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The Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in CS is now accepting applications
- fintler 13y agoYay! I got my application in before someone posted it to Hacker News. I might actually have a chance now.
- smoyer 13y agoMe too ... I was a lousy student (in the early '80s) and then scored well on the Comp Sci GRE in 1990. I'm wondering whether they'll see the change I recognized in myself during that span.
- ojbyrne 13y agoI'm curious about your GRE comment - I took the GRE in 2007, and did well, and thus would like to include it in my application, but ETS says GRE scores are only valid for 5 years.
- smoyer 13y agoBut other than Coursera and employee development, those GREs are the last academic record I have. You would think my transcripts from '85 would be even less relevant with that line of reasoning, but that might be exactly what keeps me from enrolling.
- ojbyrne 13y agoFWIW, You can retake it relatively quickly.
- smoyer 13y agoIf I knew this course was imminent, I might have but the Computer Science subject test was discontinued (see the note here: https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about?WT.ac=grehome_gresubject_130807 https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about?WT.ac=grehome_gresubje...)
- thaumasiotes 13y agoI don't see a note on that page. What did it say?
- zeckalpha 13y agoThe GRE, yes. The CS GRE subject test, no.
- jeffreyg 13y agoI'm surprised they recognize GRE scores from that long ago. Anyways, good luck and if you don't get accepted try taking a couple of graduate-level courses somewhere else, or maybe there as a non-degree student if they allow it. Doing well would show your current academic capability, which is probably more meaningful to admissions.
- jskonhovd 13y agoI am just finishing up my SOP and I noticed the posting. I hope I still have a chance.
- timdorr 13y agoBased on the wording on the page, it doesn't appear that time is the most important factor in qualification (other than meeting the deadline, of course). I'm sure they're looking for quality applicants, considering this is a "pilot" run of the program, to give it the greatest chance of success.
- fintler 13y agoThey're using rolling admission -- so if they come across 100 qualifying applications before they encounter yours, it doesn't matter how good you are (they bump you to a future semester).
- prezjordan 13y agoDefinitely a step in the right direction, but I wish the degree didn't have the word "online" in it. I'd like to see them advertise the same integrity of their "offline" masters program. I imagine the work is equal, and the word "online" shouldn't carry a negative connotation, but it sort of does. Best of luck to anyone taking this on - again, I'm sure the program is great.
- dpeck 13y agoI'd be very surprised if the work is equal. I know in theory it should be, but I think reality is that it will have to be much more programatically grade-able and won't be.
- drharris 13y agoFrom my memories at GT near the turn of millennium, most work in CS was already programmatically gradable. The course descriptions look every bit as rigorous. Seems the only real difference is the level of access to personal assistance in the class.
- dpeck 13y agoSame memories here for the everything through senior year of BS, but after that things were more self defined projects with a lot more gray area for functionality, API definitions, etc. I thought/have heard secondhand here that MS was more along those lines, but I may be completely wrong there.
- drharris 13y agoI only did undergrad there, but was friends with several MS students. It seemed to largely differ course to course. Some were more research/project oriented, and others seemed more like an undergrad course with a narrower focus. Format might have even differed based on professor. Either way it doesn't seem a stretch to use autograding for a MS, at least for non-thesis options.
- phazmatis 13y agoNow we just need an online BSCS from a real college.
- gu 13y agoThis option has been around for well over a century: http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/
- pc86 13y agoDo you have any experience with this program? BSc in Information Systems and Management looks interesting.
- gu 13y agoNot directly. I did study in London on campus. However, there are plenty of cases where outstanding alumni of those distance BSc programs got admitted to a later on-campus Master's program. Also, the content of those distance BSc courses is identical to the on-campus versions. They teach the same courses, and you'll sit the same exams.
- me2i81 13y agoTrue, but they have no CS degree. There are lots of online "information systems" undergraduate degrees out there.
- gu 13y agoThis one seems to be pretty close to a CS degree: http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/goldsmiths/bsc-computing-information-systems-bsc-diploma-work-entry-route#structure http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/g...
