<p>I am looking to start a Master's program in Computer Science Fall 2014 and the three schools that caught my attention the most were DePaul, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins Engineering for Professionals. DePaul and IIT are close enough that I could do in person or online, JHU I would have to do online.</p>
<p>Of the three, JHU is about 7K cheaper than IIT or DePaul, which are essentially the same price. </p>
<p>What I liked the most about these schools was their large breadth, they have a lot of classes to choose from instead of being pidgeonholed into one specific area of study. My company does not offer tuition reimbursement, so anything beyond DePaul's cost (about 40K for the entire program) would be a financial stretch. </p>
<p>I am not religious, but from what I've heard DePaul, especially at the graduate level, doesn't exude their religious background so I'm hoping that won't be an issue. IIT is a bit more research oriented, but both DePaul and IIT have a thesis option, if I wanted to take that route, I haven't decided yet.</p>
<p>Can anybody compare the programs? Is there another school I am missing that I should consider? I'm taking my GRE a week from tomorrow, and I'd like to have a good idea by then which schools I intend to apply to so I can send my scores directly from the test for free.</p>
<p>I am sure that the religious nature of DePaul is not an issue when it comes to graduate programs. I would say that you will be fine with whichever program you choose as long as the specialization you seek is available. Having a more research oriented program is useful if you have that inclination or wish to pursue a Ph.D., but it is unlikely to be important for employment just after degree completion. Since you are close by Chicago, you might want to visit IIT and DePaul to get a better idea of their programs.</p>
<p>I have an MS (Computer Science) and MBA (economics) from Depaul and I highly recommend their MS comp sci program. It is very practical and always has the latest technology. I’ve been in IT for many years so I recognize that they stay on top of the latest trends and offer new programs frequently. The instructors are professionals in their fields so you get real-world experience. I did a combination of online and in-person classes. The online versions are easy to handle since they record the actual classes so you get the same experience (other than the commute!). In-person classes are also pretty reasonable since they have several campuses to take them at. The religious aspect is not at all apparent at the class level. They only time it comes up is when they discuss giving back and volunteering, which they are big on. Most classes have incredible diversity of race, ethnicity and religion, so you will get many different perspectives. You might want to try sitting in on a class if you can to get a feel.</p>