The real question is what you expect the student to do when s/he graduate. If it is to become a software programmer/developer, most CS programs are more than sufficient. However, if it is to become a specialist in a highly specialized area, or to go on to a graduate school to further her/his study in the specialized area, s/he needs all those more rigorous and high level courses in order to be prepared for those jobs or graduate schools.
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Yes, most of CS could be self-taught … But so could most of math and physics - hey resources are available on the net …
want to listen to Richard Feynman - sure there he is on youtube.
MIT AI lectures? There they are …
Why do kids go to school these days?
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this discussion has been happening with my S, as he is questioning why he is getting the degree when he “knows how to program”, and as his father, who dropped out of college in the late 70’s because of the same attitude responded “because the one with the degree is likely to get the job/interview above the one who does not”
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If one only knows how to code, one is topped out quickly …
Clearly for many that ceiling is quite comfortable.
But one can get paid a LOT in CS … Quant Devs make WAY more than
you avg run-of-the mill JS pikers …
IMO this is what quite a few people don’t get. “CS jobs” span a wide range from corporate IT type jobs to positions in engineering research groups.
Exactly!
And, the other question is whether all these people pursuing graduate degrees in CS are getting tuition waivers of some sort are they like doctors (MDs) and emerging with more debt?
No tuition waivers here. He’s using the last of his 529 funds. Final quarter’s payment coming up next month then we are done with tuition for our S. Our D’s tuition payments will start in fall 2022. Her 529 is in great shape and we’ve started shifting money out of equities into cash equivalents.
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It depends on the degree. PhD in any reputable CS program is funded (tuition waiver + stipend). However, standalone MS isn’t.
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unless you go for PHD and get out without doing the thesis …
You could, but your advisor may not be happy… and you need references.
I had many many friends who went into PhD programs … Stanford, Cornell, MIT … escape with MS degrees (Aerospace and CS). It seems to be somewhat commonplace.
If the field is in demand, references may be less important. It used to happen with finance PhD as well, but b-schools have cracked down.
Is the suggestion here that if you go to a school without many specialized CS classes, you’ll end up as an avg run-of-the-mill JS piker? And if you go to a school with a wide variety of specialized undergrad CS classes, you’ll come out with enough specialized knowledge to be able to make more money? Because that doesn’t jibe with what I’ve observed with CS grads. CS is one of those areas where your school counts for a lot less than your experience, so it logically follows that whichever individual classes you took in school aren’t primary determinants of where you go with your career.
Several,people,did leave after the MS, in my son’s program. However, it was not their intent. Grad school is hard, especially the years working on the thesis.
I would love to know which college your son ultimately chose. My son sounds very similar to yours, and we’re trying to put together a list of colleges for for 2023 admission. Any advice for us now that you’ve gone through this process?