Ask HN: Should I do a Masters Degree? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should I do a Masters Degree?

2 pointshugofirth14 comments

Hi,

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.

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).

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?

Thanks for reading - much appreciated :)

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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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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. :)

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.

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