Hey Everyone, I'm having difficulty choosing between a... Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) or a Master of Computer Science (MCS) and distance graduate programs. I do not plan to enroll in a PhD program, but I am interested in research and/or development type work and areas related to artificial intelligence. I would like to be a serious candidate for Federal/State Government jobs (including teaching), employers like Google (software engineering), and international jobs. Cost is a factor. I’m considering: University of Southern California (MSCS ~40k, program/courses closest to my interests.) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (MCS ~26k, highest ranked) University of Idaho (MSCS ~20k, few courses offered each semester.) Colorado State University (MCS ~18k) University of California Chico (MSCS ~18k, poor demos. disorganized.) North Carolina State University (MCS ~8k, course ids with DE on transcript. applied.) University of Illinois at Springfield (MSCS ~7k, software focused. quality?) How is the MCS viewed by various sectors and internationally? Is the MSCS more readily accepted? Would University ranking / name brand be very important? I would greatly appreciate any help/information that anyone else has found or discovered through your research or experiences. Thanks in advance!
Capitol College offers a graduate degree in Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) which has courses addressing your area(s) of interest. Capitol College is regionally accredited and the NSA has endorsed some of their programmes.
My guess is, and this is only a guess, is that an MCS will only potentially matter when applying to a PhD program. The primary difference (usually) is lack of a thesis in an MCS program. FOr most private sector employers, that won't matter a bit. In fact, they might prefer the fact you ahve taken more classes. When applying for a PhD program, the masters thesis might give you an advantage. Even there, I doubt there is much of a difference. I guess one more situation might matter - if your masters thesis is very good, in a specific area, an employer interested in that area might take notice and hire you on the basis of your research.
I think the international view of MSC degrees depends on the country! For example, an Master's (or Master-level) degree without a thesis doesn't exist in the higher education systems of most European countries. Therefor an employer in these countries could prefer graduates with an MSCS. However, i guess this applies only to recent graduates, since work experience is more important. mintaru
Thanks for your replies everyone. The MSCS programs I'm referring to have a no-thesis option, and that is what I would have to do. I would prefer to do a thesis, but not off-campus. Many people are still skeptical about distance education because of diploma mills and online universities. Also, most people do not have experience with, or knowledge of the inner workings of quality distance education. Since the Master's will most likely be my last and most important degree, I would like to help combat some of the distance education skeptisism with a degree from a well known university that will speak for itself. I'm finishing a BSCS with Franklin University and I'm getting tired of having to tell people where Franklin is located, and that it's an online program. Because it's online and relatively unknown outside of Ohio, I feel like I have to convince people that it's a real university. (I have been very satisfied with Franklin thus far.) Has anyone seen a job posting that lists an MCS as a requirement? I've only seen MS. I would agree that experience is typically more important in IT, IS, Engineering or other applied fields, but not always. The academic rigor of a Bachelor of Science degree can provide maturity, critical thinking, communication skills, and well-roundedness to name a few. Those, (and dedication) are some of the main reasons employers in applied (IT/IS) fields want people with a BS. However, I'm more interested in the science side of computers and the more "scientific" jobs. i.e. usage of algorithms, logic, etc...
Most universities and colleges are unknown outside of their own state or region. In reality, the only well-known institutions include Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and M.I.T. Everything else is lesser known. Capitol College in Laurel, MD, has an interesting MSCS degree available on-campus and 100% distance education. If anyone were to question Capitol College then they would be forced to do so about both on-campus and off-campus degrees since the diplomas do not make any distinction.
Well, I guess it comes down to how well known. I believe state universities such as "University of [state]" or "[state] State University" are highly recognized and rarely questioned. I believe all state universities must have standard characteristics like: Public Non-profit Bachelor, Master, and PhD programs. Competitive admissions. Research Otherwise, they would not be funded by the state. Independent colleges and universities are typically unrecognized (except ivy league) due to the names, lack of athletic teams, and can vary in quality, program offerings, and specialties much more drastically than state universities. For example, outside of Ohio, I don't think anyone would question Ohio State University's accredidation, but they would Franklin University.
