I already have a 3 year bachelors degree in commerce from India. I consider it useless. Should I get into an undergrad computer science program in the US? I’m currently 30.
I would like to get into programming or artificial intelligence field after I graduate.
If not an undergrad degree then how about a Masters or PHD in Computer Science?
I’m a US citizen, will be studying in the US.
I’m currently living in India so I cannot take individual courses to makeup for prerequisites of a masters degree.
How can I improve my chances of getting into a top masters/phd program if I start classes in 2017?
In case I go for a second bachelors degree then financial aid will be limited. Getting fully funded is my main priority.
Plus I’m not too keen on staying unemployed for such a long period of time.
What are the pros and cons of my idea?
I know that my university, Illinois Tech, is starting to consider 3-year degrees from India for admission to a Masters program but it is only from a few Indian universities and subject to careful scrutiny of the individual mark sheets. For the moment Illinois Tech is sort of the exception among U.S. universities.
I know, however, that we have some Masters programs, particularly in Computer Science that are delivered directly in India at a reasonable tuition rate. it may be possible to start with that and then apply for a Ph.D. program once you have a Masters degree.
My guess is that Illinois Tech is not alone in this and you can likely find a way to get started at a reasonable cost.
Well, being in school is not the same as being unemployed.
I guess the answer is dependent upon what you want to do and whether or not you can reach those career goals with each option. Why do you consider your undergraduate degree useless? Have you been unable to find a job with it, or a job with the salary you want, or do you want to transition between fields? I feel like we’re getting into surrealist territory when people are even calling business majors “useless” now; pretty soon people will be claiming the only useful major is computer science, full stop.
Then it depends on your goals. If you just want a job in computer science, a PhD isn’t necessary for that - an MS is more than sufficient. The PhD is if you want to do research in the field, potentially heading up a research lab or holding a position as a professor at a university. While many PhDs in CS do work in industry, I think for the majority of CS jobs you don’t need a PhD and an MS will suffice - especially once you get experience.
Many U.S. universities will not admit students for a second bachelor’s degree, including most of the most competitive ones. An MS will probably be the best bet, if your undergrad degree makes you eligible to apply for one. Most of them are not fully funded. I personally think that it’s a bad idea to go to a PhD program when you only want/need an MS just because of the funding; others might disagree with me.
There’s also the option of getting a low-level job in the field and cross-training - starting off with an internship and learning programming skills, or getting the employer to pay for a few classes in that area.