20 ms·

Ask HN: Is Georgia Tech's Online Master in CS Worth It?

• nheskia 9y ago
  just wondering, is the admission process similar to other graduate programs? do you need GRE scores? letters of recommendation? what has been people's experiences around these requirements?
  • rripken 9y ago
    I didn't need GRE scores but letters of recommendation are required.
  • stagger87 9y ago
    https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/explore/faq/admissions https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/explore/faq/admissions
• mindvirus 9y ago
  I graduated from the program in December and I found it incredibly rewarding. There are a lot of great classes, and I learned a ton - in particular, the machine learning and reinforcement learning courses were top notch, as we're the systems programming ones. One thing I'd warn though is that you'll get out of the program what you put into it - so it's really up to you to choose classes that will set up your career the way that you want it.
  • growtofill 9y ago
    Have you been working while studying? Could you share how much hours/week have you been committing?
    • arpieb 9y ago
      I'm about to start my 5th semester (one more to go after this!) in the OMSCS program while working full time. From my perspective, this totally depends on several factors: 1. Your background. This will seriously affect your time spent in many classes. For example, if you don't know C and take a class that uses it, you're going to spend way more time than someone already comfortable. 2. Level of effort. Most projects have a rubric where you know what to complete for what kind of grade. If you do the least to pass, that's obviously going to take a lot less work than going for the A + extra credit. 3. Interest level. I find myself spending more time (sometimes more than I should) on the classes I really get into than ones I have to take to complete some MSCS specialization requirement. 4. Instructional team. As in traditional programs, some course teams are better organized than others which can impact how much time you have to spend staying on top of material or actually getting ahead. In the end, it would be good to check out the OMSCS Course Surveys (https://gt-course-surveys.herokuapp.com/#/ https://gt-course-surveys.herokuapp.com/#/) to see what people report for weekly hours spent vs the factors above.
    • mindvirus 9y ago
      I worked full time while studying. With one course, it was challenging but I could fit it into my schedule without too many changes. My schedule was to watch lectures during the week in the mornings before work (45 minutes or so a day), and then do homework in the mornings on Saturday and Sunday. Usually I still had enough time to hang out with family and friends. With two courses, I had to be really strict about my schedule - basically, I'd go to work, come home, study, sleep, repeat, and usually use an entire day of the weekend to get things done. I got really good at saying no to people.
  • learningram 9y ago
    Is there Teacher student interaction in the course ? How is it different from any regular MOOC ? Assignment/Projects ?
• rgrieselhuber 9y ago
  As someone who hires machine learning / data science oriented engineers, I've looked at this curriculum pretty closely and think it looks like a great program.
• hnrodey 9y ago
  What are some of the prereq's to be prepared to be successful with completing this degree? Asking as someone who graduated with a CS degree from almost ten years ago (wow, time flies). I've been programming/development pretty much that entire time but I think I have forgot most of the core math and core CS concepts that might be necessary in a CS masters degree. It's hard for me to estimate how much prep I would need to do to come in to this program and feel comfortable with the tasks at hand.
  • arpieb 9y ago
    I had been out of school for 12 years when I started the OMSCS program (and my last degree wasn't in CS), but have also been working in the field for a while. I'd strongly suggest brushing up on: * Linear algebra, matrix arithmetic, some calculus (you run into differentials occasionally, esp in ML coursework). * Be comfortable with basic algorithm analysis, namely "Big O" assessment. (There's a course for more in-depth analysis of algorithms should you choose that path...) * Bone up on Python, Java and C if you're not already proficient. Some classes occasionally use R as well (mostly data science). * Be comfortable with Git. It's used by almost every class for group work and distribution for codebases. I always see a lot of folks battle with this every semester.
• bkanber 9y ago
  Worth it -- based on what metric? My wife did an online master's degree (at a legit university that also had an online program). You have to be very good at self-pacing, diligence, and learning autonomously. You have to be so good at it, in fact, that the type of person who would succeed in an online master's program is the same type of person who would succeed in self-learning without the master's program. So if your only goal is to learn, then I say no, it's not worth it. However, you're in Brazil and not a lifelong programmer. Credentials may work against you if seeking a job in the US. Many US companies look at South America as the "nearshore" talent, much better in quality than devfarms in India, but also still cheaper and -- because of that -- slightly lower in quality than US talent. In that case, spending $7k and completing the program and getting the degree may help you get a $7k higher salary in your first (or next) job. It may give US companies more confidence in your abilities, as you received a US graduate school education. So from a financial perspective and the perspective of job opportunities inside the US as a foreigner, then I think it may be worth it. If you don't care about getting US jobs then still probably not worth it. Best of luck!
  • lfowles 9y ago
    There's a lot to be said for the pacing of classes. I embarked on getting a Masters in EE through my alma mater's online program. If I had tried to get through the same content at my own pace,then it would have taken significantly longer than a semester to cover the same content.
  • neuromancer2701 9y ago
    I would say that I am an engineer than need motivation to do course work outside of school/work. These classes are not your average MOOC that you can just forget about. I think there is enough structure and incentive to encourage you on. CV was pretty brutal because it has been so long from any decent math for me and AI was insane as well.
    • mywittyname 9y ago
      Agreed, it's easy to let things go when there's no disincentive to do so. Plus, I tend to be more project-oriented, so I quit learning stuff once I've built up the toolkit I need to solve my particular problem. I'm sure a lot of other people are the same way
• frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
  Don't you need an undergrad degree in computer science to be admitted? http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/admission-criteria http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/admission-criteria
  • lemonghost 9y ago
    No, they admit people without a BS in CS but I think they want to make sure you'll be able to succeed in the program. So it helps to have professional software engineering experience or some other coursework.
