Online Masters Degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and Udacity

qwertyiop

I was just wondering what if anyone here had heard about Udacity and Georgia Tech coming together to offer an online master of science in computer science degree (fully accredited) for about $7000 total.

OMSCS - Georgia Institute of Technology

Udacity Blog: Sebastian Thrun: Announcing Online Masters Degree in Computer Science in Collaboration with Georgia Tech and AT&T

ptilsen

Well, GIT is ranked pretty damn high for computer science graduate programs, and I definitely like the modern, affordable approach to graduate education. I don't know if I'd want to be an early adopter. I think the place for this in the market is well-established (think WGU), but the perception of online degrees still trails that of traditional, whether it's fair or not.

Granted, I'm going to come right out and say even with the degree being online, it's going to be nearly impossible to lack employment options with a graduate degree in CS from highly-ranked school. Maybe Google doesn't take you as seriously, but there are lots of employers who would hire an MS CS from any school without hesitation, online or not. It's just a question of whether a more traditional route still makes sense. For $7,000 (compared to it normally being $20K or more), it's definitely a question worth asking.

dmoore44

That's pretty neat - glad to see something like this is finally coming about. I really like that the curriculum is freely available... I really like being able to test drive a program before I sign up and start paying...

qwertyiop

I actually would consider this, I currently have a BS in IT and a MS in IA but lately I've been pushing myself to learn more of the CS side of things and this could be a great way to do it.

Nyblizzard

This is good stuff

Zartanasaurus

I wasn't aware of this new Udacity collaboration. I had looked at the cost of their online CS program before and it was pretty expensive. I'm curious what GaTech is getting out of all of this?

YuckTheFankees

So are they using the same admission criteria as the normal Ga Tech CS graduate degree?

qwertyiop

YuckTheFankees wrote: »

So are they using the same admission criteria as the normal Ga Tech CS graduate degree?

From what I've read so far the admissions requirements are almost identical to their other CS grad program.


Who can apply to the degree program?

Formal admission into the OMS CS program will require a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from an accredited institution, or a related Bachelor of Science degree with a possible need to take and pass remedial courses. Formal admission will also require the selection through a graduate admission committee that will meet periodically.


How does the admissions process work?

Admissions into the OMS CS program will take place on a periodic basis, and students have to furnish materials commonly required for graduate admissions (prior degrees, transcripts, etc.). Georgia Tech will admit successful applicants with special/non-degree-seeking standing and ask them to pass designated courses with a grade of B or higher prior to being granted degree-seeking standing.


Do applicants need to take the GRE?

No.


Frequently Asked Questions - OMSCS

Valsacar

Sounds interesting, I wouldn't mind doing a second Masters in pure CS.

kgb

This is way cool! I'd love to continue my education with a MS and especially in CS. The same constraints that landed me at WGU is why I haven't pursued an MS in CS. It really needs to be an online school. Well, here it is... Not accepting students until Fall 2014, but that leaves people time to get their stuff in line.

I truly think this is just the beginning. I look forward to when other top-tier schools enter into the full online offerings.

atl_libra

Excuse my ignorance...but what would the degree read? "Online" Master of Science in Computer Science? Would it carry the same weight as the traditional program...or even the current online program GA Tech offers? Just wondering if the physical degree references a "online" distinction.

fiftyo

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

I'm curious what GaTech is getting out of all of this?

My theory would revolve around after a certain timespan of enough students anticipating in the programme the profits could be > 70% of what the programme costs. Seeing they do not need to have people on campus, tutors for each class etc. The only real reoccuring fees would probably be, people who maintain the educational platforms and people grading the courses/thesises.
Next up, I'm anticipating the students will write master thesises, thus, the university gains additional academic output, i.e rank and prestige.
Ont:
I think this is pretty neat, although I'm curious around what they require from the bachelor degrees, in terms of math courses and alike.

jdancer

atl_libra wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance...but what would the degree read? "Online" Master of Science in Computer Science? Would it carry the same weight as the traditional program...or even the current online program GA Tech offers? Just wondering if the physical degree references a "online" distinction.

Their website had some video interviews I saw. Their intent is that the degree will have the same reputation as their ground degree. I got the impression the degree will just read "Master of Science in Computer Science".

Online degrees are the future. Does it really matter how you mastered the material as long as the academic standards are the same as ground courses?

atl_libra

jdancer wrote: »

Their website had some video interviews I saw. Their intent is that the degree will have the same reputation as their ground degree. I got the impression the degree will just read "Master of Science in Computer Science".

Online degrees are the future. Does it really matter how you mastered the material as long as the academic standards are the same as ground courses?

Trust me..your preaching to the choir. I was just curious about what distinction...if any...there would be. Plus this pretty much just undercuts their current Online CS offering.

the_Grinch

No diploma from a brick and mortar college will you find anything related to online. It will just say the university name and what the degree is in. Just remember as of right now this program is only open to AT&T employees and they do not yet know if they will expand it. This is a test run to see the success rate and value in doing it this way with this company. I work at the online side for a university and we are watching this fairly closely.

atl_libra

Assistant Dean replied to an email I shot off:

"Dean Galil asked me to respond to your message. Thanks very much for your interest in the MSCS program.

