> see the cool jobs in 3D graphics, in distributed systems, in machine learning, or other "hard computer science" fields, and it feels like I will never be qual

> see the cool jobs in 3D graphics, in distributed systems, in machine learning, or other "hard computer science" fields, and it feels like I will never be qualified without a graduate degree. I have a good BS in CS, and did some interesting things in my career. At 40, the jobs that you list would also be hard for me to get. IMO: Only get the degree if you want the experience of being a student again. There's no guarantee that a degree will get you a job in that field. Edit: One of the risks in our field is that the more specialized you are, the market narrows for your job opportunities. You could find that you have a fancy degree, only a few places you can use it, and for some unfair reason they won't hire you.