Masters in C.S.?

Graduate School
1

About to enter my third year of undergrad., and am considering going for a Masters in C.S., but not entirely sure as to whether I want to go for industry (the coursework track) or research (the PhD preparatory track)…

Can anyone give me guidance as to which track I should go on if I am undecided? Also how should I start to prepare, since again I am entering my third year of my undergrad?

Also, are there any advantages of going full-time over part-time? Most undergrads are full time, but many are part-time from what I’ve researched at the masters level. Why is this and are there any differences between full-time vs. part-time, as well as between undergraduate life?

Furthermore, I am wondering what is the difficulty of securing TAships, RAships, and other forms of financial aid at graduate institutions. Currently, my parents have agreed to fully fund my undergraduate at Stony Brook, as it is cheaper for them being in-state, and am also on scholarships. However, if I do go for my masters, I likely plan on going out of state (some of the schools I’ve been considering are University of Washington, USC, UCLA, Michigan, Illinois, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, and a couple others not off the top of my head right now).

Any other comments and relevant feedback appreciated! :slight_smile:

2

For CS, it is often the case that the kind of schools you list will expect you to self-fund a Masters. You might want to work for a year or two and then decide if a Masters is really necessary. If so, your employer might pay for part of the tuition.

3

Talk to a CS professor about what track to take, they should be able to give you insight as to what to expect on both tracks and where each track will land you at the end. You’re also going to need at least 1 letter of rec from a professor so start building a relationship with a professor or two.
In terms of prep, get involved with research, do side projects, and study hard to keep your GPA up. Take the GRE at some point in the next year whenever it fits your schedule the best.
Full-time takes less time to finish the degree, part-time takes longer since the classes are more spread out. I wouldn’t say many grad students are part-time, it might be the school(s) you’re looking at; but a lot of grad students who are part-time are also working part/full-time for a company who is sponsoring their graduate degree.