The credentials granted for the online program will be the same as for the on-campus program.

Students in the online program will have to declare a specialization, just as students on campus do. However, it is too early to know exactly which courses and specializations will be offered, and when they might be offered.

Information should be much more complete before the Fall 2015 application deadlines. I suggest you check the College of Computing website closer to that time."

sratakhin

Even if the credentials are the same, it will be difficult to explain to a prospective employer why you worked somewhere in, let's say, California, while attending a school from Georgia.

qwertyiop

sratakhin wrote: »

Even if the credentials are the same, it will be difficult to explain to a prospective employer why you worked somewhere in, let's say, California, while attending a school from Georgia.

In my experience having the degree, besides empowering your with knowledge is mainly used to get you passed HR and whatever other screening methods that a potential employer uses. Once you make it to the interview then its up to you to prove the the hiring manager that your more than capable to do the required job.


I have actually been through this as I live and work outside of Boston and got my Masters degree from a school in Michigan.

atl_libra

sratakhin wrote: »

Even if the credentials are the same, it will be difficult to explain to a prospective employer why you worked somewhere in, let's say, California, while attending a school from Georgia.

LOL well it works for me. I'm right down the street from GA Tech

joehalford01

Wow, that's exciting. I wonder if a Bachelors from WGU could really prepare you for this? Or if it would be accepted for per-requisites? I'll cross my fingers on that, I'd love to do something like this after WGU.

ptilsen

joehalford01 wrote: »

Wow, that's exciting. I wonder if a Bachelors from WGU could really prepare you for this? Or if it would be accepted for per-requisites?

Even a WGU BSIT Software grad would most likely be required to take a few extra programming/concept courses and another math course. WGU doesn't have the pre-reqs they've specified and that are standard in computer science undergrads. Other than that, I think they would likely accept WGU grads.

jdancer

If you looking to see what an undergraduate computer science degree entails, check out University of Illinois - Springfield Department of Computer Science

U of I @ Springfield has been offering online undergraduate and graduate computer science degrees for quite awhile.

dbrink

joehalford01 wrote: »

Wow, that's exciting. I wonder if a Bachelors from WGU could really prepare you for this? Or if it would be accepted for per-requisites? I'll cross my fingers on that, I'd love to do something like this after WGU.

Chances are, you'll need to take some prerequisites. Most graduate CS programs want a few maths (Calculus, Linear Alg., Discrete Math) and some core CS courses (Programming, Comp. Architecture, Algorithms, Data Structures).

qwertyiop

dbrink wrote: »

Chances are, you'll need to take some prerequisites. Most graduate CS programs want a few maths (Calculus, Linear Alg., Discrete Math) and some core CS courses (Programming, Comp. Architecture, Algorithms, Data Structures).

I'm in a similar boat, my BS was from WGU but my MS in IA may cover some of the pre-reqs

joehalford01

That sounds about right. It's hard to imagine being able to absorb that kind of info without being in a classroom. I've done Calculus at the local Junior college, and that in and of itself was very tough.

hollister

This looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

Arysta

Wow. Thanks for sharing this. This is really something to watch during the coming year. If nothing else, it'll give me a greater motivation to go through a few udacity courses. I could really use more training in programming in general.

djfunz

"Initial enrollment will be limited to a few hundred students recruited from AT&T and Georgia Tech corporate affiliates. Enrollment is expected to expand gradually over the next three years."

Time to go apply at AT&T.

tprice5

Calendar has been marked for Sept. 8 to submit my application to Georgia Tech. Wish I would've been actively looking a couple months ago so I could have found this and made the Fall 2014 application deadline. Getting the prestige of Georgia Tech and the affordability of WGU is worth waiting for though.

Paul6

Is this degree really worth anything? It looks like general programming and CS classes that won't translate to employer value. I would expect a good Master's degree to be focused on a specific speciality (Networking, Security) like WGU is.

tprice5

Paul6 wrote: »

Is this degree really worth anything? It looks like general programming and CS classes that won't translate to employer value. I would expect a good Master's degree to be focused on a specific specialty (Networking, Security) like WGU is.

By this logic, any trade school would be more valuable than a regular 4 year degree and that is just not the case. This mindset fails to recognize the correlation between computer science as theory and the technical implementation of things such as Networking. Have you taken a computer science course before?
Also. if I wanted to specialize in Networking, I would just study Cisco. If I wanted to specialize in Security I would just get IS2/ISACA certifications. I have a BS in computer science (CSCI) so I would like to further that. Also I want to supplement my primary income by teaching at a university at some point and I don't think WGU is going to cut it there. I am not knocking WGU, but you should really understand the potential limitation of a degree.
The only hesitation I have is the partnership with udacity but Georgia Tech appears to be standing by this program and making no distinction between the degrees achieved via this new partnership and their traditional program. This leads me to believe that the content is near identical, just the delivery mechanism has low overhead.