When I was at university, there was one guy that came along to study sessions who was getting his degree part-time. He was already a software developer, writing

When I was at university, there was one guy that came along to study sessions who was getting his degree part-time. He was already a software developer, writing embedded system software for a defence company, so he was already an established programmer. He was getting his degree in CS in order to complete his body of knowledge, and to try and open up other career avenues for him. He'd been studying for four years already, and was in his final year of doing it part-time - working four days a week, and studying one. To answer your questions from what happened to him: * This guy left his job after graduating, because his department was closed, and he ended up joining a startup. I'm not sure if the CS degree helped him there or not. * I can't speak for this guy, but the work he does now is in stuff we learned at uni, and not stuff he was doing before. In terms of FAANG, it's hard to say because a degree won't guarantee you an interview. I have a CS degree, and I've applied to each FAANG company, but haven't ever been offered an interview. * I remember asking this, because I wanted to be a Web Developer, and he said that he found it easier to learn how before learning why, because when he learned the theory he could put it into action without confusing the subject. * No idea on opportunity cost. I think a lot of it depends on the CS curriculum you'll be following. * I'd say so. It's why this guy said he studied for his degree part-time. * In my experience, a lot of places that want a graduate don't particularly care what the degree is in, so it's up to you. I've worked with capable programmers with all sorts of unrelated degrees, from philosophy to medicine to art history. With that being said, I've never worked at a company with degree requirements that wouldn't interbiew an experienced developer with no degree. * Arguably, a degree isn't relevant. If you're already a capable programmer, you shouldn't need a CS degree to continue what you're doing. * It depends on where you are from, but it can happen. One of the guys I used to do BJJ with has a doctorate in physics (from a good university) and no bachelors degree, based on previous work experience and a prior working relationship with a professor. It seems very rare, though, so I wouldn't hinge any bets on getting a masters in CS unless you can point towards significant contributions to the field in your previous work.