[markmcdonald]

> From my point of view, this program is a losing proposition for any potential student.

Although I agree with your sentiment (formal education has a lot of flaws), a full-fledged degree potentially solves other problems than just improving your resume to get a better/higher paying job for engineers.

Family pressure, lack of confidence that comes with not having a formal CS undergraduate degree, or motivation and structure that comes from paying for a formal program could all contribute to someone choosing this path. A $10k, online masters program from GT seems like a good option for some people.