How much is too much to spend on a degree

This looks a solid CS program. My experience with programming languages courses is that you normally learn a whole lot of useless languages that you might never use. I learned LISP, Forth, etc. Nevertheless, CS 3370 looks similar to a Programming Language course and you might want to take that course as an elective. And CS 3365 and CS 4448 (required) are comp architecture courses so you will not be missing out on that either.

Applied Computer Science Major Courses (36 SH)

CS 2244 (3) Computer Programming I MTH 1112
CS 2260 (3) Computer Programming II CS 2244 & MTH 1125 or 2201
CS 2265 (3) Advanced Programming I CS 2260
CS 3330 (3) Data Structures & Algorithms CS 2260 & MTH 2215
CS 4420 (3) Introduction to Database Management Systems CS 3323 or CS 3330
CS 4443 (3) Web-Based Software Development CS 4420
CS 4445 (3) Data Communication and Networking CS 3325 or CS 3330
CS 4447 (3) Systems Analysis and Design CS 3323 or CS 3330
CS 4448 (3) Operating Systems CS 4445 or CS 3330 AND CS 3323

Select three of the following:

CS 2262 (3) Business Systems Programming CS 2260
CS 3332 (3) Software Engineering I CS 3323 or CS 3330
CS 3347 (3) Advanced Programming II CS 2260
CS 4449 (3) Applied Networking CS 4445; CS 4448 recommended
CS 4451 (3) Computer Security CS 3323 or CS 3330; CS 4448 recommended
CS 4495 (3) Special Topics in Computer Science Senior Standing or consent

CS 3370 Nature of Programming Languages (elective?)
Basic principles and concepts of programming languages including what a programming language is, various paradigms that a language can follow, and how its syntactical and semantic structures can be specified. The traditional object-oriented paradigm will be presented as well as non-traditional paradigms based on symbolic logic (logic programming) and on functions in lambda calculus (functional programming). Prerequisite: CS 3323 or 3330.

CS 3365 Introduction to Computer Organization and Architecture (elective?)
Organization and operation of computer systems. Topics include hardware components of digital computers, micro-programming, memory management, interrupt organization, addressing modes, and instruction formats. Prerequisite: CS 3357.

CS 4448 Operating Systems (required)
An overview of operating system functions and components. Issues include process definition, scheduling, and memory management. Various modern operating systems are compared. Prerequisites: CS 4445 and CS 3323 or 3330.

 

Thanks but 3365 is not offered online. It may however be somethign I could take in special topics.

 

Your wife was feeling strongly that the degree was too much. But has she done the math???

 

The bottom line is if there are not many options and it is something you want - it is worth it.

 

I have a BA in music and an MA in HR and am working on my MBA. A good friend who graduated with me in the BA music now has her MS in Instructional Technology. Another is working on her MS in Information Systems. All three of us were flute majors. ☺

I know a physician and a lawyer with a BA in music. I know way more than a few teachers (music and otherwise) and an insurance adjuster. It's interesting what people with a BA in music (especially flute) go on to do for a living. Anything but play music. ☺ I know a guy who has a BA in music (tuba) who is the lead singer of a rock band...

I actually understand about your musician/programmer friend -- see, band musicians are nerds; nerds like computers a lot.

Sometimes I think we group of musicians (and those painters) are a group that doesn't normally spend money on college based on the ROI -- we just want to create our art. I like this ideal better than analyzing the ROI. After all, how do we quantify the ability to create art when art has never been about the money?

 

I guess, but I did the math today and tuition alone would cost me $26880 based on my transfer credits. To me I would never be happy with that. Especially since I would have to do most of it through student loans. That is a huge chunk of change to repay.

 

Compare your current salary (bus driver?) to your future salary (computer scientist?). How long will it take for the computer scientist to have earned $26,880 more than the bus driver? Do you expect to continue working that long? The degree will pay for itself.

 

Indeed. This forum is one of the things that finally got me moving to finish degrees. Right now I'm about three classes shy of an AA from Charter Oak after having plowed through steadily since January. I hope to be able to wrap a BA/Business from COSC or TESC by the end of next year.

I had a fantastic open window of about five years in my life where I had enough money, time, energy and health to finish and I didn't, and now I'm having to cram all this activity in with a myriad of other commitments/challenges.

Moral of the story: Get it done and over with!

 

Exactly. Better yet, has she read the statistics? Hopefully, someone else has the details handy. If memory serves, you earn $900 more per year with just an associate's. Averages are higher for bachelor's and master's, plus there is a lower chance of unemployment.

My wife was not sold until she saw what job searches demand for management positions. And she was going over low cost programs from COSC/TESC!! But now she's fine, except that last moment of hesitation before writing the big checks.

 

A few interesting articles related to degree worth:

http://www.mdrc.org/area_fact_33.html

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/SavingForCollege/IsYourDegreeWorth1million.aspx

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/elearning/?article=whatisyourdegreeworth

 

I make over $50k a year driving a bus. Further I am about to move into the rail side to drive the train. So that is a big issue with me... how much is this degree really going to help me. I am not sure that a 28k degree from mountain state would get me anything a 14k degree from troy would not.

