I’ve been accepted to one of the CSU’s (Northridge) for their Masters program in CS. I’m also waiting on UC Irvine and UC Davis to hear about my application for their BS in Computer Science. To make a long story short, I decided to go with the 2nd bach to all the schools I applied to, and Northridge just told me that they weren’t taking any 2nd BS’s, and enrolled me in the CS masters CS program. So far, they accepted me, and I’m waiting on the UC’s.
Obviously, it’s generally easier to get into the CSU’s than the UC’s, and latter are considered more prestigious/desirable schools, but I’m wondering, as far as just market value, will this be a good option? I would be able to live at home, and tuition would be less than the UC’s (even though the UC’s would be undergrad).
Different people tell me different things. Many people even tell me to forget about school, because employers just care about experience, so this is confusing to me.
Regarding what I want/want to do:
I see myself in the area of programming. I have more experience in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, even some Objective-C, although I don't think it would be too hard to pick up Javascript, Python, Ruby, etc.
Money/salary is important to me. Why should anyone have to lie about this? It's not the only thing, but it's very important.
Flexibility is important. It would be nice to have the option to do different things (Academia, research, management, etc.).
Perhaps I’m missing some things…I’ll be sure to post them when/if I remember.
Most of the programmers I know don’t have CS degrees. Rather, they have some kind of STEM degree, and then maybe took a handful of programming classes or learned how to program on their own. If you already have a STEM degree and know how to program, I’d think going for a second degree would be overkill.
After you’ve worked for 3-4 years, your practical skills and experience will matter more than your degree(s).
Ah, got it. As I mentioned before, after a little bit of work experience, nobody is going to be looking at your degrees or where you went to school. If it’s cheaper to get your Masters from Northridge than a 2nd Bachelors from a UC, then I’d suggest going for the Masters.
I would go for the Masters. While UC’s are typically seen as “more prestigious”, this is less of a factor in the programmer industry and I might be mistaken, but a Master’s in computer science will be pretty desired in certain positions, because BS in CS are the typical entry level fresh out of college students, and the MS will distinguish you, helping you get a higher up position quicker. Add that to the area and cheaper price, i don’t see too many advantages of the BS.
My dd was accepted at UCLA for masters in CS but applied to many. She’s having a hard time deciding which school to go to because each program at each uni is very different. She like’s how SDSU runs the coursework. You need to check how each program is run by the university.