<p>I'm having to graduate earlier than I expected due to financial reasons. I'm finishing a degree in Econ and Math. I'm considering a certificate in computer programming at a good public, four-year university in the time I'd have all while I wait for graduate school decisions. </p>
<p>I want to learn enough computer skills to do computer-based statistical work. The certificate would cost about $3900 total and would include the following coursework, two courses of which I could waive. Is this worth it?</p>
<p>MA 121 Introduction to Calculus
CSC 116 Introduction to Computing<br>
CSC 216 Programming Concepts
CSC 226 Applied Discrete Mathematics
CSC 230 C and Software Tools
CSC 236 Basic Computer Organization and Assembly Language
CSC 246 Concepts and Facilities of Operating Systems
CSC 316 Data Structures</p>
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<li><p>Can you afford it? Especially when you mention financial reasons above.</p></li>
<li><p>Where does it lie in your career aspirations?</p></li>
<li><p>Could you use the spare time to work and save money for grad school?</p></li>
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<p>For a bit more context, I’m attending next fall as a part-time student and graduating. I’d start the certificate program this summer and spread it over 4 semesters (including summer sessions) as it’s offered through distance education.</p>
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<p>I can afford $3900; I can’t afford the $60,000 the school would like me to pay to attend full time all of next year.</p>
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<p>I’m planning to pursue a PhD in sociology and I want to make serious use of quantitative methods. I’m already taking the sociology PhD methods sequence here this year.</p>
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<p>The program is offered via distance education. I plan to get a part-time job and work from this summer until the end of the next summer while I finish my degree. Since it’s not feasible to get a full-time job before starting graduate school, there’s not much of an opportunity cost there.</p>
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<p>Sorry, I didn’t mean I could waive any two–I can waive MA 121 and CSC 116 because I’ve already completed them.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s a bad idea, and $3900 is fairly cheap for a programming certificate compared to other programs I’ve looked at, and it also seems fairly thorough. But I think you should take your time and carefully research your options before you sign up for it. Just in the last 2 or 3 years, there’s been an explosion of new, online computer science programs and more are cropping up every year. </p>
<p>This is the online computer science certificate at NC State U, correct? The curriculum looks fairly solid, but it’s definitely geared more towards grunt-level programming rather than the kind of high-level, “computer based statistical work” that you mentioned. For that sort of thing, a program like Stanford’s data-mining graduate certificate probably makes more sense and it’s taught by some of the most highly regarded researchers in the field. Unfortunately, it’s much more expensive… That said, I think this NC State program can still be really valuable, and it should provide a good foundation in programming concepts should you decide to pursue a data analysis program (like the Stanford one) in the future.</p>
<p>You can probably find a job as a programmer after you complete this certificate program, so I think that’s definitely a huge bonus.</p>