4 ms·

Look at average earnings of an MBA 10 years out vs average earnings of a CS grad 10 years out and tell me which one is more useful for maximizing one's career o

Look at average earnings of an MBA 10 years out vs average earnings of a CS grad 10 years out and tell me which one is more useful for maximizing one's career options.

ch4s3 9y ago
I think if you compare across all MBA programs in the US and all CS programs, and account for debt, you'll find that the average CS program has a better return. This is because even shitty MBAs cost a fortune and don't necessarily teach a lot of useful skills, whereas even a shitty CS degree teaches you to program enough to be employable. Now if you compare a Harvard or Wharton MBA to say a Stanford or MIT CS degree, then you'll probably find that the MBA outperforms by miles. But I think that's because those programs sell a deep network of rich and powerful people. Harvard MBA go off to run large companies, and Stanford PHDs go run research projects. I'm generalizing, but at the top end they're using very different optimization functions.
- xenihn 9y ago
  >whereas even a shitty CS degree teaches you to program enough to be employable I met someone with a CS degree from Stanford who couldn't do a basic HTTP request in their main programming language (with access to Google / documentation), nor implement and reverse a linked list. These seem like really basic things that anyone with a CS degree should be able to do... I think you should rephrase your statement to "even a shitty CS degree will convince companies that you are employable".
  - anindha 9y ago
    Maybe they hadn’t worked in that area recently. If you work on a large software application your focus might be very narrow. It’s like saying you don’t know what 13 times 14 is off the top of your head so you aren’t good at maths.
    - xenihn 9y ago
      It's more like saying you can't figure out what 13 times 14 is with access to a pen (or pencil) and paper.
  - ch4s3 9y ago
    Eh, some languages make HTTP really annoying, and if you never work with that it could be a slog. But, this is anecdata. I guess I could clarify; mediocre to poor CS programs serve as a strong employability signal than an equivalent MBA often for less than 1/4 the price, and programming offers a number of good opportunities to rub digital elbows with well known/connected programmers. No such opportunity exists for MBAs insofar as I am aware. I guess my thesis is that if you can't go top 10, don't get an MBA unless you company pays for it.

Look at average earnings of an MBA 10 years out vs average earnings of a CS grad 10 years out and tell me which one is more useful for maximizing one's career options.

ch4s3 9y ago

I think if you compare across all MBA programs in the US and all CS programs, and account for debt, you'll find that the average CS program has a better return. This is because even shitty MBAs cost a fortune and don't necessarily teach a lot of useful skills, whereas even a shitty CS degree teaches you to program enough to be employable. Now if you compare a Harvard or Wharton MBA to say a Stanford or MIT CS degree, then you'll probably find that the MBA outperforms by miles. But I think that's because those programs sell a deep network of rich and powerful people. Harvard MBA go off to run large companies, and Stanford PHDs go run research projects. I'm generalizing, but at the top end they're using very different optimization functions.

xenihn 9y ago
>whereas even a shitty CS degree teaches you to program enough to be employable I met someone with a CS degree from Stanford who couldn't do a basic HTTP request in their main programming language (with access to Google / documentation), nor implement and reverse a linked list. These seem like really basic things that anyone with a CS degree should be able to do... I think you should rephrase your statement to "even a shitty CS degree will convince companies that you are employable".
- anindha 9y ago
  Maybe they hadn’t worked in that area recently. If you work on a large software application your focus might be very narrow. It’s like saying you don’t know what 13 times 14 is off the top of your head so you aren’t good at maths.
  - xenihn 9y ago
    It's more like saying you can't figure out what 13 times 14 is with access to a pen (or pencil) and paper.
- ch4s3 9y ago
  Eh, some languages make HTTP really annoying, and if you never work with that it could be a slog. But, this is anecdata. I guess I could clarify; mediocre to poor CS programs serve as a strong employability signal than an equivalent MBA often for less than 1/4 the price, and programming offers a number of good opportunities to rub digital elbows with well known/connected programmers. No such opportunity exists for MBAs insofar as I am aware. I guess my thesis is that if you can't go top 10, don't get an MBA unless you company pays for it.