    • pierrebeaucamp 9y ago
      From: http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/admission-criteria http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/admission-criteria > however, work experience will not take the place of an undergraduate degree.
      • greenshackle2 9y ago
        You need some undergraduate degree, preferentially CS. You can get it with a non-CS degree + work experience (see sibling threads). Some schools accept master's students without an undergrad degree at all but AFAIK most don't. This program doesn't.
      • tnecniv 9y ago
        I take that to mean that you need to have a bachelors in something. Econ is a relatively quantitative field, so that with work experience is likely acceptable.
        • learc83 9y ago
          That really depends on the school. There are many schools where you can get an BA in econ without even taking calculus. I haven't met anyone in the program with an econ degree. Mostly CS, and engineering. And a few with physics or math degrees.
• lemonghost 9y ago
  I'm halfway through the OMSCS in the machine learning specialization. It has been a great experience so far and definitely worth it for me. A couple of things to consider: As you mentioned, it is more focused on Computer Science than Software Engineering/Development. There are a couple of Software Engineering/Architecture/Testing courses but I haven't taken them so I can't comment on how relevant I think they are to my day job. It's an incredible bargain... 7-8K for an MS (not an online MS) from a top 10 school in CS. That on it's own makes it worth it for me. It's not easy and it's not like a typical Coursera/Udacity course. Depending on which courses you take it can be quite challenging (which is a good thing). You typically don't have much interaction with the Professors but there are a lot of TAs and other students to help you along the way. Here's a reddit in case you haven't come across it that answers many questions: https://www.reddit.com/r/OMSCS/ https://www.reddit.com/r/OMSCS/ And here's an awesome course review site that a student built: https://omscentral.com/reviews https://omscentral.com/reviews
  • BOBOTWINSTON 9y ago
    Can you think of any comparable programs that are more focused on Software Engineering? I am about to apply for this program actually, but if there was an SE focused alternative I would lean that way.
    • lemonghost 9y ago
      There is a specialization for Computing Systems: https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/specialization-computing-systems https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/specialization-computing-system... I think most Computer Science education is focused on fundamentals. So there isn't anything that's CS that will focus on the latest thing. That said, I think any of the specializations will make you a better software engineer. Also, the price... you just can't beat 7K. I don't think there's anything out there that competes on price and quality.
  • bulldog13 9y ago
    I am starting the machine learning masters this month...what order would you recommend taking the machine learning classes?
• CoachRufus87 9y ago
  Richard Schneeman (an engineer at Heroku) wrote a great blog post on this very topic; worth the read: https://schneems.com/2017/07/26/omscs-omg-is-an-online-masters-right-for-you/ https://schneems.com/2017/07/26/omscs-omg-is-an-online-maste...
  • soneca 9y ago
    Thanks! I will look at it later, but seems a great resource
  • schneems 9y ago
    Thanks for linking! I just saw this thread and posted too.
• decimalst_us 9y ago
  As a secondary question, for those who did complete the program, what was the general time commitment per (semester or class) vs. how long you were in the program? I see that you must take 2 classes in the first year, but didn't see any other further requirements on speed of completion. edit: Answered my own question - You can't have two consecutive semesters "off"[1]. I.e. the slowest possible pace would be 2 classes in the first year, then 1 class every other semester. So I suppose it would be: spring/summer 'xx: 6 credits, 24 remaining, spring 'xx + 1: 9 credits, fall 'xx +1 : 12 credits etc. [1] - per https://www.reddit.com/r/OMSCS/wiki/index https://www.reddit.com/r/OMSCS/wiki/index
  • arpieb 9y ago
    As I recall, you have to complete (2) "foundational" courses (there is a list on the main OMSCS website) within the first 12 months with a grade of B or better. After that, you need to graduate within 36 months after you started.
    • learc83 9y ago
      You definitley don't need to graduate within 36 months after you started. You have up to 6 years to complete it.
      • arpieb 9y ago
        "How long does it take to complete and receive a degree? We anticipate the typical time for students to complete the OMS CS will be about three years, though we will allow for longer enrollments—up to six years—for those students who need greater flexibility." http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/prospective-students/faq http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/prospective-students/faq I had read somewhere (can't find it at the moment, maybe the limit has been removed?) that you had to wrap it up within three years or apply for an extension - which is "we will allow" sounds like above.
        • learc83 9y ago
          No, no extension needed. It's always been 6 years.
• gaius 9y ago
  UIUC have one too http://engineering.illinois.edu/online/masters-degrees/mcs.html http://engineering.illinois.edu/online/masters-degrees/mcs.h...
  • electriclove 9y ago
    That one appears to cost at least $30k (and about $20k if you do the Data Science track): http://engineering.illinois.edu/online/tuition-and-fees/ http://engineering.illinois.edu/online/tuition-and-fees/
• crueoj 9y ago
  As someone currently in the program and graduating this Spring, I have found this program to be incredibly rewarding. GT has done a fantastic job turning their on-campus courses into an online format. At first I was skeptical, but I have found this program extremely challenging and have learned a great deal. It has been fantastic in my career development as well, allowing me to land a job in ML before I have graduated. The program does have its hiccups here and there. Some courses have been reported as being poorly organized, but this is certainly the minority. Also, you may not receive as much individual attention as you would in a on-campus program. This is aided by the fantastic community of students in the OMSCS program which provide a support system for each other through online forums/chat. If you are not much of a self-starter and need specific guidance, this program may not be for you.
• j_s 9y ago
  It came up on yesterday's launch of Lambda School (YC S17), but not sure anyone there can provide any additional info. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15015813 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15015813
• fokinsean 9y ago
  I've been entertaining the idea of going through this course as well. I graduated 2 years ago, BS in CS, and part of me misses being in school. Plus my employer has a decent tuition reimbursement program. Would anyone who works full time and gone through this program care to share their thoughts? Edit: Just found this great article from another comment https://schneems.com/2017/07/26/omscs-omg-is-an-online-masters-right-for-you/ https://schneems.com/2017/07/26/omscs-omg-is-an-online-maste...