- ioddly 13y agohttp://distance.fsu.edu/students/computer-science-bs http://distance.fsu.edu/students/computer-science-bs
- daeken 13y agoI'm applying, but don't have terribly high hopes. I'm hopeful that they'll look past my lack of a high-school diploma, in favor of my industry and teaching experience, but we'll see. It would be awesome to be a part of this.
- packetslave 13y agoIt will be interesting to see if they will accept students with no bachelors degree at all. Their site says: "significant professional or other work experience with supporting recommendations may qualify as an adequate substitute for the appropriate academic credentials" However, there have traditionally been accreditation issues with accepting students into masters programs without an undergraduate degree (I ran into this when trying to take non-degree graduate classes at Stanford).
- clavalle 13y agoVery interesting, indeed. I dropped out of engineering school to start my first company when I was a junior and never went back. I'd probably have to retake everything since it has been so long. There are so many bullshit required electives and almost all of the undergraduate classes would be worthless in terms of actually teaching me anything. It would be so frustrating to waste that much time. But I am 100% sure I could handle a master's program. It would be interesting and I would learn alot to boot. If a university was serious about the 'professional experience can be used in lieu of academic credentials' I'd seriously consider shifting my life around to get a Masters.
- dublinben 13y agoIf you already know the material, an hour long CLEP test can get you out of just about every required elective most degrees have.
- clavalle 13y agoLooking through the CLEP tests... It appears that they mostly cover freshman/sophomore level material. There are certainly not enough to get a full-fledged degree.
- FridayWithJohn 13y agoHow much does it cost in total?
- crisnoble 13y agoThe page says: "Tuition: $134 per credit hour Fees: $301 per academic term of enrollment" And I found this: "Georgia Tech's M.S. in Computer Science requires a minimum of 36 credit hours for completion." So at 4 semesters you would be looking at: $6028
- bfung 13y agoThat number seems low... doing a bit more digging: http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/tuiandfee.php http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/tuiandfee.php http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/student/tuition/Fall_2013/Fall13-all_fees.pdf http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/student/tuition/Fall_2013/Fall1... 1 semester for an out of state, 6+ hour (per week) student is $13,781.
- mililani 13y agoYeah, that's damn cheap and a good value.
- fintler 13y agoI would add on about $1000 for additional fees. Most places are saying that the cost would be "just under $7000".
- robfitz 13y agoQuick testimonial: I went to Georgia Tech and did a CS degree there from 02-06. I taught some of the courses as a teaching assistant and did a year of grad school there before dropping out to go through YC in summer 07. The CS education was good and rigorous. It's much more formal than you need for web apps (as are all CS degrees I would imagine), but it was a solid program and has served me well.
- timtamboy63 13y agoI've been looking for Georgia Tech grads/dropouts who have been to YC. Any chance you could send me a quick email at chintanparikh@gatech.edu? I run Startup Exchange at Georgia Tech
- naner 13y agoThe CS education was good and rigorous. It's much more formal than you need for web apps They adjusted the cirriculum after you left: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/future/undergraduates/threads http://www.cc.gatech.edu/future/undergraduates/threads
- tootie 13y agoI just did the oral defense for my doctoral dissertation on CSS floats.
- gbertram 13y agoWill students who don't have their application accepted be able to get a refund?
- naudo 13y agoGenerally in the US the application fee isn't refundable. I've always understood it as a way for schools to offset the cost of processing applications and prevent folks from applying to every college under the premise of "Maybe I'll get lucky and be accepted into MIT"
- gbertram 13y agoMy credentials aren't that great, so I'll just wait and apply next term to increase my chances of getting accepted.
- lockes5hadow 13y agoFrom the FAQ: . Students who qualify but are not offered admission during Spring 2014 will be offered deferred admission in subsequent terms.
- segmondy 13y agoIn this case, I get the feeling they might make as much money from application fees as they might make from the actual program, There are lots of people who will can't make it to the US due to visa who will love a degree from a US university. Online or not.
