someone to have a MSCS, but you have a master of Computer Science, would he consider that to be an equivalent to the MSCS?

 

A Master of Computer Science is generally a course-based, terminal masters degree although it may include a project. This degree is most often pursued by those not wanting to later work on a PhD. Most employers are going to treat a MCS as identical to a MSCS. The only difference would be if the employer was looking for someone with some research experience. In that case they would probably prefer the MSCS degree.

I've not seen a Master of Engineering in Computer Science yet. I have seen a M.Eng. in Software Engineering or Computer Engineering. The programs I've looked at were similar in construction to a MCS (i.e. a terminal masters degree.)

 

I have been interested in getting a degree in Software Engineering. Can you tell me some programmes in Software Engineering at Master level?

Thanks

 

Sure, here are some off the top of my head, but there are others:

Auburn University
University of Maryland University College
Southern Methodist University
National Technological University

But if you want to seem other take a look at this URL:
http://programs.gradschools.com/distance/software_engineering.html

One other program you might want to consider is Florida Atlantic University. They have a specialized sub-track within Computer Science for Software Engineering.

 

You may wind up in my class.

 

So Ike, can I take that to mean that you are teaching at UMUC? If so, congraduations!

 

Yes, we are talking at the moment.