Already a software engineer, degree worth it?

[davewill]

Ah, I see it now in your signature. (I thought it wasn't TESU since you wrote BSCS)

By the way, did you end up doing the GA Tech OMCS?

Yeah it was a BACS, I guess I was typing on autopilot...

I didn't do the OMSCS. I got in and started it, but my motivation had dried up, and I did not feel like putting in the 3+ years it would have taken me. Being in my fifties, there was no real upside careerwise, either.

[LevelUP]

The Georgia Tech OMSCS is a long tough program with a high dropout rate.  People talking about how cheap that master's degree is are clueless.

[rachel83az]

I'm sure that there are cheaper (or just as cheap) Master's degrees in CS elsewhere, sure. But part of the appeal for at least some people is the rigor and how reputable the school is. People don't go to MIT for an "easy" degree either.

[Pats20]

It seems that whenever a mscs program is mentioned somebody questions it by saying that Georgia tech is only $10k why would you want to spend $15k ? Ah. Cause it doesn’t matter how cheap a program is if you don’t get accepted into it in the first place and then finish it.

[dfrecore]

One thing I know is that it can't HURT to have a degree. Sure, you might never need it...but it sure can come in handy. I decided to change careers recently, and man, is it nice to have that bachelor's degree in my back pocket. I'm having to do some additional work to get what I want, but it's not additional work ON TOP OF having to try to get a bachelor's degree quickly.

My advice is to get a business degree (if you ever want to move to management, it certainly can't hurt), or else just a liberal studies degree. Some options:

TESU (need to bring in 24cr of RA)
BSBA w/CIS concentration
BACS
BALS w/Cert in CIS, CompSci, Org Leadership, Ops Management (can choose more than 1)
Cost: $6,654 for 6cr at TESU, add'l costs for 114cr including 24cr of RA

EC
BSL, can load up on computer courses if you want (all Free Electives, but plenty of space for those
Cost: $4,031 for 7cr at EC, add'l costs for 113cr

UMPI
BLS w/minor in Mgmt, Project Mgmt or MIS
BABA w/concentration in Mgmt or Project Mgmt
Cost for 2 terms: $2,800 for 30cr at UMPI, add'l costs for 90cr
Cost for 3 terms: $4,200 for 30cr at UMPI, add'l costs for 90cr
Most people on the forum seem to be completing the degree in 2-3 terms (although a couple may have done 1 term)

All are great options.

[Pats20]

Get the bacs. It will carry more weight. With your experience you should be able to cruise right through it. You don’t need a business degree for management.

[Alpha]

The myth of the dropout entrepreneur
The idea that university degrees don’t matter is a Silicon Valley fantasy | TechCrunch

[allvia]

Get the bacs. It will carry more weight. With your experience you should be able to cruise right through it. You don’t need a business degree for management.

I tend to agree with this based on your current career.  If your plan is management later on you'd probably be better off getting an MBA after the BACS.  If that is something that interests you I would recommend filling up a few of those electives/GenEds with common MBA prerequisites - that way they'll be on your transcript avoiding you to have to gain them later.

[dfrecore]

For someone who has years of experience and doesn't actually NEED a degree, I wouldn't narrow it down to just the BACS unless he really wants it.

I would do the degree that sounded the most interesting. Or one that uses the most possible credits. For a BLS degree, you can take practically ANY credits you want. That sounds nice to me.

[rachel83az]

I wouldn't do liberal studies if I wanted to continue working in the tech field. There are a LOT of jobs that specifically want a degree in IT, Comp Sci, or Math. Any other degree and you're just as likely to wind up in the bin as the people with no degree at all.