• forrestbrazeal 9y ago
  The answer is highly context dependent. If you think the degree will magically open up a lot of job opportunities for you, you might be kidding yourself. However, if you love to learn and don't mind putting in the long hours, it can be rewarding for its own sake. (Source: current OMSCS student, hopefully graduating in December) I made an "informed decision tree" awhile back that goes into much more detail about my thought process when signing up for this degree: https://forrestbrazeal.com/2017/01/03/should-you-get-a-masters-degree-in-computer-science-an-informed-decision-tree/ https://forrestbrazeal.com/2017/01/03/should-you-get-a-maste... I also reviewed the OMSCS program in detail here: https://forrestbrazeal.com/2017/05/08/omscs-a-working-professionals-guide-to-the-7k-cs-masters-degree/ https://forrestbrazeal.com/2017/05/08/omscs-a-working-profes... Hope that helps!
  • heymijo 9y ago
    I'm a sucker for visualizations so that informed decision tree got me. What did you use to make it?
    • forrestbrazeal 9y ago
      Honestly, I can't even remember now. Probably LucidChart.
  • Yhippa 9y ago
    > However, if you love to learn and don't mind putting in the long hours, it can be rewarding for its own sake. I love learning. I took one MSCS class when I worked at a university and completed a Udacity Nanodegree. That said the one MSCS class I took was intense (Applied Cryptography) and I had to spend time in study groups on the weekend. What kind of time commitment am I looking at for the OMSCS?
    • forrestbrazeal 9y ago
      It really depends on the class, and on how many you take at once. If you take two classes per semester, the time commitment can be easily 20 hours a week.
• ordinaryperson 9y ago
  At 5K, the price is right (my in-person master's was 22K, although my employers covered most of it) but be aware it's not the missing piece to catapult you into superstar developer earning 170K/year. Honestly I think your time is better spent working on real projects. In my CS master's program I met many students with no real-world experience. One was a paralegal before school, and after he graduated he became...a paralegal with a CS master's. Experience > degrees, every time. There's value in the program (algorithms and data structures being the most applicable), but just go in with your eyes open knowing that the degree is not a glass slipper that'll turn you into Cinderella overnight. Too many IMHO falsely believed my program was a jobs program and really struggled to find work in the field. If you can do it at night while working FT, great but don't take 1-2 years off work. It sounds appealing to be done ASAP but you're unlikely to make up that 60-120K/year in lost wages. Unless you're fabulously wealthy. Good luck.
  • repsilat 9y ago
    > algorithms and data structures being the most applicable There's really not much off that to be had -- one introductory theory + algorithms course, one course on algorithms and complexity for parallel and distributed programs, and after that just a few domain-specific things -- image processing and machine-learning algorithms. I thought the program was worthwhile because it was cheap and flexible. I could watch lectures on the train on my commute. Quality is mixed, though, and other degrees or (as you say) real-world experience could prove more valuable, depending on their own quality -- I wouldn't assume that any programming experience is better than this program.
    • SEJeff 9y ago
      If you want to learn about Algorithms, you need to buy the entire series on Algorithms from Robert Sedgewick: https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Structures/dp/0201314525 https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Str... https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~rs/ https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~rs/ I don't think there is a single better source on algorithms than everything from Robert Sedgewick.
• josep2 9y ago
  My background: B.A. In Math and Economics. Been working as a software engineer for 6 years now. I have been in the program for about 1.5 years. I've really enjoyed it and learned a ton. I've also been able to pay the full cost of tuition out of pocket. I agree with others in the thread that it depends on context. I don't think it will have an immediate impact on my earnings or place in my company, but I think the long term value of having it far exceeds what I'm paying for it.
• davidreiss 9y ago
  > I believe this program is a good complementary source of knowledge to become a better software developer. That's something you could learn on your own. But your knowledge of "technologies" are more valuable to employers than CS degree - especially if you have work experience. The tech industry isn't like academia ( economics ) where you have to build up credentials. Work on projects that deal with web technologies or even better learn the back end ( databases ) or even the middle tier/server code if you are a front-end developer. Becoming a full-stack ( front-end, middle-tier and especially back-end ) is going to be far more important to employers than if you know what undecidability is or computational theory. Degrees are very important if you want to break into the industry ( especially top tier corporations ). But if you are already work in the industry, employers want to see the technologies you are competent in. If your employer is willing to pay for it and you have free time, then go for it. Learning is always a good thing. But if you want to further your career, go learn SQL ( any flavor ) and RDBMs technologies - SQL Server, Postgres, etc ( any you want but I recommend SQL Server Developer Edition if you are beginner on Windows OS as it is very beginner friendly from installation to client tools ). A full-stack web developer is rare and you could even sell yourself as an architect/management. That's a difference from being a $60K web developer and a $200K full stack developer/architect.
  • ll931110 9y ago
    True, but it should not have been mutually exclusive. Getting both the theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge would boost a person's career many folds.
    • pc86 9y ago
      "Many folds" is very unlikely unless you're already grossly underpaid. A small percentage? Maybe. Enough to justify the cost of attendance? Again, maybe if you're going the OMSCS route and you're only out $7k. If you drop $30k on a master's you'll be lucky you make that up even before considering inflation, opportunity cost, etc. I have a BA in Political Science and about a decade as a software developer. The next step in my career would be better served by an MBA than an MSCS. I'm not even sure I could break even if I did GT's OMSCS out of pocket as I'm about as high up as I can get and still use data structure and algorithm knowledge on a daily (let's be honest - weekly at best) basis.
