Hello all, I was accepted to a few CS/DS programs and would love to hear about your insight, bias, or advice to help me make an informed decision. A bit about myself - I hold a bachelor in Economics and a MS in Project Management and have worked as an IT project manager overseeing a bunch of IT implementation projects. I don't understand all the technical jargons, but I have gotten used to, and possess a good track record in math and quant classes. I also took a bunch of Python and R coding to leverage Data Analytics. My goal is to become a Machine Learning engineer who is more on the SWE side than manipulating data sets and making predictions. So I'd prefer a curriculum that offers rigorous fundamentals in computer science and some ML/AI/DL courses. My goal is to switch my career and become competitive in the job market, rather than pursuing a PhD. My focus is to build the skills, as opposed to seeking entry to the US (I'm a domestic student). I will be financing my own study by working full-time and studying part-time. I'm certain of my financial plan so the costs among these schools may be not the most important factor. I'm also not interested in a bootcamp as a degree would provide more long-term options. 0) [Northeastern University's Align Master](https://www.khoury.northeastern.edu/apply/align-how-to-apply/) of Science in Computer Science \- Cost: 60k (since I have alumni discount), on-campus, it has 4 bridge courses for non-cs major and after which I will be studying with cs-major for the main portion of the program. \- Pros: highly customizable curriculum with a lot of ML electives, has a thesis option that may provide a path to PhD. Students will graduate with the same degree as those who studied CS in their undergrad. Good ranking: 49th based on usnews. Since it's an on-campus program, I may have more access to professor support and facilities. \- Cons: some complaints about adjunct faculty who come from the industry with poor pedagogical skills. [1) Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Master of Computer Science](https://www.wpi.edu/academics/study/computer-science-mcs) \- Cost: 49k, asynchronous online. The program is explicitly advertised as for those without a CS background and do not seek future PhD. \- Pros: the school's practical approach to education. focusing on hands-on project-based learning. It ranks 63 on Usnews. The curriculum is well-rounded that covers fundamentals of computer science and machine learning as electives. \- Cons: The asynchronous learning makes me worry about access to help, homework clarification, etc. The school advertises the program in a way that makes me worry about the rigorous and depth of materials covered. [2) Stevens Institute of Technology's Online MS in Computer Science](https://online.stevens.edu/online-masters-computer-science-mscs/) \- Cost: 51k, synchronous online. The program also does not have a thesis or practicum option, but doesn't explicitly 'warn' about the differences as WPI. \- Pros: practical approach to learning and exams. The synchronous online format allows great interaction and feedback while saving traveling time. \- Cons: The curriculum only covers CS fundamentals without any elective options in Machine Learning. It ranks 83rd which is on the less impressive side, so I wonder if this will impact my job prospects? 3) Georgia Institute of Technology ( [Online Master's in Analytics - Degree Overview (gatech.edu)](https://pe.gatech.edu/degrees/analytics) \- Cost: 10k (impressive). large-scale asynchronous online program. TAs mostly run classes. \- Pros: Highly ranked school. The cream of the crop in CS and Engineering. Cheap. Flexible in Scheduling. \- Cons: Coursework geared towards Data Science/ Stats/ Operations Research more. There are a few ML, DL classes, but are limited to Computer Science students. I took a few non-degree classes and sometimes felt like I was on my own island without any help. Sorry for the long post! Appreciate any insight and advice. Thanks! TC: 100k YoE: 2 years #engineering #swe #cs #gradschools #machinelearningengineer
Georgia tech is the best school on the list in terms of both quality and value for CS. it’s not even close. I would do a math and CS MOOC and then apply to OMSCS over OMSA, but they’re both great programs.
Thanks. But I don't have enough prerequisites to be accepted to the OMSCS program. I only got accepted to the OMSA, which is more math and stats instead of CS
WPI Masters is solid. It's not an easy degree but you will learn a lot. It's also the incubator for Mathworks which is an awesome ramp to FAANG. I would prefer it to Northeastern or purely online degrees. You will mostly hear people say Georgia tech simply because of the brand name which to me does not mean much.
Thanks for your input. I'm leaning towards WPI as NEU frustrates me with the admission process. The WPI program I am accepted to is Master of Computer Science instead of Master of Science in Computer Science (sounds confusing but according to the school, there is a big difference). I went over the curriculums and compared, it seems that the MSCS covers the same materials but at a more advanced level + option to do a thesis + option to choose more advanced courses. The MCS program seems to be new. I wonder if it the differences between 2 programs that wpi is emphasizing matter to recruiters and the industry?
I don't think it will matter to the industry much. You should choose the program you think you will benefit the most from i.e. your value for money will come from how much you are learning, not the degree itself.
Given your goal of MLE, why not GT’s OMSCS instead?
I wish I were accepted to OMSCS too but I didn't have the pre-requisites. It would take me a few more months to fill the gap and have to align with their admission schedule, it may delay by 'time to market'. I'm also a bit scared of the scalability of the program. It heavily uses autograder and exam-based exercises as a means to optimize cost of providing education. I'm afraid the format is not friendly to a neuro-diverse person like me, who learns things differently
For the pre-requisites if you take their foundation courses or some courses at community college you can make the fall 23 intake (or maybe even spring 23). I’m doing omscs right now but on my first class so can’t really comment on how the program is overall but the auto grader is for coding assignments. Papers are graded by TAs.
Do OMSCS w GA Tech
Any part time or online PhD in US? Stream- CS, AI-ML
Honestly if you're a project manager in tech why switch to a more technical role?
Georgia tech. Make this a poll maybe?
Thanks I just created a poll. It seems that GATech is leading as expected