Recommended Computer Science Master Programs?

N2IT · September 2013

I was curious if anyone recently attended or heard of a good Computer Science Masters program. I don't mind taking bachelors courses for eligibility, I realize that most require a non BS CS degree to take a few courses before being admitted. Thanks for your time and input.

ptilsen · September 2013

Online? Or just anything?

Keep in mind that a decent program is going to require a lot of undergrad classes if they admit a non CS/CE/EE major. Generally speaking, 12-20 credits of math, 12+ credits of programming and/or proven competency, 12-20 credits on other practical and theory areas like data structures, architecture, software engineering, etc.

dbrink · September 2013

ptilsen is spot on. This is usually the case when it comes to a MS in Computer Science. I spent a good part of 3 years taking prerequisites for a MS in CS because my undergrad degree was a Business/CIS degree. I never finished my prereqs and have taken a different direction. If your undergrad is not in CS plan on taking a good amount of time for the prereqs.

One of the programs I took courses at was with North Carolina State's Distance Education program. Here is a quote for what they require.

Applicants who do not hold a B.S. degree in computer science may be admitted with preparatory course work which should include a three-semester sequence in differential and integral calculus, a calculus-based course in probability and statistics and 15 credit hours of specified computer science courses.

They require 3 Calculus courses (4 credit hours each), a statistics course, and 5 undergrad CS courses.

N2IT · September 2013

Thanks for the heads up. I had two stats courses in my undergrad QBA 330 and 337 (that's it). Those two courses were brutal to be honest. I had all business math courses (Finance and Accounting). I'm not sure if I have the energy to pull that off. I was just curious, that's for the great write ups. Good stuff.

sratakhin · September 2013

Check it out.Computer Science | USC Viterbi School of Engineering

I can't confirm this, but I heard that you can start as a limited-status student and if you can maintain certain GPA, you have a chance of being accepted for MS in CS.

Mike-Mike · September 2013

sratakhin wrote: »

Check it out.Computer Science | USC Viterbi School of Engineering

I can't confirm this, but I heard that you can start as a limited-status student and if you can maintain certain GPA, you have a chance of being accepted for MS in CS.

Thanks for posting this, I am going to look into this

ptilsen · September 2013

It's number #9 on US News for engineering. It doesn't show in the CS ranking, but USC is #20. Not that US News' ranking necessarily means that much, but in general USC would look good on a resume. The program itself has reasonable admission requirements and the curriculum looks good. However, tuition and fees are in the neighborhood of $45000 for the degree, regardless of pacing. For that price, you can get one online from Stanford (if you can get accepted, that is).

I've been doing a lot of research into this particular topic (CS master's degree, both distance and traditional), so I've got some data collected on a good dozen schools. Some other online options are the MCS from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which ranks very highly and has a good CS program; MSCS from U of I Springfield, which is not a ranking or name-dropping type of school, but it's 1/3 the price of Urbana-Champaign; University of MN the cheapest online MSCS you can get from a major (ie division 1) university; Johns Hopkins and Purdue also offer MSCS online, but I'm actually convinced that they're not very good at all, and you're essentially paying $40,000 to have those names even though they're not from the main campuses and aren't really up to the quality those schools are reputed to have.

Ultimately, undergraduate grades and GRE scores come into play for a lot of these. The Stanford and U of M options sound great until you realize you need a great GPA, good recommendations, and very high GRE scores to get in.

Edit: Mike-Mike, I have to mention, that even for the more lenient of these schools, they are not going to take a WGU degree unless you have some other credits in higher-level math and can prove some more advanced computer science skills. You'll need to know C++ to even get in, and certainly to succeed. You might have better luck with a IS/IA degree. These can still get pretty technical, but without the strict requirements you'll see on CS programs.

allenfeyd · September 2013

Udacity and Georgia Tech's new program looks promising. It's total cost is $7,000. It's beta testing early next year and starting officially next fall.

Mike-Mike · September 2013

ptilsen wrote: »

Edit: Mike-Mike, I have to mention, that even for the more lenient of these schools, they are not going to take a WGU degree unless you have some other credits in higher-level math and can prove some more advanced computer science skills. You'll need to know C++ to even get in, and certainly to succeed. You might have better luck with a IS/IA degree. These can still get pretty technical, but without the strict requirements you'll see on CS programs.

