IMHO... Word of Mouth solidifies you as a good engineer. Of the top 4 or 5 technical people I know, none has an MS in CS. (One didn't finish college) The de

IMHO... Word of Mouth solidifies you as a good engineer. Of the top 4 or 5 technical people I know, none has an MS in CS. (One didn't finish college) The degree matters less and less over time. There are other good reasons to get a Masters. To improve the formalness of your knowledge. To learn about things outside your domain of expertise. To force yourself to learn things you wouldn't want to on your own. To meet other smart people. (UW is good for that) To learn theory and find out what's going on in CS research. But none of these certify you as a great engineer nearly as much as another great engineer saying, "I'll vouch for them"