[bitL]

When you talk to OMSCS students and they tell you that they implemented their own Augmented Reality system from the scratch, used Deep Learning in classifying diseases in X-ray images of chest, programmed a Lunar Lander automated solution using Deep Reinforcement Learning, reconstructed 3D models from a series of photos in a weekend, I would say they are working on way more interesting things than most people get a chance to work on during their whole career. It seems more like you risk by not taking it, even if it is not really research based, though some people told me they have selective research courses as well, working e.g. with inventor of Google Glass etc.