I did something similar: after working a few years in programming I took 6 years off to study Greek & Latin in grad school, then came back to development around

I did something similar: after working a few years in programming I took 6 years off to study Greek & Latin in grad school, then came back to development around 2010. To top it off my undergrad was an English B.A. from a small mediocre liberal arts college. It was actually pretty easy. If you already have a CS degree and have simply been doing something else for 4 years, I doubt you'll have trouble getting offers. You just need something to prove that you're competent. Skip the masters and code school, build a webapp that does something interesting, and show that to your potential employers. Bonus points if you can charge for it! For tactics I'd say don't quit your other job until you've got an offer. Best of luck to you, and remember that it's going to be all right!