• vikascoder 9y ago
  Current working professional and an OMSCS student here. It highly depends on the context. Biggest pros are: 1. This is perhaps the cheapest Computer Science masters in the United States from a premier school. The degree is exactly the same as offered to the residential program and the credits acquired are all legit and transferable to other universities. I had friends who transferred from OMSCS to a regular school and skipped one full semester due to the credits earned. 2. An OMSCS qualification holds way more water than if you do random MOOC qualifications on Coursera and others. 3. The coursework is the same as the residential program. So if you dont believe in studying an MS at all, then this program is nothing special. Its a Masters in Computer Science. So It's pros and cons are the same as a regular MS. 4. If you are international, then having an OMSCS degree is equivalent to having a Gatech MS degree. It is a superb add-on to your profile and also qualifies you as a graduate level tech specialist for future Visa processing. 5. If you are international and looking to stay and work in your own country, then your mileage may vary depending on your circumstances. OMSCS provides no visa support and no career counselling. It does have an online portal for jobs but its more geared towards residents. 6. Other than that, it forces you to think and study new areas of research while you work so its extremely enriching. 7. The program is more or less extremely well run with regular assignments, proctored exams, 1-1 sessions with professors and what not. 8. Some companies reimburse your tuition, so its virtually free (at least for me) Cmon guys, a US Masters for 7000 USD? Are you kidding me? Its totally worth it. In fact I feel blessed that such a thing even exists. GaTech has been a trailblazer in this regards.
  • gt565k 9y ago
    > The degree is exactly the same as offered to the residential program and the credits acquired are all legit and transferable to other universities. This is not entirely true. The online masters does not have all courses available. The on-campus masters has a much larger breadth of courses one can choose from. All things considered, for $7000, the value is phenomenal.
    • neuromancer2701 9y ago
      I am 7/10 through the program right now. I joined the program to get a specialization in Robotics. There is only currently one robotics course(AI for Robotics by Prof Thrun) and supposedly the various robotics professors have been resistant to putting their classes online. I was able to do a Special Projects class this summer with a Professor from GT Lorraine in France. He helped me design and build a outdoor robot, it was pretty awesome. But it is only 3 credit toward the degree. I think GT is just understanding all the potential they have in this program. There are a lot entrepreneurial resources that are only catering to on campus students and they realizing that the OMSCS students want to take these electives and be apart of these programs.
• learc83 9y ago
  If you haven't been working as a software developer long and you don't have a background in CS, it's going to be difficult. I'm about halfway through and many of the classes assume that you have the equivalent of an undergrad CS degree. It's not intended to replace an undergrad degree. That doesn't mean you can't do it, but your going to spend a lot of time catching up. From what I've seen, the students without a CS degree, even those with significant industry experience, have had a much harder time with the more theoretical classes. It's also a graduate program, and the classes are pretty rigorous compared to what I did in my undergrad CS degree. Also keep in mind that admission is fairly competitive. And admission is only probationary. You have to complete 2 foundational classes with a B to be fully accepted.
  • pc86 9y ago
    Honestly this is what gives me the most pause. I have a BA in Political Science from a liberal arts school nobody's ever heard of. Even if I could get in (which is doubtful given my academic transcript and how competitive it is), I don't think my decade of programming experience has given me nearly the theoretical foundation I'd need to do well. And I'm not going to invest the time and effort required just to graduate by the skin of my teeth. Plus, I have a very good job already and it's not like an MSCS would help me get to the next step at all. Most of why I want one is to prove to myself I could get one. Probably the wrong reasons.
    • uiwldiowd 9y ago
      I'm kind of in a similar position. I have a PhD in a field kind of far away from CS (although that's debatable) and am thinking of transitioning more into CS. The problem is that a second bachelors, while something I'm willing to do, seems kind of problematic for various reasons. Some of the curriculum in a typical CS bachelors seems like something I could benefit from tremendously, but some of it is very remedial. It's very uneven. What I'd like is something like the Georgia Tech online master's, but with some kind of program for persons such as myself. I know some schools have these kind of postbaccalaureate degree programs, but they're not online.
• orsenthil 9y ago
  I have been doing this for 2 years now. I enjoy this program. There are many students who are taking Gatech OMSCS and also taken MOOCs from Coursera, Udacity, and EDX. The defining characteristic of good students taking this course is, they are all self-learners, independent, and they want to learn Computer Science without giving up on the current full-time job. I have been keeping notes for the all the subjects that I have taken: http://www.coursedocs.org/gatech/index.html http://www.coursedocs.org/gatech/index.html - Have a look at it to get a glimpse of the course work involved. Cons: I've noticed some students who come to get their MS degree from a reputed institution because it is cheap. Due to coursework pressure, they take short-cuts, like doing group-work, discussing solutions when you are prohibited, plagiarizing in assignments, etc.
  • deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
• root_axis 9y ago
  Anyone know of similar programs for undergrad? i.e. an online accredited CS bachelors from a real university.
  • jupiter90000 9y ago
    Oregon State University has an online 2nd bachelor's program if you already got another undergrad degree. Not sure how 'good' the program is or anything though, and it doesn't look nearly as inexpensive as the GA tech program if I'm not mistaken: http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/computer-science/ http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/...
    • gitgreen 9y ago
      There is an active and well moderated subreddit for anybody interested in this degree, /r/osuonlinecs. Several current and former students have been talking about the GaTech program so I linked this discussion in our slack channel. The degree is good in the sense that every alumnus I've talked to has found employment as a full time dev. It also does a good job of quickly washing out those who are trying it on and aren't ready and/or interested.