- ToastyMallows 13y ago> After you are satisfied that ALL information in your application is correct, you may SUBMIT your application. You will be asked to provide accurate credit card information in order to pay your application fee of $50. This application fee must be paid online and is non-refundable. Georgia Tech will not receive your application until the fee is paid online. http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/apply/index.php http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/apply/index.php
- 13y ago
- whoeverest 13y agoI'm surprised at the 100 student limit they impose. I'm currently following MIT's 8.01x Physics course on edX along with 33k other students. So far I haven't had an issue that's a direct result of the number (like felling I don't get enough attention from the staff.) So on one hand we have options like edX, which reach a lot more people and are mostly free ($50 for a verified diploma) that reach orders of magnitude more students, and on the other a paid-and-accredited degree. I personally hope they'll be more of the first ones, because of a) not being able to spend $6k and b) the warm feeling I get in my stomach when I think about free and high-quality education that reaches tens of thousands of people.
- ojbyrne 13y agoThis is the limit for their "pilot program" and will be dropped in the future.
- whoeverest 13y agoGreat. Do you maybe know if they plan on dropping the price in proportion to the number of students rolled in? I'm thinking: if they enroll 10x students, their expenses will be covered if every student paid 1/10 of the price. And getting a masters degree for $600 from an accredited university... that's really something.
- codezero 13y agoIn general, I think there is a lot more risk to the institution for handing out accredited degrees to paying remote students than for handing out an honor code certificate. They are just taking baby steps, which is a good thing.
- tshile 13y agoI'm working on my application now. I barely meet the requirements, so it'll be interesting to see if I can get in for the trial period or for the Fall 2014 semester.
- r3m6 13y agoOnly a 100 open slots and potentially 10,000 of applications as it seems they accept applications from all over the world. And there will be no visa issues. That means they might be able to be even more selective than with their regular offline classes. => Very good to give the online degree an initial boost in prestige.
- klaussilveira 13y agoDoes anyone know a good undergraduate online program?
- chrisduesing 13y agoI did some looking in to this a while ago, can't vouch for any of them personally, but known accredited schools with BSCS or at least related fields: University of Illinois (BSCS) http://www.online.uillinois.edu/catalog/ProgramDetail.asp?ProgramID=638 http://www.online.uillinois.edu/catalog/ProgramDetail.asp?Pr... Drexel (BS Computing and Security Technology) http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/bachelors-degrees/bs-gs-tech/index.aspx http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/bachelors-degrees/bs-gs... Penn St. (BS Security and Risk Analysis) http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/security-and-risk-analysis-bachelors/overview http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/secu... There may have been a couple more, but these are the ones I bookmarked.
- codehero 13y agoWould online students have access to paywalled research papers?
- mmorey 13y agoThe University of Florida EDGE program offers masters degrees in both Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer & Information Science & Engineering[1]. The EDGE program has been around for a long time. Before high speed internet was prevalent they actually mailed DVDs to students. At UF they actually record the same lectures that on campus students are attending. Same quality, just a different medium. Although UF's engineering program is not as highly regarded as Georgia Tech's it is still a very strong program and worth considering if you are considering Georgia Tech. Disclosure: I'm an alumni of the UF EDGE program. [1] http://www.ufedge.ufl.edu/degrees-and-certificates/offerings#Degree_programs http://www.ufedge.ufl.edu/degrees-and-certificates/offerings...
- Blahah 13y ago*alumnus
- liamondrop 13y ago$725.75 per credit hour (non-resident) for EDGE vs. $134 for GA Tech OMS CS is a significant difference.
- dnautics 13y agoHm. I have a PhD in chemistry, am considering this as a career shift option. I can write software, I've just never done it formally.
- Cymen 13y agoYou don't need a CS degree to develop software. I have one but plenty of my coworkers do not. If you want to see if the work suits you without jumping right into the deep end or going back to school, see if there are any Software Craftsmanship apprentice programs in your area. You'll get more exposure to test-driven development and other ideas than most jobs however it may have a consultant slant to it as that is what a lot of SC places are doing.
- dnautics 13y agoYeah I know, but I'd like some a more in-depth understanding of certain topics, in particular neural networks. I think it's a field where my particular expertise (mechanistic chemistry and biophysics) can bring in translateable insights.
