
Ask HN: Is getting a master's CS degree online worth it? - nuwin_tim
I would be particularly open to pursuing a masters degree in cs so I could have the option of teaching.  Are the online universities worth it (do schools overlook those candidates for teaching positions)?
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warcher
In my opinion (opinions vary on this)....

a bachelor's degree in CS is about as useful as a bachelor's in Psychology, in
terms of your actual ability to do the job. In other words, you're not.
Probably even more so in CS than in psych.

The difference is the truly massive demand industry has for even half-trained,
semi-competent software engineers, so they're willing to absorb the finishing
costs a master's program would provide. Most honors graduates can be salvaged
after a year or two of intensive mentorship.

The only problem is that you're getting a very specific skillset i.e. the
skills you need to do the job you got hired for. That could be good, or it
could be bad, depending on how well your goals and your employer's align.

On the balance, 10/10 would recommend a master's.

It should be mentioned that this is just for having and doing a good job in
industry. If you want to teach or do research anyplace decent, that master's
ain't gonna cut it.

I would not recommend a Phd unless you know exactly what you're getting into.
It is an absolute requirement for a few fields, and an albatross around your
neck for any other. It is also very expensive in terms of time and your career
development. (Any decent program in the US will pay you a modest stipend to go
full-time for a phd in CS.) And the academic job market is real, real ugly
these days. Caveat emptor.

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1971genocide
It depends -

Firstly you need to make sure that the degree being offered is of quality. how
do you figure that out ? The simplest model is just to just google the
lecturers. See if they are from a top tier university.

The idea of going to university gets a really bad rep in HN but getting a
degree is a lot like learning how to walk. Sure you will not create anything
of substantial value for 4 years. But a degree gives you a structure that
helps organize your knowledge and gives you a deep intuition that will allow
you to actually create great products at the end of the road.

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debacle
It depends on the university. You can get a SUNY degree in certain studies
(including CS, Math, and many others) that is just as good as a degree you
would have gotten from a brick and mortar university. Many of the courses are
taught by the same professors using the same textbooks, though some courses
have in class finals which can be a trial.

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arjn
In my opinon there continues to be a bias against online degrees though
somewhat less than before.

If you choose to do an online MS degree make sure its from a top-tier school
and not from a "Degree Mill".

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dopplesoldner
Why not choose a part-time course rather than an online one?

For e.g. [http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/softeng/](http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/softeng/)

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xooglerz
From a nationally accreditted university, it doesn't matter if the degree was
online or brick-and-mortar.

For one of these online degree mills, you might lose out.