  • pc86 9y ago
    The problem you'll run in to is that you'll be charged full tuition despite not using nearly the amount of services. I looked at one (I believe in Illinois but I don't recall) that was over $60k for the degree, all online, with minimal access to your professors, and no rights to the physical campus.
• throwawayaug15 9y ago
  Logging in as a throwaway. The program only costs $5k but it was one of the most expensive things I've done in my life. Got a job at Google directly because of this program (a few classes like CCA helped a lot with interviews). I'm aware of at least a couple dozen of us from OMS here. The program cost me dearly. It cost me my relationship with the SO and it cost me my health (staying up late nights, lots of coffee). * $5k cheap, it's nothing, the real way you pay for it is via your time. * The teachers like the flexibility as much as we do. Many are top notch. I took two classes from professors that work at Google (Dr. Starner and Dr. Essa), one at Netflix (Dr. Lebanon), and a few others have their own startups. * One of the classes was taught by Sebastian Thrun, with a TA at Google, but I think that's changed now. * The lectures are good, but you have infinite ability to subsidize them with Udacity, Coursera etc. * You learn squat by watching videos. The true learning happens at 2am when you are trying to implement something, and end up tinkering, debugging, etc. That's when things click. * The hidden gem is Piazza and some of the amazing classmates that help you out. Lots of classmates that work in industry and can explain things a lot better. I.e: Actual data scientists and CTOs of Data Science companies taking the data science class. They were amazing and I owe my degree to them in part. * Working full time and taking classes is not easy. Consider quitting and doing it peacefully. * From within Google, I've heard from people that did the Stanford SCPD (I'm considering it) and also OMSCS. Lots of people that say the SCPD program wasn't worth the time and effort. No one yet that's said the same about the GT program. I've heard from people that have done the program in-person, and they say the online lectures and materials are significantly better.
  • arpieb 9y ago
    > Working full time and taking classes is not easy. Consider quitting and doing it peacefully. Nope, it's definitely not easy. I take two classes full terms, one in the summers while working a full-time day job. I easily spend 20-30 hrs/week on coursework + readings + lectures during full terms, only ~10 hrs/week during the summers. Anything more than that would definitely require a rethink and time off. But it is entirely doable if giving up two years' pay isn't an option.
  • nheskia 9y ago
    while the degree has led to you getting a job at Google, you're saying it's a throwaway because it costed you your mental health/relationship? not trying to question your assessment- just wondering whether or not you think you could have gotten a job at Google otherwise and that's why the program was a throwaway?
• cdnsteve 9y ago
  Their SSL is currently broken and displaying warnings... https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/
  • bcook 9y ago
    Working fine here on Android Chrome 59.0.3071.125.
• serg_chernata 9y ago
  I applied and got rejected due to not having my BS from a regionally accredited school, though it's nationally accredited. Very confused because their page implies students from all over the world attend. Bummer.
• amlozano 9y ago
  I received my degree through that program last year and was part of the very first cohort. The program is rigorous, prepare to work your butt off. Doing it while having a full time job is hard, but many of the people in the program are doing just that. The credential you get it is an incredible deal. You will learn plenty about theoretical computer science if that is your goal.
• deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
• cweagans 9y ago
  Personally, I'd go for an undergrad CS degree first. uopeople.edu might be a good place to start. I'm currently working through that program, and I intend to continue to the GA Tech masters program when I'm done.
• deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
• deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
• mathattack 9y ago
  Only a few data points as an outside observer, but... 1 - The people I've seen doing it are learning A LOT - more than another online program I've seen. 2 - They're also working A LOT - it intrudes on all aspects of their personal life. It's as much or more work than doing an in person CS degree. 3 - The folks I know don't have CS undergrads, which also makes it more difficult. Net - it can be worth it if you missed CS as an undergrad, but you'll have to work. You need to ask if there are enough people in Brazil who value the credential (or implied skills) to make it worth the time. The time investment is more expensive than the $s. (It will be thousands of hours)
  • Buttons840 9y ago
    They're getting a Master's degree without having "CS undergrads"? What does that mean?
    • nolepointer 9y ago
      They don't possess undergraduate (bachelor's) degrees in Computer Science.
    • rripken 9y ago
      I was in an informal study group for Knowledge Based AI and one of the brightest students was a journalist. She had no undergrad CS background. She obviously had a hard time on the programming assignments but she started early, asked TA's for help, developed a clear plan. Her agents performed very well. Another student I know is a medical doctor at Kaiser.
      • sonabinu 9y ago
        I did not have an undergraduate degree in CS when I did my masters (not this program), I used her approach as well. I did numerous online classes, did community college courses etc. and shoulder watched classmates programming and asked lots of questions. It was not easy, but glad I did it !!!!.
• jinonoel 9y ago
  Are there any equivalent online PhD programs that are any good?
  • pc86 9y ago
    Does the research and collaboration intensive nature of a doctorate really lend itself to online/distance education?
    • isbellHFh 9y ago
      Unclear, but you might find it interesting to look up the actual residency requirements of various PhD programs you respect.
• libpcap 9y ago
  Can anyone give a practical example of what knowledge he would earn that would help him in his current profession/job/career? (Aside from a degree/credential that he could put on his resume.)
• el_benhameen 9y ago
  I'm self-taught and have a job as a SWE. My BA is in an unrelated field. I'm considering the OMSCS because it would be the cheapest way to add credentials to my resume and because I'd rather not go back for a second bachelor's. (I don't mean to sound cynical--I'm interested in the subject matter, of course, but you can get all of that without going through a degree program.) Exchanging $7k for more legitimacy in the eyes of prospective employers is the main appeal of a formalized program. Does anyone have any experience with or thoughts on the signaling potential of the degree?
