A little about me: Went to a Top 15 US university and currently a finance professional looking for a career change, but had minimal exposure to CS in college (I have studied both AP and IB computer science in high school so I have some background in Java and C. In terms of math, I also completed linear algebra with A+ in college).
Currently I am taking a couple of MOOCs from Coursera and edX just to make up for my lack of technical skills vs. other BSCSs. However I don’t think I can ever make up for the research experience.
Would be great if other prospective students / current students with similar backgrounds can share some tips of how to make my application more robust.
A traditional master’s program in computer science is going to be looking for students with extensive preparation in computer science - preferably a major or the equivalent, but alternatively a lot of coursework in CS (or equivalent experience). It is, after all, a graduate degree - they’re designed to build upon a foundation you established in undergrad.
The best way to boost your application is by taking some coursework in CS. Coursera may or may not “count” depending on the program; I’d imagine some more well-reputed programs may be a little skeptical about Coursera and edX courses.
Lots of schools will accept people without CS degrees into their graduate CS programs on the condition that they complete several prerequisite courses. I can’t imagine Coursera or edX courses will count towards those prerequisites, since you don’t get college credit for those unless you actually enroll in an online college degree program through one of them.
You don’t need research experience to get into a CS graduate program.
Do a google search for “mscs for non cs majors” to see some schools that offer this.