- amelim 13y agoAs someone who is on the other side of the fence for this program (I'm currently a CS PhD student at Georgia Tech), I can tell you that many of the faculty are excited about online programs. Hopefully the learning process for the faculty goes smoothly and the online students have a worthwhile experience. I know I'm excited to help TA some of the courses!
- joeblau 13y agoWhat is the benefit of going up to Masters/PhD and what did you personally gain from the expereince?
- dhawalhs 13y agoA list of all the courses: http://www.class-central.com/initiative/gatech-oms-cs http://www.class-central.com/initiative/gatech-oms-cs
- optymizer 13y agoI have an ALM in IT from Harvard Extension School. I've always felt like a degree without any 'extensions' would be nice to have. On the other hand, I don't want to pay 7k a year for another program that's similar to the one I paid for already. Am I even eligible? Is this program better or more challenging? Is it worth it? Other thoughts?
- joshlegs 13y agoi would love to apply to grad school to get a CS degree (or even get a second bachelor's). The problems are that my bachelor's is in journalism, and my cumulative GPA was only 2.9. And I've only had a year of professional programming experience :(
- matchh 13y agoYou shouldn't be allowed in right now because with your experience you would be unlikely to succeed. This is intended to be a serious master's degree from a top ten university for people with strong practical knowledge. Unless you are a brilliant student, it will be very hard for you to pass the initial courses - those required to continue - especially because you probably will not be doing this full time. It's unlikely that you're a brilliant student because you chose to study journalism. I made the same mistake. Udacity failed in their first attempt at accredited online courses with San Jose State. This was attributed to unprepared students with full time jobs. Georgia Tech can't accept this. So for the demonstration classes over the next few years, they'll carefully choose the most motivated and capable people from all over the world. That said, MOOCs likely respect the work of other MOOCs, and there are lots of courses on programming available. Udacity already has great ones (i'm currently taking debugging), and even these can be difficult to complete on time. So it seems like using these to develop the discipline to complete the courses will be perfect preparation for you to take the Master's. And when they begin to accept more students, they'll likely start looking closely at those who show demonstrated aptitude for working through online courseware.
- joshlegs 13y agoheh. > It's unlikely that you're a brilliant student because you chose to study journalism. I made the same mistake. i don't see the line of logic there, but oh well. i just signed up with the course era python course, and i'll probably do a few more of those courses. So you think several of those in conjunction with full time programming will get me ready for a master's (or any other degree?) in a year or so?
- mdkess 13y ago
- cmeiklejohn 13y agoI've just submitted my application. I've got an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in "Information Technology" and an associate's degree from the Community College of Rhode Island in "Computer Programming." I did both of these degrees almost completely online, part-time, working a full-time job to pay my tuition. Getting enrolled into a master's program for me has been a huge challenge. Many universities do not want to talk to you unless: a.) you've demonstrated independent research, and, b.) you have an undergraduate degree in computer science. I'm currently a non-degree seeking student at Brown University. This has only been possible because I work a job where I can shift my hours around to attend courses during the day. When initially trying to obtain "non-degree" status, my previous education wasn't even part of the discussion, my experience as an Erlang engineer working in the distributed systems field was. I find the online master's degree idea extremely compelling. I want to keep learning, but I don't want to drop everything to go back and do a master's degree. I imagine this is the case for many people who simply can't quit their job because they have other financial obligations, or a more restrictive work schedule.
- jdotjdot 13y agoYou've had that difficult of a time going for a CS masters? What schools have you looked into? I ask because I'm considering the same thing, but I find it surprising that you can't find anywhere that will take you without an undergrad in CS given that you have work experience, especially given that your degree is in IT, which is very related.
- bpyne 13y agoAround 7 years ago I looked into a grad program in CS with a bachelors in mathematics. I talked with graduate advisors from both my state university and Brown. Their requirements were similar: 4-5 undergraduate courses in comp. sci. and subject specific GRE. I believe the courses they listed were data structures and algorithms, computer architecture, programming language design, operating systems, and software engineering. I think they've relaxed requirements a little but it's still not easy getting into comp. sci. from another field. About work experience, the Brown advisor said that, for them, it's a mixed bag. A person from industry knows how to produce an application but there may be large gaps in knowledge. For example, a developer can go a long way using ArrayList in Java but not know a thing about it or alternatives, especially if code generators are involved.
