Comment by msg | Hacker News Reader

Comment by msg | Hacker News Reader

My story is somewhat similar.

I took a BA in Linguistics, worked for a while, then discovered computers. I spent a year on prerequisites and then did an MS in CS. I got good grades and did a thesis and it opened a lot of doors for me.

Some things that an MS CS degree will teach you that you may not have learned as a seasoned developer are: How to invent solutions to cutting edge problems. How to operate at scale using efficient algorithms and appropriate data structures. How to think about problem spaces. How to research. How to operate at the correct level of abstraction and how to get a level deeper when the abstraction leaks. The intersection between math, stats, and software. How to think like a computer.

To me it sounds like that's exactly what you want to do. One way or another you want these skills.

You may want to separate your desire for these skills from your desire to be credentialed for these skills. It is going to take a while to see how employers react to the Georgia Tech online MS. I believe the vast majority will treat it as second-class for a while. The judgment of HR departments is a lagging indicator. But the top tier employers may not care and just test you to see if you walk the walk.

You don't need a top tier school to get a good job. My MS is from a state university, and I work for Amazon.

In order to get into an MS program would I need to do a BS in CS or just do the prerequisites I am missing. Off the top of my head I know that I am missing Calc 2, Calc 3, Linear Algebra, Algorithms, and Operating Systems. Does it matter where I do the prerequisites? I imagine I could just do the maths at a community college.

I did the exact same thing. You only need to do the prerequisites. No, it doesn't matter where you do them, but it's obviously best if you do them at the same school you intend to attend, as you'll be able to get recommendations from professors in the same department, and obviously the courses will transfer fine.

EDIT: FWIW, at the University of Colorado, I had to do 2 courses above calc 1 - for me that was calc 2 and statistics, as well as 5-6 CS courses.

That's a really a good point about the letters of recommendation. I think this is the route I will be going down. I had no idea how I was going to get the letters otherwise.

Do you have to apply to take the prerequisites or do you just pay them and go?

At most schools, you can just take courses without a competitive admission process until you intend to enroll in a degree program.

My college really just wanted algorithms and multivariable calculus. It probably varies from program to program.

Another important consideration is what emphases the MS program will offer. Mine had tracks in AI, Software, Distributed Systems, and Bioinformatics. CS is very broad and you won't have time to do everything in the course of two years. Think about your goals and your focus a little.

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