I thought about that, but I work as a "Software QA Engineer" for one of the largest companies in the world, so I was hoping that might help get me in

sratakhin · September 2013

Ptilsen,

I'm also considering this program - http://www.cvn.columbia.edu/cs_MS_security.php
Also, this program is from a less known school (Colorado State University), but it's much cheaper and in the area I'd like to eventually move to.
Requirements and Curriculum - Online Master's Degree in Computer Science - CSU Online Plus

Both schools have an option of taking a few classes before being admitted.

instant000 · September 2013

It's a simple process in choosing a school, use as many of the following factors as you can:

1 - Prestige
2 - Plays on Saturdays
3 - Local Reputation
4 - Rigor
5 - Affordability

I know that if I ever utilized the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend school, it'll be for something that has a football team. It is what it is.

Hope this helps.

ptilsen · September 2013

It's simple until you consider how drastically those factors can differ between schools without any correlation or there being a clear winner. I would also look at professor quality, convenience, graduate salaries, even coursework. I don't think it's a simple choice at all, to be honest. I'm looking at about ten different schools, and I bet that number will increase by the time I actually apply with more and more traditionals opening up graduate studies to distance students.

Make that number 11, thanks to sratakhin. I'd meant to check Columbia actually. Colorado State might make sense for some. I personally have in-state state universities that would make more sense, but it's a good option for others to consider.

Mike-mike, your experience will give you a big leg up actually. Some schools won't care, but most will, even some of the more prestigious ones. Still, if you have any academic deficiencies that aren't made up for by your experience, you may need to take a couple extra classes. Probably not enough that it should dissuade you, however.

Mike-Mike · September 2013

ptilsen wrote: »

Mike-mike, your experience will give you a big leg up actually. Some schools won't care, but most will, even some of the more prestigious ones. Still, if you have any academic deficiencies that aren't made up for by your experience, you may need to take a couple extra classes. Probably not enough that it should dissuade you, however.

Sweet! thanks, that's good info, I wouldn't have a problem taking some extra courses

N2IT · September 2013

sratakhin and PT great info. This really uncovered a lot of good information.

realdreams · September 2013

+1 for UIUC. All my CS friends there landed great jobs after they graduated. UIUC has plenty of resources for CS/EE

Xonis1 · September 2013

https://www.udacity.com/georgiatech

We’re incredibly excited to offer the first fully accredited, massive, open, and Online Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Tech in collaboration with AT&T. This degree will be offered at an affordable price and individual courses will also be available for students to take for free or for individual certification. Our mission with each single course is to help students advance their knowledge and careers.

the_Grinch · September 2013

NJIT: Adult Learner: MS in Computer Science <--NJIT's program is pretty good and I believe you wouldn't need too many pre-reqs.

ptilsen · September 2013

It has pretty much the same pre-reqs as the rest:

If your bachelor’s degree is in a field other than computing science or engineering, you must have a 3.0 GPA (of 4.0) and must submit GRE results.

International students must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 213, and must submit GRE scores.

A placement exam is required to demonstrate that you have good programming skills in C++ or Java and a grasp of the fundamentals of computer science, including operating systems, networks, and databases. If you don’t have a comprehensive computer science background, you will be required to take bridge courses in programming and/or basic concepts with a minimum 3.0 GPA. (Credits earned in the bridge program cannot be counted toward the degree.) See the graduate catalog for more details.

Total tuition about $48,000 for pure online, out-of-state. Close to $43,000 for in-state. Definitely geared towards adult learners and has a good-looking curriculum, but a bit pricey.

sratakhin · September 2013

Ptilsen, That's the reason why I don't even consider NJIT. Costs about the same as universities from top 100 but doesn't even come close.

ptilsen · September 2013

I probably wouldn't either, but one thing I will say is that while the pre-reqs are fairly standard (maybe a tad lite; most demand C++ and Java, specifically), the admissions requirements are fairly lax. They're lower than every CS master's listed in this thread and everything I sent you, except for U of I at Springfield, which has quite low requirements but of course is drastically cheaper than other options. But looking at all the subjective factors as well as the cost, no, I wouldn't really consider it in many scenarios, especially for non-residents and certainly not for myself.

The most comparable program I've seen from an admissions requirement standpoint is U of I at Urbana-Champaign, requiring a 3.2 GPA and similar background knowledge. The MCS program there is considerably less expensive than NJIT's, and subjectively, it looks much better.

N2IT · September 2013

Not to spin off topic but I did end up enrolling and taking the Stanford CS 101 course. I have found it fairly educational and fun. I can't wait till they offer it for credit I will retake it then. Now it's just being given as a training course more than anything. I plan on taking about 4 - 5 CS courses within the next few months. They are free and a lot of fun. I find the structure better than certifications.

Recommended Computer Science Master Programs?

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