- mattferderer 13y agoJust a reminder these classes will be available for free on Udacity as well. To me that seems like a better option for the first round of classes.
- Dragonai 13y agoYup! The 7 grand would be for the accreditation. I find this model to be awesome. Makes me proud of my school.
- waynesonfire 13y agosource?
- artmageddon 13y agoAs a person who had a 2.92 GPA getting out of university(I transferred from one univ to another so while my credits were accepted from the first, the 3.3 GPA didn't carry), how critical are graduate schools of this sort of thing? I have a BS in CS, and about 9 years of real-world development experience under my belt and can probably get good recommendations from supervisors / professors. Can anyone comment on this? Edit: I'm in the process of updating my resume and applying. While I'm still curious for anyone's thoughts for this, I figure it doesn't hurt to try anyway :)
- FireBringer 13y agoFrom my experience people that have been out of school that long and don't have a good GPA usually take a few graduate courses through the non-degree program, then get a recommendation from the professors when they apply to grad school. It probably will vary from school to school. Grades alone however usually grad school will want over a 3.0 GPA and 2-3 recommendations from professors.
- artmageddon 13y agoThanks! That's sort of what I was afraid of, but if this might be the route I have to go then it'll give me a better shot of getting into a program. By then I'll see how well the current crop of Georgia Tech students like the program and go from there. I'm doing a Machine-Learning class from Coursera / Stanford starting next week to give me a taste of things, too :)
- eitally 13y agoThis is essentially how it worked for me, too. I had a 2.92 overall GPA but showed them a 3.6 GPA in my major, and was provisionally admitted (based mostly on my letters of reference and work experience). It seems admissions and department heads have quite a bit of flexibility if you can convince them to apply it. :)
- makmanalp 13y agoDoes anyone know how "accredited" this is an whether you could do this on an F-1 visa? Just curious. Would be kinda nice to do Georgia Tech without having to move.
- khoitran19 13y agoI am wondering the same thing. As I am working full time on F-1 OPT right now, is it possible that I can enroll in this program? (I am not interested in the master degree OPT but rather the degree program itself).
- kozikow 13y agoDoes anyone know if doing this masters will count in front of USA immigration department? In other words will this degree move me from EB3 to EB2 category in Green Card application: http://www.murthy.com/2011/07/15/eb2-or-eb3-understanding-the-difference/ http://www.murthy.com/2011/07/15/eb2-or-eb3-understanding-th... . Masters from the school where I did bachelor's degree only counts as bachelor degree in USA, so it would be very important factor for some people.
- jasondemeuse 13y agoThis might be a naive question, but why is this so inexpensive? Don't get me wrong, education is definitely way more expensive than it "should" be, but I recently started a Master's in CS at DePaul and $7,000 for the whole degree is a fraction of what I'm paying. I understand DePaul is private and expensive anyway, but $134 per credit hour is still far and away cheaper than anywhere else I've seen while I was looking for schools to apply to, even in-state public schools.
- if_by_whisky 13y agoThat's on par with public school tuition in my experience.
- gu 13y agoAs a European I can only ask why this is so expensive...
- frodopwns 13y agoI applied this morning. I kinda rushed my statement of purpose but hopefully it was sufficient. Wish me luck!
- elwell 13y agoAre they going to offer the course materials for free as well?
- darklajid 13y agoAs someone that only has a roughly BS equivalent degree: I checked the application form and closed it again. I'd love to enroll, I just recently discussed with my wife that I'd love to get a better theoretical background, enroll again. But .. the list of requirements to apply corrects this German's idea of what bureaucracy means and I cannot provide most of the documents, nor does it seem that this is seriously targeted at non US citizens. Not for me unfortunately, but I do appreciate that this is offered in general, and even (in theory?) includes global applicants.