• rrmm 9y ago
  I have a regular old masters in CS from GT. It's probably worth it from a career standpoint (if nothing else it signals that you care about self-improvement and take active steps to doing it). I would expect you'd miss some of the 'grad school experience' (for better or worse) and networking opportunities. The actual content itself can probably be gotten for free from other courses on the web if you take a syllabus from a CS dept to get an overall program. That path wouldn't have the benefit of access to teachers and would require a lot of discipline. I don't know how it would be looked at in Brazil or what the economic cost/benefit are in terms of your own income. I did know a few folks from the University of Sao Paulo that did grad and postdoc work while I was at GT though, so clearly some people are aware of GT in Brazil. That might be another avenue to get opinions from. I would be interested to hear how the costs compare to an institution that was local to you.
• _wldu 9y ago
  I've completed the majority of the OMCS program. My specialization is 'Computing Systems'. I have a 4.0 GPA so far. I did not do CS as an undergraduate, but I've been programming since I was very young. Here are my thoughts on what people need to succeed as an OMCS student: * Be able to program in C, C++, Python and Java at an intermediate level. And, know one of these very well. * Be able to use a debugger (GDB) and valgrind. * Be able to administer and configure Linux systems. * Understand data structures and examples (std::set in C++ is RB Tree backed, std::unordered_set is hash table backed) * Understand basic networking concepts and key technologies (TCP, UDP, IP, switching, routing, etc.). * Understand the x86 computer in general. Finally, I think some of the classes are meant to weed students out. People may think that 'Intro to Graduate Operating Systems' would be an easy first course for CS beginners. It's not (unless they've changed it). It was primarily about writing multi-threaded clients, servers, caches and proxies in C, using shared memory (IPC, POSIX Shared Memory) and various other C/thread projects until you become a half-way decent C programmer. They deduct points for working code that has any errors (memory leaks, etc.) too. So don't be surprised if a seemingly easy OMCS course turns into... I had no idea. I'm going to have to drop this course. I saw that happen to several students. I've done well so far, but I have the programming/logic background to do the work. If you don't, brush up on the skills listed above before enrolling. Edit: The class projects are a lot of work. Be prepared to give-up your weekends and evenings. Even if you know the material and the language, it's a job to get through some of the projects.
• mukhmustafa 9y ago
  I joined the program in Fall 2016, and I am half way now. So far, i can say that the program is very useful for workers who are looking for a part-time degree, or for people who can't afford the on-campus program. However, the knowledge you gain and experience you get can't be compared to the on-campus program.
  • alangibson 9y ago
    > the knowledge you gain and experience you get can't be compared to the on-campus program. Can you expand on this? Are you referring to fellowships, internships, networking, etc?
• mukhmustafa 9y ago
  I joined the program in Fall 2016, and I am half way now. So far, i can say that the program is very useful for workers who are looking for a part-time degree, or for people who can't afford the on-campus program. However, the knowledge you gain and experience you get can't be compared to the on-campus program.
• soneca 9y ago
  Just to let here my thanks for all thoughtful answers! (as I can't edit my question anymore). Lots of good insights and useful links in this thread.
• maverick2 9y ago
  I am a BA(Business Analyst) with mostly traditional Project Management duties. My bachelors was in CS, and I still love to delve into technical details of a solution. I do some data analytics for my product. But have been interested in more analytics driven roles and eventually find a Product Owner/Manager role. Does anyone have insight if doing Georgia Tech's - Master of Science in Analytics will help me land such role?
  • alangibson 9y ago
    I've always known Product Owners and Product Managers to basically be people who got the role because they wanted to be in tech but couldn't/wouldn't write code. IMHO, those are really non-technical roles for which you are probably already overqualified. But in the end, it depends on how the company defines those roles.
• bitL 9y ago
  How is the difficulty of courses when comparing to edX's MIT's Underactuated Robotics or Stanford's Roughgarden's Algorithms?
• 0xa 9y ago
  I'm speaking from my past experience as a hiring manager at a start up with outlier standards for performance and trajectory in software engineering and machine learning. I estimate I've screened tens of thousands of resumes and interviewed at least a thousand people in my career. First and most important: your internships and work experience, and what you accomplished during those jobs. They should tell a story of increasing and accelerating personal growth, learning, challenge and passion. If you can share personal or class projects, even better. After your experiences, your degrees will be considered based on the number of years each typically requires, with early graduation and multiple majors being notable. 1. PhD, if you have one. A STEM PhD was particularly helpful for ML/Data science positions, but not required. 2. BS/BA (3-4 year degree) 3. MS/MEng (1-2 year degree) Put another way, if you don't have a PhD, the MS/MEng program is a tiebreaker compared to your experience and undergrad credentials. International students get a raw deal. The online masters will barely help you get a job or launch a career in the US. US universities appear to offer the chance to work for major US companies with a notable university (such as Georgia Tech) on your resume, only to feed their graduates into our broken immigration and work authorization system, H1-B indentured servitude and no replies from the countless companies that have an unspoken higher bar for those needing sponsorship. To round out a few other contexts HN readers might experience: If you are an international considering an on-campus MS/MEng, US universities are charging full price while giving you a credential of limited value and utility. Apply the same comments above but at a much higher price than GA Tech’s OMSCS. If you are completing/just completed a less notable undergrad degree, paying for a masters program at an elite CS school (like GA Tech) is usually a bad deal. If it not a requirement for the positions you seek, it won't help your career chances much. If you have an undergrad degree and your employer will pay/cover your MS/MEng at night/personal time (and that is your passion), awesome and go for it! It will be a lot of work and lost sleep to get everything out of the experience, but a lifelong investment in your growth and experience. If you are completing/just completed a notable undergrad degree (tier-1, internationally recognized program), you don't need the masters. Feel free to get one for your learning, sense of self and building research connections while you ponder getting a PhD. The hiring and salary benefit will be very small--you are already the candidate every company wants to meet. If you decide to get a PhD, that will open some new doors but take 5+ years to get there. At my previous company, we made it our forte and team passion to get authorization for employees--given a global pool of candidates and a hiring bar to match. I'm really proud of our effort here given the broken and unfair system. Sadly, many companies do not share this value or cannot justify the time, effort and expense, or cannot scale such a program to a larger number of employees across a less selective bar.
