Ask HN: Is a Master's in CS worth it?
5 by Karsteski | 3 comments on Hacker News.
So I'm currently a chemist with a B.Sc. in Chemistry. I've been programming as a hobby for ~2 years now. I started off with Arduino, realized I knew absolutely nothing, then went down the rabbit hole by learning how to code in C++, followed by Python with some SQL. I've written some hobby projects for my portfolio but nothing too special or difficult. I've gotten a few software developer interviews through networking, but ultimately nothing has come of it. I still feel like I know nothing. I am very much interested in software engineering, focusing on the Virtual Reality field. I'm only now looking to start learning about GPU programming, and graphics in general. Hopefully in a few years I'll be able to start my own business related to this field, but that's an aside. Given that background and my goals, does it make sense for me to do my M.Sc. in CS? I recognize that there are other options but bootcamps seem to mainly focus on web development, which I have zero interest in. Similarly there are college programs that I can take, but I'm not too sure about those... It would be nice to hear from someone that has attended a CS/SE program in Ontario. The M.Sc. would probably take ~3 years as I'd have to take some undergraduate CS courses as well. Note that I live in Ontario, Canada. I'm currently on a work permit but I've applied for PR which will come sometime in the next 12-18 months. I was an international student and I'd rather not pay international fees again, so I would wait until I actually got PR to attend university. Any feedback welcome, thanks in advance :)