- jrs99 13y agoThere is probably less bureaucracy than you think. It all depends on who is making the decision. You should email them. When I looked into schools, some schools stated they wanted a 3.0 GPA, for instance. this seems standard and seems like school policy, but I have found out that it isn't very strictly enforced at many schools, even public schools. there are things that are stated because the state makes up what rules need to be advertised for public schools, but departments often don't care. In the end, they want your money, especially for a master's degree where you'll be paying. If you're interested, you should try emailing them and try to get a feel for how lax they are about such things.
- akg369 13y agoThe application is asking for a Academic and Career plan upto 4000 words? How important is to meet this word limit?
- repsilat 13y agoI thought it was up to 4000 characters.
- vamega 13y agoThe page they link to [1] mentions that you need to submit your GRE scores. However the page itself doesn't have any mention of the GRE being a requirement? Any idea what the actual stance on this is? [1] - http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/apply/index.php http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/apply/index.php
- VolatileVoid 13y agoI was actually wondering the same thing. I took the general GREs back in 2008 but I'm just over the arbitrary 5 year cutoff that the ETS imposes on score validity.
- VolatileVoid 13y agoIncidentally, the FAQ on the OMS CS page says explicitly that you do not need to have taken the GRE.
- otoburb 13y agoIf you are a non-US student then you must still submit a TOEFL score. From the FAQ: If my country’s primary language is English, do I still have to provide a TOEFL score? Yes. TOEFL scores are required of all international applicants, except those who have spent at least one year in residence and enrolled at a U.S. college or university.
- ojbyrne 13y agoWith a little digging, you can find this: http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/faq/documents/TOEFL_Requirements.pdf http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/faq/documents/TOEFL_Require...
- otoburb 13y agoI am faintly amused that Canada is not on this PDF list of either de facto or de jur countries where English is spoken.
- serge2k 13y agome no talk english like muricans cause me being from BC eh?
- ojbyrne 13y agoI asked them about this, and its not a mistake. It depends on the province.
- otoburb 13y agoThey clarified that any province outside of Quebec is exempt from TOEFL. Quoting their tweet excerpt back to me: @GTOMSCS: Canadian universities outside of Quebec are exempt from TOEFL.
- blahedo 13y agoFrom the linked page: > Information Required for Application > [...] > Ethnicity Really? I could have sworn they're not allowed to require you to provide that. (They can ask, but only if they make it clear that the response is optional.)
- karmicthreat 13y agoSo my problem is I never finished my undergrad. But I have no desire to put 3-4 more years work (its been 12+ years) into paying a whole lot in time and money for an undergrad degree. I've worked in the industry and learned the bits I was missing. (Advanced algo, statistic/probability, linear algebra) I'd like to participate in the GA Tech program, its worth my time and the machine learning/vision curriculum is exactly up my alley. Mind you I've been picking this up anyway recently because I'm interested in the subject and have some product ideas to hash out with it. The grad degree would be nice to have, but not the end of the world. I tried to email the contact for the program and they wouldn't really say one way or another if they would even consider people who didn't finish undergrad. I would suggest that GA Tech should open a couple weeder classes. Let people who can hit a certain threshold take them and prove competency. A degree is a nice benchmark, but in CS we have a pretty wide variety of ways to learn. It would be nice to be able to segue in and out of the academic system smoother to get needed credentials.
- spicyj 13y agoThe page says: Preferred qualifications for admitted OMS CS students are an undergraduate degree in computer science or related field (typically mathematics, computer engineering or electrical engineering) from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; significant professional or other work experience with supporting recommendations may qualify as an adequate substitute for the appropriate academic credentials. which seems to imply that they're at least willing to consider applicants without a degree.
- karmicthreat 13y agoReading that a second time it does seem that way. At first it seemed to be less flexible and required a degree. Just that the particular discipline was flexible. Thanks.
- polskibus 13y agoI'm doing Computational Investing from gatech on coursera now, https://www.coursera.org/course/compinvesting1 https://www.coursera.org/course/compinvesting1. I do enjoy the course because I wanted to learn more about finance, although they could improve a lot on their presentation skills and material preparation. I hope they will take a lesson or two from their coursera feedback for the benefit of their online students.
- gohwell 13y agoGood class, I can't stand the first 15 second music intro.