It's tempting to think that way but maybe it's worthwhile rephrasing the question as "is it worth getting a Masters degree at all?" In some fields the answer is

It's tempting to think that way but maybe it's worthwhile rephrasing the question as "is it worth getting a Masters degree at all?" In some fields the answer is clearly yes, in others not so much. Where does CS fall in that spectrum? I think you could spend a couple years doing some great research that will serve you well in your future career, even if advances in the area you're interested in are outpacing your work. A lot of it is about the mindset of a researcher vs. a practitioner and of course we all want to be both. Some professors are better than others, though, I think the value you get will depend a lot on that.