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Comment by jophde | Hacker News Reader

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.

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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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