02-19-2025, 01:49 PM
Using planning template as it's well structured for discussion - I tried to bold the tl;dr sections relevant to my questions
Your Location: California
Your Age: 40s
What kind of degree do you want?: eventually MSCS/MSDS but willing to pick up BA/BS to get there if needed
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 30, > 10 yrs old
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: no
Any certifications or military experience?: no
Budget: n/a
Commitments: full time work, parent to young children
Dedicated time to study: 20 hr/ week
Timeline: 2-3 yrs
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: n/a, set aside funds to complete
Inspired by the thread How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS by ItsNeverTheLionsYear and studied many paths to MS in Computer Science or MS in Data Science on this forum, would love some advise on paths forward.
Background: I attempted at TESU's Statistics.com BS program in DS a few years back but found the instructional quality to be poor and at the time unable to commit consistent time to study. As my children are finally getting old enough to not require constant attention, I'm able to allocate 15-20 hrs a week in my life now to commit to studying again.
I work in tech for a large company and manage technical teams - think user research, business rules, and program management. I've always had interest in big data and working with engineers frequently has helped me gain a good view into life of SWE and DS - I enjoy the problem solving, autonomy, and ability to be an expert in domains. I use Python, SQL in my work, nothing crazy but general fluency with the language for problem solving. Ultimately goal would be to gain marketable technical skills and I believe a degree from reputable school will help me enter into more technical roles as individual contributor or manager (such as eng/staff manager). I.e. - as a mid-career professional, I have a lot of people and process management experiences but limited technical and I believe a strong classic CS/DS program will make me more marketable in my industry.
I've targeted performance based MSCS/MSDS programs since I lack a bachelor's degree and have limited RA credits. This approach minimizes wasted time on general education (GE) via testing or community college. My primary targets have been CU Boulder's MSCS/MSDS. Preparation includes LeetCode for Python, data structures, and basic math via Khan Academy. A drawback of the program based on reviews, is limited faculty support—these programs assume a BSCS or STEM background, dropping students straight into advanced coursework.
As I research more options, career transition programs like Pitt's MSDS and NYU's CS Bridge seem appealing, but most require a bachelor's. This raises the question: Should I complete a BS first? If so, what’s the fastest, most efficient path while preparing me technically for MSCS? WGU's extensive GE requirements seems to take 6+ months, whereas UMPI's LS program with Sophia credits could be a better alternative but I'm less familiar. I want to maximize my 20-hour weekly study time on technical subjects, not GE.
Current plan: Keep grinding CS fundamentals until I'm MSCS-ready at CU Boulder. But I worry—what if the program is retired before I qualify? With nothing tangible to show yet, I'm second-guessing this path. Should I reconsider?
Anything else I should consider?
Your Location: California
Your Age: 40s
What kind of degree do you want?: eventually MSCS/MSDS but willing to pick up BA/BS to get there if needed
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 30, > 10 yrs old
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: no
Any certifications or military experience?: no
Budget: n/a
Commitments: full time work, parent to young children
Dedicated time to study: 20 hr/ week
Timeline: 2-3 yrs
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: n/a, set aside funds to complete
Inspired by the thread How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS by ItsNeverTheLionsYear and studied many paths to MS in Computer Science or MS in Data Science on this forum, would love some advise on paths forward.
Background: I attempted at TESU's Statistics.com BS program in DS a few years back but found the instructional quality to be poor and at the time unable to commit consistent time to study. As my children are finally getting old enough to not require constant attention, I'm able to allocate 15-20 hrs a week in my life now to commit to studying again.
I work in tech for a large company and manage technical teams - think user research, business rules, and program management. I've always had interest in big data and working with engineers frequently has helped me gain a good view into life of SWE and DS - I enjoy the problem solving, autonomy, and ability to be an expert in domains. I use Python, SQL in my work, nothing crazy but general fluency with the language for problem solving. Ultimately goal would be to gain marketable technical skills and I believe a degree from reputable school will help me enter into more technical roles as individual contributor or manager (such as eng/staff manager). I.e. - as a mid-career professional, I have a lot of people and process management experiences but limited technical and I believe a strong classic CS/DS program will make me more marketable in my industry.
I've targeted performance based MSCS/MSDS programs since I lack a bachelor's degree and have limited RA credits. This approach minimizes wasted time on general education (GE) via testing or community college. My primary targets have been CU Boulder's MSCS/MSDS. Preparation includes LeetCode for Python, data structures, and basic math via Khan Academy. A drawback of the program based on reviews, is limited faculty support—these programs assume a BSCS or STEM background, dropping students straight into advanced coursework.
As I research more options, career transition programs like Pitt's MSDS and NYU's CS Bridge seem appealing, but most require a bachelor's. This raises the question: Should I complete a BS first? If so, what’s the fastest, most efficient path while preparing me technically for MSCS? WGU's extensive GE requirements seems to take 6+ months, whereas UMPI's LS program with Sophia credits could be a better alternative but I'm less familiar. I want to maximize my 20-hour weekly study time on technical subjects, not GE.
Current plan: Keep grinding CS fundamentals until I'm MSCS-ready at CU Boulder. But I worry—what if the program is retired before I qualify? With nothing tangible to show yet, I'm second-guessing this path. Should I reconsider?
Anything else I should consider?
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