MSc in Computer Science Question.

hell911

Guys, I have 1 question.

Does MSc in Computer Science have a lot of programming or not?

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veritas_libertas

Typically CS does involve a lot programming.

Vik210

There should ‘ideally’ be at least one compulsory programing language. I had JAVA and I must say that was difficult for me, may be because I never liked programming.

hell911

@Vik

So, you finished MSc in Computer Science and now working in Networking field?

Vik210

Kind of.. I did my masters in CS and took all the electives from networking. I just can’t do programming. I know it’s a big disadvantage but I can’t help. It’s simply not for me.
I worked as a system admin and now I am on the IT management side.

hell911

really, dont they give like entrance test when you get in the MSc program, im also somewhat not good in programming thats why i want in other side, maybe database or networking.

Vik210

I don’t think so but it may differ from country to country. I was in touch with couple of professors from the university I was applying for and they got me the offer letter.
I personally have no experience about Canadian universities (you are still talking about Canada – right?) but if you are going as an international student they will take you if you are ready to pay the fees. This goes with an exception to very high standard universities.

hell911

im thinking of applying in University of Toronto.

erpadmin

In addition to programming, there is a heavy math component (Calculus, Discrete Structures, etc.) If you're not into math, CS may not be for you.

I love computers (I'd have to for even being involved in this field) but math was not my strongest suit. I can deal with programming, but not as a job/career choice. Thankfully, CS is not the only avenue to get into either IT or IT Management.

NetworkVeteran

While many computer science majors elect to focus on programming classes, that's often not a core requirement for graduating with a computer science degree.

You will almost certainly have to do some programming (say, two classes) and some math (again, two classes: Calculus & Statistics). A computer science major need not be strong at math or programming, but the goal of most programs is for them not to be weak. The majority of your classes can be in other areas (often computer-science related, obviously!).

I have a friend who obtained a master's degree in computer science, who only took one programming class, plus completed a master's project where about 20% of the work involved programming. The school insisted she overcome some programming challenges in her final project, since her chosen courses had avoided programming. I'm also looking just now at Stanford's master's degree program in Computer & Network Security, and the only class approaching pure math in their curriculum is Probability. Many schools are like that. Keep your eye out for schools that offer specializations in the areas you are most interested in.

Now, let's keep it real. If you're interested in security and take a class in say cryptography, you're going to be expected to understand the encryption algorithms. That might mean doing exponents, logarithms, and being able to calculate prime numbers. If you take a class in computer graphics, you will be expected to use sin/cos/tan sometimes. This all ties back into, you don't have to be strong at those topics, but you shouldn't be weak either!

Jackace

At my university computer science was all programming. There was an electrical engineering degree that had a computer engineering focus, but all the classes were focused on building circuit boards, ram, cpu, etc. If you wanted to do networking or security the college pushed you into the ITM: Network Administration degree.

NetworkVeteran

Jackace wrote: »

At my university computer science was all programming.

That's rather unusual for a university. Most bachelor's programs in Computer Science cultivate a wide range of business and technology skills--for example, the ability to create and deliver an effective presentation and to speak in public--so their graduates will have a leg up over non-graduates in most technical roles. I've never seen one that was all programming.

[Edit: I thought you lived near Boise? You apparently have better options there. Boise State University's computer science program includes courses on speech communication, technical communication, hardware architecture, cryptography, networking, etc. Programming-related classes consist of 24/120 credit hours. Heavier than some, but only a fraction of the degree.]

Vik210

This is suicidal for someone like me. One java class with 3 assignments was more than enough to keep me busy.
Jokes aside; I do think NetworkVeteran is right in saying “you don't have to be strong at those topics, but you shouldn't be weak either”. Programming is one important thing that shouldn’t be ignored at masters level and who knows you may start enjoying it as you learn! Actually, it’s a big plus at system/ network admin level as well.

erpadmin

If you're not strong enough to pull a C+ or above (some programs it's a

then you might need to get a bit stronger in math. There are a lot of people who would struggle with just the math component along. Also, for many MS in CS programs, a prerequisite is a solid math and programming languages background.

In addition to the general admission criteria of the Graduate School, the department requires that applicants to the M.S. program have completed an accredited undergraduate program in Computer Science, or at least taken the core prerequisite courses for the undergraduate degree as listed below:
A substantial background in mathematics, especially in calculus (as in 640:151-152), linear algebra (as in 640:250), finite mathematics (as in 198:205), probability/combinatorics (as in 198:206), and numerical analysis (as in 198:323). Such background should include at least two semesters of calculus and one semester in each of the other areas.

Working knowledge of high level languages (as in 198:111), data structures (as in 198:112), computer architecture and assembly language (as in 198:211), algorithm design and analysis (as in 198:344), and some elective courses in advanced undergraduate areas, such as programming languages and compilers (as in 198:314, 415), operating systems (as in 198:416), distributed systems (as in 198:417), information systems (as in 198:336), networks (as in 198:352), etc.

Computer Science, Rutgers University: M.S. Program in Computer Science

ptilsen

Most reputable MS CS programs are going to involve some programming and will require programming and math pre-requisites to enter the program. It might only be one or two classes, but it's usually there.

All that being said, just look at the details on whatever program(s) you're considering. Almost any program worth entering has fairly detailed requirements online. You can usually see either a breakdown of areas or even specific classes. The University of Minnesota, for example, requires one class in each of three areas, and pretty much all the classes under the first area will involve some programming:
http://www.cs.umn.edu/academics/graduate/Breadth-Courses-rev-6-09.pdf

Anyway, if you really want to avoid programming and want to work in more of an infrastructure capacity (like network engineering), personally I don't think an MS in computer science makes sense. An MS in IT or similar seems more logical, although even some of these may involve programming.

Shop around. There are more and more IT, CS, and similar master's degrees that are available both on-campus and online at reputable schools. You've definitely got some good options available, even some without much or any programming.

Jackace

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

That's rather unusual for a university. Most bachelor's programs in Computer Science cultivate a wide range of business and technology skills--for example, the ability to create and deliver an effective presentation and to speak in public--so their graduates will have a leg up over non-graduates in most technical roles. I've never seen one that was all programming.

[Edit: I thought you lived near Boise? You apparently have better options there. Boise State University's computer science program includes courses on speech communication, technical communication, hardware architecture, cryptography, networking, etc. Programming-related classes consist of 24/120 credit hours. Heavier than some, but only a fraction of the degree.]

I thought we were talking about what the main focus of a program was not about presentation, speach, etc skills. The CS program at BSU has more than just programming, but that is the main focus of the program. They only offer one or 2 networking classes total in the entire program and they are not required to get a degree. Many of the CS students who were interested in networking were in my networking classes because their department didn't offer anything like it. They were taking the classes as electives and their advisers had approved it.

JayTheCracker

i hate programming , but, i love python

JayTheCracker

in my opinion, i'd just go for mba
cos, i hate programming

tom_dub

A Computer Science curriculum isn't ALL programming classes, but most of it will involve math or programming. My school requires up to Calculus 3 as far as the pure math goes. There's also theory courses that utilize math heavily like discrete structures or automata. We also have to take Linear Algebra and a course called Computational Methods which involves a lot of math heavy scientific programming through C++ and matlab. Not even going to mention the Physics classes or introductory engineering courses. Most, if not all CS electives will require use of programming as a tool to complete assignments or understand the material fully. The computer architecure courses kicked my ass a lot harder than the programming ones (designing things like ALUs and circuits while using logic theories). If you don't like math or programming than CS is going to kick the shiz out of you. Any decent or at least respected Computer Science program will require what I've just listed btw