 

Xarick,

I think its time someone finally asked you:

What are you going to do?

Is it too expensive to study what you consider your dream profession?

Dont worry about transcripts and employers, very, very...VERY seldom do they ask for them. Most of their requirements are based on experience and meeting a base line degree requisite.

If you make 50k a year, tuition could be a problem, but people in much tighter spots have pulled it off.

Quite honestly, I washed my hands of you after your constant barrage on Limestone college, which everyone here knows is my ol' haunt. Some of it was probably warranted, yet some was not, yet I recognized much of the bashing was from frustrations on your part. However I felt you were torn over some issues that was probably more than the Computer Science/Limestone college bender you were currently on.

AGAIN, quite honestly, WHAT REALLY PISSED ME OFF, was the discriptions of those at Limestone, Some of these people I have met face to face, and the overall school atmosphere was way out of the character of what they were being dished up in this forum! Thus I left you alone hoping you would figure everything out and......(groan) you still have not.

So, like a sap, I'm back.

Like Steve said, you've been burning somedaylight here, toggling back and forth over a degree. You really need to complete your dream of a degree, if not you will be asking yourself for years to come "What if?" And "What if's" kicks on those asses doubly hard who could'a, should'a, would'a throughout life.

Likewise, Ted, who by the way has been around for years and has the patience of Saint, has never given anyone a bit of bad advice. His opinion I value very much, he's a typical MBA holder, always looking at the bottom line, and he has made some good arguments on the degree ROI. While he can put up with your escapades, I cannot.

So just jump in, I remember when it was really exciting to finally get started towards accomplishing a dream, I wish I could relive it over and over. I want to hear some good news out of ya', like how much fun you are having earning your degree, Or how much tuition is ripping you a new azz
Good luck,
Gavin

 

Okay. Troy University and Mountain State University are both accredited institutions. Granted, neither one is particularly prestigious, which is not to say anything bad about either one, as both will serve to "check in the box." That having been said, the new question then becomes: How long will it take you as a computer scientist to make $14,000 more in salary than you otherwise would have made as a bus/train driver?

 

Probably not long Ted. The question I have though is.. should I spend $27k for the degree from mountain state which gives me a pure computer science degree with all the classes I would want. Or do I settle for $15k for the troy degree that does not give me all the classes I want, but may in-fact open the same doors. I just am not sure on this. The troy degree seems so light on theory I worry it will hurt me in the long run. But I could be totally off. Maybe it would simply allow them to check the box and thus be okay.

But if I am just looking for a check box I would get a math degree (since I enjoy and am good at it). I was also hoping for a degree that opened some doors in IT since that is where my passions ultimately lie. If mountain state cost Just about $10k less it would be a no brainer for me. But the money bothers me a lot. I can't stand debt... I have very little and don't want a lot more.

 

Okay. So, now we're back to the question of whether a $28,000 degree is twice as likely to get you a job as the $14,000 degree, or whether the two degrees are equally likely to get you a job, but with the $28,000 degree likely to get you twice the salary. As for "check in the box" degrees, would a math degree be a "check in the box" for a computer science job? As far as computer science at Mountain State vs. applied computer science at Troy, would you be able to take your applied computer science degree at Troy for $14,000, then pencil in the missing classes elsewhere for something less than $14,000, or would the $28,000 Mountain State degree make more sense? My guess is that if you could get the applied computer science degree for $14,000, the the remaining loose credits could likely be had for less than an additional $14,000.

 

This is just my opinion but many times companies will look for experience and the degree does not matter that much. I have seen CS degrees that look more like an IT degree and visa-versa. If you are looking to break into IT/CS, I would go for the cheaper degree and take classes/certifications to fill in the areas of interest.

What about the cheaper degree and a Java certificate (or something of interest) from a local community college?

 

Ted I think your right. I was doing the crunching here. I could get an additional calc class for about $400, then I would add in Computer archetcture that is two 4 credit classes at where I live being another $600, then add in a class in compiler design and a class in theory of languages those would cost me for another $1000. So for $2k I would get all the needed remaining classes. So then I would be at about $16k vs $27k.. makes more sense that way doesnt it.

So why dont I feel comfortable with it?

 

<br /> Truthfully, you do not require a theory-heavy computer science degree to have a career in information technology. In fact, if IT required a curriculum that is theory intensive most of the people currently working in IT would never have made it through the educational requirement. Experience and an associate degree or diploma is sufficient for most jobs in IT. Do not imagine for a moment that you will be doing any &amp;quot;computer science&amp;quot; or original research if you are working in IT. My advice is to look for employment advertisements in an area of IT that interests you and read the requirements. Job boards such as Dice, ComputerJobs, and even Monster should enlighten you. Network administrators can earn between USD50,000.00 and USD72,000.00 with less that 3 years experience in some markets. Regardless, you will probably have to start at the bottom and prove yourself.

 

sentinel I would prefer programming which is why I was looking to a cs degree.

 

The other big question is, why spend all that money at Troy or Mountain State for a "checkmark" degree when you could do that at COSC, Excelsior or TESC for a lot less???