Is my plan to apply for a master's degree feasible?

[frankc]

Since you already have a degree in software engineering, I don't think getting another similar degree (CS) from TESU is that helpful.
The issue in your case is a low GPA, but since it's from a while ago, it might not be as significant. Instead of getting another CS degree, which would be redundant, I recommend just enrolling in some accredited courses from a regional-accredited university, like TESU or Oakton Community College. You may be able to show the admissions team that you are capable of handling graduate-level coursework by getting As from all the courses. I've often seen people with low GPAs get accepted, but they typically need to show improved grades from accredited schools.

[davewill]

Is your low GPA due to low grades in general or a few REALLY bad grades? If you could show, for example, that your last two years were much better than your first two, or that you got better grades in your area of study, that might help your application.

You might also be able to point out work you've done since, whether it's development work, whitepapers, professional coursework, etc... that might demonstrate that you will be able to handle graduate level courses.

[bjcheung77]

Just in case you may also look at other Coursera/Edx Masters that may allow you entry with completion of their MicroMasters, another option is to look at some other Masters that have lesser requirements or not as competitive, or apply to ones that are very similar to Computer Science, such as Eastern University Masters in Data Analytics or Data Science.

[puga]

Why do you want to pursue OMSCS?

You are already doing well in that you got an "undergraduate degree in BEng of Software Engineering 7 years ago, and I've been working in software development since then."

I wouldn't opt for another technology degree, such as Computer Science, as it may not significantly enhance your career prospects.

A master's program takes various factors into account, including your undergraduate major, GPA, and job experience. Job experience plays a crucial role in gaining admission to OMSCS, along with a robust portfolio. It's noteworthy that some individuals with GPAs as low as 2.3 or 2.5 have successfully gained admission.

If you attended UMPI and completed 10 courses with straight A's, your average GPA would still only be 2.6, or 2.85 with 20 courses. However, on your UMPI transcript, the GPA would likely be 3.7 or better. Choosing UMPI might be advisable only if you have both the financial resources and time to spare, and if you are genuinely interested in business-related courses.

I recommend applying for OMSCS first and exploring other options only if you receive a rejection.

I am planning to change my main direction of work to AI but it is not that easy. Therefore I need a graduate degree like OMSCS that includes various AI related courses.

Maybe OMSCS would be able to accept a 2.3 GPA, but I am initially looking to apply to multiple schools (online or not) at once. I think there may be some grad schools that require a final GPA to meet the requirements, and others that only require a GPA from the last undergraduate degree to meet the requirements. So that's what I had planned at the beginning.

Based on your advice, I should apply to OMSCS first, and if I fail it's not too late for me to try for a second undergraduate degree.

---

Since you already have a degree in software engineering, I don't think getting another similar degree (CS) from TESU is that helpful.
The issue in your case is a low GPA, but since it's from a while ago, it might not be as significant. Instead of getting another CS degree, which would be redundant, I recommend just enrolling in some accredited courses from a regional-accredited university, like TESU or Oakton Community College. You may be able to show the admissions team that you are capable of handling graduate-level coursework by getting As from all the courses. I've often seen people with low GPAs get accepted, but they typically need to show improved grades from accredited schools.

Thanks for the reply.

Do I need to take courses that I already took in my previous undergraduate degree but didn't do well in? 
Do I need to take more computer related courses to strengthen my application?

---

[davewill]

I am planning to change my main direction of work to AI but it is not that easy. Therefore I need a graduate degree like OMSCS that includes various AI related courses.

Maybe OMSCS would be able to accept a 2.3 GPA, but I am initially looking to apply to multiple schools (online or not) at once. I think there may be some grad schools that require a final GPA to meet the requirements, and others that only require a GPA from the last undergraduate degree to meet the requirements. So that's what I had planned at the beginning.

Based on your advice, I should apply to OMSCS first, and if I fail it's not too late for me to try for a second undergraduate degree.