• ncfausti 9y ago
  Glad this was posted. I was admitted to Penn's MSE in CIS as well as OMSCS for the Fall. No funding for either. Penn is roughly $60k. I currently live in Philly. I'm curious to see what HN thinks would be the better option.
• daok 9y ago
  I have a question about the requirement to enter the program. It says is require to have 3 people to write a recommendation letters. I have finish my bachelor +10 years ago and I am not touch with any professors. Does providing managers are enough? On the website they put emphasis of not adding friends which I can understand, but I am curious about the serious about getting these letters.
  • Hortinstein 9y ago
    I only provided people in my professional life.
  • petrbela 9y ago
    I think I only had one recommendation from my work manager. Perhaps the number of recs has changed (I applied in 2014) but as the acceptance criteria say, current supervisors should be perfectly acceptable.
  • vikascoder 9y ago
    I was on the same boat. My references were my previous three managers.Two of them were PhDs leading R&D teams and one was a very senior Director. So it depends on the quality of your recommendors. Anyway the recommendations are just one part of the application package. Since it is an online MS, there is an understanding that the applicant profile would lean more towards working professionals and I am sure they factor that in.
• deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
• schneems 9y ago
  I wrote about my experiences a few weeks ago: https://schneems.com/2017/07/26/omscs-omg-is-an-online-masters-right-for-you/ https://schneems.com/2017/07/26/omscs-omg-is-an-online-maste... I'm through my second OMSCS semester, and it you want to know if I think it's worth it...you'll have to read the post ;)
• aschampion 9y ago
  You may want to look at a previous recent discussion here on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13382263 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13382263
• user5994461 9y ago
  Online courses are worth nothing. Employers will ignore you the second they find out your master is not legit.
  • EricThompson 9y ago
    My undergrad degree is from a top 5 CS school. I'm 90% through OMSCS. I guarantee you it is legit. I can't promise that all employers will see it that way. The ones that don't will lose out.
• omscs_is_great 9y ago
  Using a temp account. I don't think I would have gotten any interviews at the best of the best tech companies without it (I had an engineering BS in another field). I was only 8 classes in. So career wise, it's definitely worth it. The classes take a lot of time (see https://omscentral.com https://omscentral.com), but the learning has been a lot of fun. I loved it.
• jondubois 9y ago
  After a bachelor degree, university isn't that useful for CS unless you want to get into serious AI research. I don't think it has much effect on salary or opportunities.
  • nvarsj 9y ago
    The knowledge I've learned in my brief time there has already resulted in some direct monetary benefits for me. So maybe you're right for newbies, but as an experienced engineer that can find many opportunities, knowledge is power :).
• gatechnoway 9y ago
  Working pro with 12 years experience. Absolutely not worth it. Most of your classmates will have not coded before. The classes are cheap. The hours are long. In the end your grade depends on teammates who haven't been vetted. Three teammates who can't code? You get a C and don't pass. Course content is extremely dated. UML and SDLC paradigms from the 70's with xerox pdfs distributed to "learn" from. This is a money grab.
  • w8rbt 9y ago
    Of the seven classes I have had, only one (software engineering with Professor Orso) has been a team class. All the other classes were individual work only. I got an A in the team-based class. Don't get discouraged and do talk to the professor if you have bad teammates. All of them have been readily accessible and outstanding (as have the TAs).
• opensandwich 9y ago
  I have finished the OMSCS program and in some ways I have mixed feelings about it. My background has been primarily in mathematics/statistics and I didn't come from a "tradition CS" educational background. Did I learn a lot? I learnt a ridiculous amount. For the time+dollar investment it is amazing. The program is definitely not easy either. It has been amazing to learn the concepts in ML (Dr. Isbell) and AI (Dr Starner) courses and then a few weeks later think "I think I can actually use these concepts in my workplace". Why the mixed feelings? Not all courses had the same quality to it. From the top of my head, AI, ML were probably the best 2 courses. Other well ran courses I would add was computational photography, edutech, introduction to infosec (besides the rote learning...), however some of the other courses I had a relatively negative experience. The degree does suck up a lot of time and I would say it is the real deal. Knowing what I know now I can't say 100% that I will "re-do" OMSCS - to be fair on GaTech I'm not sure whether the challenges that I feel above are due to an online program and I personally would be more suited to an in-person program but the experience has definitely been better than Udacity's nanodegree and any MOOC which I have sat. Overall I would say if you do it for the sake of learning and that alone - OMSCS is worth it. For any other reason please don't do it.
• artmageddon 9y ago
  It better be, my first class for the fall semester starts in a week!
• nvarsj 9y ago
  Not to be harsh, but you probably won't get accepted. You'll need to do some CS nanodegrees first, or something equivalent (a full undergrad CS/maths degree is obviously ideal). I know people in similar positions, even one with a physics degree, who could not get in due to lack of academic experience. Otherwise, I think OMSCS is totally worth it. It is hard though. Really hard. I have a family, significant engineering experience, and I find the workload intense. It puts pressure on my family at the same time because I'm not available as much. So I'm taking it very slow, no more than 2-3 courses a year. It feels great to be 'back at school' after so many years. I love learning new stuff and the challenges of hacking away at low level things. The kind of thing you rarely get to do professionally unless you're very lucky (or not getting paid much). Almost makes me wish I had done a Ph.D. I don't know if it will help me get a better job or whatever, but it definitely fulfills my own internal itch.
