Should I do a part time Masters in Computer Science?

raul2010

Hi,
I am working in IT for a few years now since I graduated with a first class honours in Computer Science. I have been accumulating some of the Industry certs (Microsoft, VMware etc.) and now have the opportunity to do a part time masters which my company will pay for and allow time off for me to study.

It will take ~2 years to complete and I'm wondering if it is worth it or not? My job is relatively secure considering the economic climate but I want to make sure I remain employable in the future. Does having a masters really increase your chances of standing out from the crowd in a job interview or are your IT certifications what employers look for more?

druidhill

What area are you working in now and what exactly is covered in the Masters that you plan to do? If you could provide more specific details, you might get more responses.
The Masters in Computer Science could be one of those designed for people with non-IT degrees, in which case I don't think it would be much use to you. Again, it is difficult to answer your question(s), based on the information you have provided (or not).
Regards.

Rented Mule

Anytime that you can get an employer to pay for your education, and give you time off in the process, you jump at the chance.

I am (soon to be) 43 years old. I've been working in the States for (nearly) two years in an IT department. They are currently paying for my continuing education. I'd be a fool to pass up the opportunity.

Take everything you can from every experience that you come across.

mickman

i would say from experience that industry certs are what employers look for. in fact sometimes they see a masters and think that "this guy sounds like a bit of an academic" and wont call you for interview

i think the masters is really geared for people who want to end up lecturing, having said that some companies look favourably on it, but mostly for business / it jobs and not tech ones

meemeep

mickman wrote: »

i would say from experience that industry certs are what employers look for. in fact sometimes they see a masters and think that "this guy sounds like a bit of an academic" and wont call you for interview

i think the masters is really geared for people who want to end up lecturing, having said that some companies look favourably on it, but mostly for business / it jobs and not tech ones

Sorry but I disagree - a Phd would be "academic"- a masters is now pretty much the required level of qualification for many IT jobs. Certification is brilliant, but a masters is always a help - check out the subjects first though. If two people were going for a job, with similar experience and certification, the one with the Masters is going to have the edge.

mickman

meemeep wrote: »

Sorry but that's rubbish - a Phd would be "academic"- a masters is now pretty much the required level of qualification for many IT jobs. Certification is brilliant, but a masters is always a help - check out the subjects first though. If two people were going for a job, with similar experience and certification, the one with the Masters is going to have the edge.

do you even work in IT??

look at the job sites, is there a masters required for even one of them? of course not,

i have been working in IT for 10 years and not once has my formal education come into the equation, its all about certs and experience.

of course the banks and the govt love to reward people with masters as they like to throw away money like we all know and they are not in the real world like the rest of us


here is an example, salary for this is 70k - where is the masters being the required level of education?


To get this role you will have a degree, and at least 2 years experience in a technical role. You will have familiarity or experience with installing software and creating test environments. You will be able to analyze issues and define high level solutions by providing technical strategy recommendations for clients. You will participate in technical workshops for the initiation of new projects and troubleshoot environmental issues that arise in the course of deploying software during the client's performance testing phase of a project. You will have knowledge of some if not all of the following:

- Databases such as ORACLE, DB2 & SQL Server
- JAVA & J2EE Architectures
- UNIX & XML
- Application servers such as Websphere, Weblogic & Apache

meemeep

25 years in IT and I've been on interview panels - it may not say in the advert that Masters is required, but believe me, if it comes down to a choice, a masters will swing it. Of course it depends on the job grade, level, degree of difficulty etc etc - there are many variables. Wouldn't turn down the offer of a freebee - Masters anyway

amen

, salary for this is 70k

where is this job? 70k seems a lot for the description

mickman

amen wrote: »

where is this job? 70k seems a lot for the description

http://www.recruitireland.com/job/it-consultant-dublin-city-centre/14466695/

55-65 + bonus

by the way i would also do a masters if my company was paying for it. the point i was trying to make is that certs and experience are ahead of a masters when looking for a job

srsly78

Nobody cares about your qualifications once you have 5+ years of experience. Masters only good for settings yourself apart from other graduates, and even then employer will prefer a guy with degree+ 1 year experience over someone with degree + masters + no experience.

Feelgood

I reckon definitely yes, there is a master in DCU in Security and Forensics that
I have heard nothing but good things about. I will definitely be considering it when I get back to Ireland. I have a mate that did it that said he thought he knew computer science until he did this course

New knowledge is always a good thing, so if you can afford it then why not?

MSx Security & Forensics

mickman

Feelgood wrote: »

I reckon definitely yes, there is a master in DCU in Security and Forensics that
I have heard nothing but good things about. I will definitely be considering it when I get back to Ireland. I have a mate that did it that said he thought he knew computer science until he did this course

New knowledge is always a good thing, so if you can afford it then why not?

MSx Security & Forensics

i would agree that if its free then more learning is always a great thing. i was only making the point about which is actually more important in job hunting