3 ms·

How do people in industry generally view these types of certificate programs? Is it markedly "worse" than doing e.g. a Master's on campus? Also - is this close

How do people in industry generally view these types of certificate programs? Is it markedly "worse" than doing e.g. a Master's on campus? Also - is this closer to a Master's level program or part of an undergraduate curriculum?

bitL 10y ago
If you look at pricing, it's below their Master level so I guess is more undergrad-style.
nkozyra 10y ago
The available classes align with graduate level one's for their MSCS. If nothing else it's markedly worse because it's 1/3 the classes :). Beyond that I'd expect rigor ... it's Stanford after all.
- jayajay 10y ago
  I am feeling that even a non-Stanford place would present more rigor than an online Coursera course. When I was in school, I benefited greatly from having 1-1 private conversation time with mathematicians, scientists, grad students, my friends, etc. With Coursera, that person is replaced by Google/Bing/Whatever. If I don't get time to talk to the scientists or grad students (at least), I don't see how Udacity/Coursera/etc. are anything more than a glorified YouTube. Maybe I am disillusioned, but the value proposition from Coursera/Udacity/etc. is looking worse and worse as I look at it more and more... hmm...
  - nkozyra 10y ago
    When you pay for Udacity/Coursera/etc you at least get human interaction with paid instructors and other students.
torinmr 10y ago
The courses are identical to the courses one would take if they were getting their Master's at Stanford - the only difference is that only four classes are required, while a Master's requires about 15. I'm enrolled in Stanford's CS Master's program right now through the Honors Cooperative Program (which lets you get a Master's online while working in industry), and I'm currently planning on doing a dual specialization in Systems and AI. For the AI specialization I've already taken CS 221 and 229, and I'll have to take three more AI classes drawn from a list pretty similar to the Elective Courses list in the OP.
- davidwihl 10y ago
  Did you take the courses online or on campus? Did you feel like a "regular student" or "divided but equal"? Did you look at alternatives like Harvard Extension ALM in Software Engineering?
- czbond 10y ago
  Question - you peaked my interest in the Cooperative. What is your goal going out of the Cooperative with an MS?

bitL 10y ago

If you look at pricing, it's below their Master level so I guess is more undergrad-style.

nkozyra 10y ago

The available classes align with graduate level one's for their MSCS. If nothing else it's markedly worse because it's 1/3 the classes :). Beyond that I'd expect rigor ... it's Stanford after all.

jayajay 10y ago
I am feeling that even a non-Stanford place would present more rigor than an online Coursera course. When I was in school, I benefited greatly from having 1-1 private conversation time with mathematicians, scientists, grad students, my friends, etc. With Coursera, that person is replaced by Google/Bing/Whatever. If I don't get time to talk to the scientists or grad students (at least), I don't see how Udacity/Coursera/etc. are anything more than a glorified YouTube. Maybe I am disillusioned, but the value proposition from Coursera/Udacity/etc. is looking worse and worse as I look at it more and more... hmm...
- nkozyra 10y ago
  When you pay for Udacity/Coursera/etc you at least get human interaction with paid instructors and other students.

torinmr 10y ago

The courses are identical to the courses one would take if they were getting their Master's at Stanford - the only difference is that only four classes are required, while a Master's requires about 15. I'm enrolled in Stanford's CS Master's program right now through the Honors Cooperative Program (which lets you get a Master's online while working in industry), and I'm currently planning on doing a dual specialization in Systems and AI. For the AI specialization I've already taken CS 221 and 229, and I'll have to take three more AI classes drawn from a list pretty similar to the Elective Courses list in the OP.

davidwihl 10y ago
Did you take the courses online or on campus? Did you feel like a "regular student" or "divided but equal"? Did you look at alternatives like Harvard Extension ALM in Software Engineering?
czbond 10y ago
Question - you peaked my interest in the Cooperative. What is your goal going out of the Cooperative with an MS?