DIT (HDip + MSc.) vs. UCD (MSc. Conversion)

stainluss

I've got accepted to both DIT's Masters Qualifier and UCD's Conversion. If you couple DIT's Feb entry with their follow-up 1 year MSc. Computing (Advanced Software Development) they both take roughly the same time.

According to a quick LinkedIn search, the DIT option would yield better (read: actual dev/engineering) jobs. The people I found from UCD were working in analytical roles, but very few in full-on Software Dev roles. If this is true I'll happily take DIT, but who knows, maybe I just didn't search hard enough...

I can do UCD's via Springboard though so I'd save a few grand

My goal is to work on my own project whilst studying (I am a self-taught coder) and then hopefully employment in California )

a fat guy

The conversion course is meant for people who picked something non-techy (arts, philosophy, history, etc), but want to move into a development role as far as I know. This sounds like your situation, but employers will probably see the word "conversion" in the course title and immediately begin assumptions...

Also, I say this as someone who has gone through the UCD archives of boards because I'm doing the Negotiated Learning masters next year, and this particular course came up a lot. However, I also say this as someone who worked alongside someone who did a conversion course down in WIT and landed a development job where I used to work. So I guess it's where you look and how you present yourself really.

Also Silicon Valley is full of nothing but males. Move to the Bay area for fun (but expensive) times. You'll still get paid a tonne of money and be treated like a demi-god. Bear in mind that living costs are crazy high for even the most basic of accommodation in San Francisco (Upwards of $3000 for something that isn't a cardboard box). There's also meant to be a cocaine problem over there because coders have to work such long hours... Sometimes caffeine doesn't cut it!

stainluss

a fat guy wrote: »

The conversion course is meant for people who picked something non-techy (arts, philosophy, history, etc), but want to move into a development role as far as I know. This sounds like your situation, but employers will probably see the word "conversion" in the course title and immediately begin assumptions...

Also, I say this as someone who has gone through the UCD archives of boards because I'm doing the Negotiated Learning masters next year, and this particular course came up a lot. However, I also say this as someone who worked alongside someone who did a conversion course down in WIT and landed a development job where I used to work. So I guess it's where you look and how you present yourself really.

Also Silicon Valley is full of nothing but males. Move to the Bay area for fun (but expensive) times. You'll still get paid a tonne of money and be treated like a demi-god. Bear in mind that living costs are crazy high for even the most basic of accommodation in San Francisco (Upwards of $3000 for something that isn't a cardboard box). There's also meant to be a cocaine problem over there because coders have to work such long hours... Sometimes caffeine doesn't cut it!

Thanks for the response!

Yeah LinkedIn seemed to support this (the DIT grads seemed to have more interesting job titles - UCD's got a lot of non-tech analytical roles afterward).
You don't know if the degree itself would have 'Conversion' on it by any chance? I may check with the course director...

conor.hogan.2

It is "MSc Computer Science (Conversion)" as far as I remember. You can go on to do the neg learning msc after this course if you want to (and they share a few modules).

The difference in roles of the two makes sense, one course is software dev and one is computer science.

Jhax

I've got into the UCD Conversion course and Can't wait to start. Overall I'd say the quality of job you land after college depends on how much work you put into it, you'll definitely stand out to any employer if you got a high distinction in either of the courses.