Have you considered doing a thesis by distance learning? That's what I'm doing and that's why I excuded many schools when deciding where I was going -- the fact they didn't support doing a thesis by distance. It is too bad that UMass Amherst is no longer offering their MSCS by DL. Their program is recognized for their excellence in AI and their former DL program used to offer several scientific algorithms courses. Since you have USC on your short list, why not consider Columbia University? They are not much more expensive then USC. Unless you are a woman, I believe that Google has a short list of schools from which they recruit. You might want to dig around and see if you can find out what that list is and whether or not it intersects with any of your grad school interests. If you are a woman, once you successfully complete a graduate program in Computer Science, recent news reports indicate that they will be contacting you. BTW, as long as you are sure that you don't want to do a thesis, then UIUC should definitely be the top program on your list. Don't get bogged down on the nomenclature of the degree. In industry, when a job is posted with a education requirement of an MSCS an MCS will be accepted just fine.
Thank you for the reply. I have considered doing a thesis, but a lot of schools with distance learning programs recommend the no-thesis option because the thesis requires a lot of close interaction with your advisor. Have you started your thesis? Yeah...UMass was one of the first programs I checked out. I wonder what really happened. I've checked out Columbia also, but USC seems to offer more variety in courses and specializations. I would be paying for it myself and the cost of USC/Columbia makes me uncomfortably nervous. At the same time, their programs look the closest to what I want. I guess it's a gamble. Is the reward proportionate to the cost...? Unfortunately, I'm a white male. That's why I'm paying for it myself. Well, I guess a bank is paying for it and I'm paying them back. Either way. That's a good idea, I didn't see where Google listed the schools they recruit from. I use Google as a kind of measuring stick. They seem competitive and their software jobs seem to allow a good deal of creativity. The only reason I don't want to do a thesis is because I have a full time job, and it would be from a distance. I just don't think I would be able to do a thesis with that combination. UIUC has a great history and reputation in CS. Their price is about 2/3rds of USC/Columbia...I just don't want 2/3rds of a Master's. Basically, I'm attempting to stay in the computer field and get away from the IT/IS service industry (i.e. administration, support, etc.). I love computer science, but most jobs in the computer industry are IT/IS related and I have no interest in them. I'm afraid the MCS would pigeon-hole me in to IT/IS. The attractive MSCS programs (USC) are ridiculously expensive...and the cheaper MSCS programs are from places most people have never heard of. I just don't have a clue.
Be careful, some here may not be engaged with your self-reliance attitude. LOL Isnt it a shame that anyone has to struggle based on race or gender. But i guess it ok cause your are part of the oppressors like me... Ill stop..this is for the political discussion forum..sorry
Not yet. In the CISE department at UF the student doesn't form their committee until have they have completed 9 or 12 hours. At the end of this semester, I will have completed 9 hours. IMO, only if the reward about which you speak includes the sense of accomplishment of having a degree from such well known and respected schools. In the case of UIUC that is not the case. I'd wager that UIUC has a better program than either of those schools in terms of education imparted upon the student. US News happens to agree with me (or is it the other way around?) As far as industry goes, unless you are trying to get into a pure research position, there is no difference between an MCS and an MSCS. In fact as someone else pointed out, you may actually be a better rounded student because of the extra classes you have to take. Good luck in your search.
JoAnn, What exactly do you see yourself doing after your compeltion. I only as because I work in Information Security and see alot of different aspect of the field. I enjoy and and a MS of any kind complied with a certification or two can demand very high dollar. Are you looking for high level design/programming? A Business oriented Administrative position like CIO? or are you looking for a position that would involve design work on systems like flight systems for airplanes? I ask because so much of this industry is IS/IT oriented, and it does suck in a lot of ways, but truthfully a MCS or MSCS or and MS wil be fine within this industry. Most of my management above me have a MBA. I have to imagine that a company like Boeing or Lockhed Martin will take a person with a traditional thesis oriented masters degree first. They are old company with long time employees who also hold the same type of degree. Just a thought..Good Luck