That's what I would do. If you want to try taking some graded CS credits someplace to help bolster your application in the meantime, you could, but it would take a LOT of credits (84 with a 4.0 avg by my calculations) to bring a 2.3 up to a 3.0, so if you've got decent grades on the CS coursework in your transcripts, I'd work on other parts of your application:

https://omscs.gatech.edu/additional-app-guidelines

I would spend time and effort in making your professional achievments and reference letters look good. I would also reach out to both admissions at the schools you'd like to apply to, and to online communities for those programs to get more program specific information and advice on how to make your application look better.

If I failed to gain admission this way, I'd look for a program that has open admission like Harvard Extension, or CU Boulder rather than spend time trying to fix your GPA.

[frankc]

Why do you want to pursue OMSCS?

You are already doing well in that you got an "undergraduate degree in BEng of Software Engineering 7 years ago, and I've been working in software development since then."

I wouldn't opt for another technology degree, such as Computer Science, as it may not significantly enhance your career prospects.

A master's program takes various factors into account, including your undergraduate major, GPA, and job experience. Job experience plays a crucial role in gaining admission to OMSCS, along with a robust portfolio. It's noteworthy that some individuals with GPAs as low as 2.3 or 2.5 have successfully gained admission.

If you attended UMPI and completed 10 courses with straight A's, your average GPA would still only be 2.6, or 2.85 with 20 courses. However, on your UMPI transcript, the GPA would likely be 3.7 or better. Choosing UMPI might be advisable only if you have both the financial resources and time to spare, and if you are genuinely interested in business-related courses.

I recommend applying for OMSCS first and exploring other options only if you receive a rejection.

I am planning to change my main direction of work to AI but it is not that easy. Therefore I need a graduate degree like OMSCS that includes various AI related courses.

Maybe OMSCS would be able to accept a 2.3 GPA, but I am initially looking to apply to multiple schools (online or not) at once. I think there may be some grad schools that require a final GPA to meet the requirements, and others that only require a GPA from the last undergraduate degree to meet the requirements. So that's what I had planned at the beginning.

Based on your advice, I should apply to OMSCS first, and if I fail it's not too late for me to try for a second undergraduate degree.

---

Since you already have a degree in software engineering, I don't think getting another similar degree (CS) from TESU is that helpful.
The issue in your case is a low GPA, but since it's from a while ago, it might not be as significant. Instead of getting another CS degree, which would be redundant, I recommend just enrolling in some accredited courses from a regional-accredited university, like TESU or Oakton Community College. You may be able to show the admissions team that you are capable of handling graduate-level coursework by getting As from all the courses. I've often seen people with low GPAs get accepted, but they typically need to show improved grades from accredited schools.

Thanks for the reply.

Do I need to take courses that I already took in my previous undergraduate degree but didn't do well in? 
Do I need to take more computer related courses to strengthen my application?

---

It really depends on what courses you took during your undergrad and what grade you received. Take/retake the courses you did not do well in undergrad, like data structure and algorithms, OOP, linear algebra/discrete math, etc (If you already have good grades in those courses, I would just apply now and see how it goes). It's really hard to fix your GPA as of now, but 3.0 is not a hard requirement. I saw a few people get in with a GPA below 3.0, but you do need good grades in certain courses, so getting A's in those three or four courses might work well for you. After that, you could just apply to OMSCS right away and see how things unfold. The admissions process is relatively flexible, with the goal of admitting everyone they believe can successfully complete the graduate program.

Also, there's another university that might interest you, which has been mentioned by others: the University of Colorado Boulder. For their CS master's program, you don't necessarily even need a bachelor's degree to start. You just have to pass three specific courses to start the program.

[bjcheung77]

Ding ding, exactly, pretty much a recap of making your application stronger with the certs, experience, and filling any missing requirements... Obviously apply to the institutions you really want to get into, but again, use a few inexpensive options from Coursera/EDX or any other inexpensive options we've recommended before as backup options.