

Ask HN: Should I do a Masters Degree? - hugofirth

Hi,<p>I am currently coming to the end of my Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and should (fingers crossed etc...) be getting a fairly good First from Newcastle university.<p>I am looking to work as a software engineer in the  sphere of web development (though I have also taken some Games Dev modules to gain experience of the Graphics pipeline and pathfinding algorithms).<p>I am keen to continue my learning, but also keen to get into industry. Would, in your collective opinions, I be better off continuing my studies (on this course: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/i120/courseoverview/#.USJqLqXvhVk) or applying for a job this summer?<p>Thanks for reading - much appreciated :)
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moocow01
Dont do it unless you want to make inroads into academia or better your
chances for working at Google/Microsoft/BigCorp. I have a BS with about 5-6
years of experience and I lead/manage a couple people with MS degrees. In
other words Ive found that having an MS makes little difference as a signal to
an employer in most cases if you already have a BS in CS. Your ability and
connections seem to be the most important thing so if you think an MS will
enhance either of those it might be worth it but it also could very well end
up being money down the drain.

~~~
hugofirth
I'm not looking to make inroads into academia - I had considered it for a
while but I don't think I could handle more long term exposure to academics.
Many of them (at least the ones at my university) operate completely by their
own rules - its unendingly frustrating at times. On the other hand I would
love the opportunity to work for a larger corporation - why would their focus
be on a higher level of degree rather than experience?

~~~
moocow01
Eh Id say its somewhat of a minor point - I think the only business that will
recognize an MS in any real way (salary/title/etc) is perhaps a big company
like Google. I believe some positions within Google require an advanced degree
(if coming from the outside). I have to say though that I personally have
never seen anyone get a thumbs up based solely on having an MS. From a
financial perspective Id imagine an MS will rarely pay off if you already have
a BS in CS.

~~~
hugofirth
Especially perhaps, as (detailed in my most recent comment below) the degree I
would be coming out with ( MComp ) is instead of my Bsc rather than as well as
it. Effectively the course content is the same as the Bsc course for the first
3 years and then you perform an additional year of study (deferring your
original graduation).

Some people have warned me off the MComp course on the basis that people who
apply typically got 2:1 (60%+) at Bsc level and need the degree to improve
their employment prospects. They went on to say that if you would be receiving
a first (70%+) anyway then the MComp would do nothing to enhance your
employability, and might even harm it. I am attempted to validate/invalidate
that claim. I Think perhaps I apply for a job and look to do an MSc in future
once I have a clearer idea of a specific area of study that I would like to
pursue. Thanks for all the comments!

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dilithiumhe3
I think given current internet world and the direction most of the software
giants are taking, it is a good idea to take the time and study further into
distributed systems. I agree that you learn a lot on the job but there is
something to be said about the importance of having sound fundamentals. I went
through a similar phase and ended up going for a MS in distributed systems and
have never regretted that decision. It makes you think more concretely and
exposes you to things that make you think of scalability, complexity, high
performance, high availability and other aspects that are the essentials of
any complex (more importantly - any system of importance) that we think of.

So, bottom line, go for a Masters but choose your subjects/areas of
concentration wisely and remember that you are there for digging deeper not
wider.

~~~
hugofirth
Thanks - "Deeper not wider" is a nice expression for a feature of my current
course that I find frustrating. Most of my in depth knowledge is garnered from
personal side projects of interest - and only rarely even has its roots in
something I covered whilst doing my course. Spending time with the people has
been the most valuable experience for me so far.

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shail
Work for few years (around 3-4) then do Masters. You would have a better idea
about the topic you wish to pursue in depth.

~~~
hugofirth
Right - but would my employability be such that I could get a job where I
might gain that information? I've been given the impression by a few employers
that unless you have a lot of experience then a bachelors degree isn't
sufficient for a software engineering position.

~~~
sebkomianos
A masters degree isn't sufficient either - engineers are people with "hands
on" experience and even the best Masters programmes simply cannot deliver
that.

~~~
hugofirth
I understand that - but you have to start somewhere. Its a catch 22 situation
if you can't get the job without experience and can't the experience without
the job.

~~~
sebkomianos
Are you afraid that you won't be able to get a job? I mean, at all?

I have no idea about Newcastle or the Midlands but from what I understand
Edinburgh, Dublin and London have a lot of opportunities for you to chase,
either at small to medium companies or at startups. Same applies to Paris,
Amsterdam and Berlin.

If there was ever going to be a time for software developers I think it is our
time right now, don't worry that much.

Unless, as someone mentioned above, you want to be an academic or work for
very big companies: in that case an MSc is a must and I believe you should aim
for a higher ranked university.

~~~
hugofirth
The Degree is technically an MComp not an MSc - and I understand that
Newcastle is not the highest ranked University (it seems to sit around 13th
for Computer Science) but financially it is not viable for me to switch to
another University at this stage. I would like to work for a large corporation
- but I accept the reality that that may not be possible straight away. Thanks
for all the comments by the way - peoples varied opinions have been very
instructive.

~~~
sebkomianos
For the record, I asked the same question 680 days ago:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2441751>

What happened after that is a some interviews (most of the successful) that,
in a turn of events, led to a very well paying job in Greece (yes, that
collapsing economy), a very short internship in Berlin, a 3 months gig as an
iOS developer in one of Berlin's most upcoming startups and a few more offers
for jobs.

With that "average" mark from that "average" university and that "average"
skillset. :)

~~~
hugofirth
Thanks for coming back and helping me out!

I think the difficulty I am having is that despite anecdotal evidence of
people doing fine without it (which is fantastic) people continue to
underscore the fact that an advanced degree is a plus for larger corporations
(Google etc...).

Whilst I am not someone who is married to a dream of working for MS/Goog
etc... I certainly wouldn't want to rule it out entirely and would perhaps
even like to aspire to it one day.

A key concern for me is that the MComp course itself is 'deferred graduation'
which means that I wouldn't leave University with a First class Bachelors and
a distinction class MComp - just the MComp.

This has often been the recourse for people who achieved less than a First at
Bsc level to improve their employment prospects.

I do not want employers to perceive it in that light as that would not be the
case for me.