• satyargudimetla 9y ago
  So far I have completed 2 courses. It was really rewarding. I am learning plethora of technologies and subjects. I am really enjoying .Right now I am going at 1 course per semester. I started Spring 2017. I will gear up from next year and go for 2 per semester. Yes , there are limited courses online. But these would be good enough to start with. Good luck .
• satyargudimetla 9y ago
  Excellent course. Value for money. I am doing this from India. I don't have words how much thankful I am to the University. CS education made it so affordable by making it cheaper and online MooC. People like me can benefit a lot. I feel proud to be part of Georgia Tech. Course is not an easy one. We need to put full effort. Very practical oriented. I got exposed to many technologies which is very helpful in today's world. Good luck!
  • 8sigma 9y ago
    I am from India too and would like to know more about your experience with the program.Can you share your email id?
  • amaiti504 9y ago
    Hi I am from India as well. Considering whether to apply or not. Please share your mail ID.
• abhishekash 9y ago
  I am also interested to course but 7k USD is still high to be paid as lumpsum upfront. Is someone aware if that would be a staggered payment schedule so that I can pay from my savings as I accrue them. Thanks
  • mbil 9y ago
    You pay at the beginning of each semester for the classes you'll take during that semester. It's not a lump sum.
    • abhishekash 9y ago
      So as a rough estimate if there would be 4 semesters , I would be spending roghly 1750 USD per semester . I know there would be some deviation. But is that a fair guess and financial planning ?
      • mbil 9y ago
        Here's the cost breakdown per course and semester: https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/cost-payment-schedule https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/program-info/cost-payment-sched...
  • EricThompson 9y ago
    It is not up-front, it is per-semester. I think there is a relatively small application fee ( $50? ). Once in, it is ~$500 per course plus ~$300 per semester. So if you take one course a semester it is ~$800 for the semester, if you take two courses per semester it is ~$1300. The program requires 10 courses to graduate. For some classes you will need to buy a book or two, but many do not have any required textbook, or use a book available online.
• throwaway170805 9y ago
  Current OMSCS student here. It's been a challenging, eye-opening experience, and I'm grateful to be a part of the program. However, computer science and software development are not the same thing. If your primary goal is to up your game as a software developer, you might get more out of well-regarded software development books like "The Pragmatic Programmer," "Working Effectively with Legacy Code", or "Design Patterns." Hope this helps.
• damrkul 9y ago
  Lots of people neglect to mention that because of the entire program is 7000. If you break that down to 2.5 years, it's approx $2800 per year. If you work for a reputable company, like I do, they do tuition reimbursement. My company just so happens to cover $5200 per year. So inother words, I am getting the degree completely for free. I have completed 7 classes so far, and have 3 left, which again, were all paid for.
• sannee 9y ago
  It looks like they require a 4-year bachelor's degree. This seems to exclude european-educated students, as bachelor's are usually only 3-year degrees here. Has anyone had any experience with this?
  • smartician 9y ago
    http://www.grad.gatech.edu/helpdesk/knowledgebase.php?article=31 http://www.grad.gatech.edu/helpdesk/knowledgebase.php?articl...
• MechEStudent 9y ago
  I'm a working engineer in Ohio, and I hope to start this fall. My work covers it, and the content is highly relevant. Folks say institution-X is the same. I haven't seen one. Princeton or Stanford are, AFAICT, stunningly more expensive, and not purely remote. This is a "sine qua non" - without this particular option, there is nothing else on the menu for me at this point in my life and career.
• 7sevensof7 9y ago
  It really depends on where you are in your career. The GT MSCS is very well regarded, so it's an excellent credential - but frankly the education is quite haphazard and I don't see that improving any time in the future. Teaching quality varies highly, from great to excretable - for many classes, the model is "a little lecture, then lots of poorly-curated assignments". This consumes a lot of time, in a very inefficient manner. Yes, you will learn, but mostly by through your own effort. The very high workload is really not suitable for a professional MS program, where it has to be managed with a job. I find class workload expands without bound every semester and even one class will significantly impact career and relationships. There is no force causing workload to be decline, so I expect that the program is rapidly going to become dominated by early-career full-time MS students, in the U.S. and outside, who live with their parents and knock out an inexpensive, high-quality MS CS. For those students, it's a great choice. If you don't fit that profile, it's a poor professional choice. If you have the discipline to teach yourself via MOOC classes, you will get a better education delivered much more efficiently - but that doesn't carry the credential. So in short - if you need the credential and can devote full time, it's an excellent choice. If not, I do not suggest it.
• eyeball 9y ago
  Anyone have experience with their OMS analytics program? Safe to assume the quality will be similar to the OMS-CS? It's run through edx instead of udacity. https://pe.gatech.edu/online-masters-degrees/online-master-science-analytics https://pe.gatech.edu/online-masters-degrees/online-master-s...
• nrc2107 9y ago
  It's a joint venture between Udacity and GT. Has received significant awards since inception - even Obama and Clinton have praised the program as beacons of where higher education can go... https://pe.gatech.edu/blog/oms-cs-wins-top-award-program-effectiveness-for-professionals https://pe.gatech.edu/blog/oms-cs-wins-top-award-program-eff...
• alwaystruthtell 9y ago
  Current OMSCS and working professional here. The program is ok and it is what you make of it. The biggest problem actually is that they let in practically anyone now. I know people who have no business being in the program and have honestly ruined the experience for me.
  • ramsare 9y ago
    Very true. Acceptance rate is well over 50%. Most students in this program are duds. But best ones are as good as in any top program.