This is the university that started it all. They've had the program for about a decade now, and they do a ridiculously good job. [1]
It's a rigorous degree, they only admit a limited number of students (so your application has to be reasonable), and it's completely affordable. It's also indistinguishable from their on-campus MS in CS. It doesn't say you took it "online" after you graduate. Georgia Tech is a pretty outstanding school, so this looks good for places that care.
If you want an MS in CS and want to do it from home, this is the one you want.
[1] Anecdotal, but I know five colleagues that have taken it and have nothing but praise for the program. The two I am closest to used for the following cases:
1. A CS grad working in the field used it to explore machine learning a decade after college. They had no previous experience with the field and then shifted into a deep learning role shortly before graduation.
2. Another close friend was a graduate working in radio research and wanted to learn CS fundamentals (OS, distributed, etc.). They're still doing radio work, but they used it to get an expanded role and a pretty substantial raise.
Both were very happy with the program. Both completed the program while working full time, though they admitted it was a ton of work.
about halfway through it myself. I spend about 20-30 hours a week on it. It's definitely a challenging program but the value is ridiculously good.
I've learned an incredible amount of incredible things. While it's difficult to manage both the program and other life obligations, I'll be a bit sad once it's over.
I was lucky enough to be part of the first cohort admitted to the OMSCS program, and completed it while working full time. It was a fantastic experience that I'm very thankful for, but it was one of the most challenging things I've ever done.
It is. It's a legitimate degree and they won't let you slack off.
Some of the classes have a metric ton of homework and projects, and the deadlines can be pretty rough. I know my coworker was sweating after work a few times (this was pre-pandemic) and told me they'd be spending a few evenings implementing project work.
I remember a coworker telling me he had to learn assembly in a week for a major assignment his very first semester. And that caused a good chunk of his cohort to drop the program.
I'd give 20 to 1 that was CS6035. Project 1 is a ret2libc buffer overflow, and it's a bit of a wake-up call for many students. Certainly was for me, though I got through it.
I can't say enough good things about OMSCS. I'm finishing my 7th class and got an SWE role during my 5th. It's the real deal.
Just a few evenings? I spent entire weekends, sometimes all-nighters and even taking days off from work to finish big assignments. But I was working full-time with a significant commute and family responsibilities. Btw, I enjoyed every minute of it.
My current Director completed the online Tech MCS and said it was "challenging." Considering he's a polyglot tech wiz who masters new material ridiculously fast, it's clear that this program is the real deal.
> It's also indistinguishable from their on-campus MS in CS
This isn't exactly true. Only a fraction of all classes are available for the online program. The computational perception & robotics specialization for instance has a very limited selection of classes available. Plus, you don't get the benefit of in-person networking with your peers and professors, but that's just the price of being remote.
They also started an online MS in Cybersecurity in 2019. Three different tracks. The policy track only needs 1 CS'ish class. The Information Security track students would probably be better off just going for the MS in CS instead. A lot of students start in the Information Security track but switch over to Policy once they take the intro to info security class. All the classes in the Info Sec track are the same as the CS degree except they cost more. The energy/power track students don't seem to really exist. I'm done with 7/10 classes.
I'm in the Cybersecurity, Information Security Track. My undergrad was Business Administration. It's been a struggle trying to learn things as I go but so far no issues. I personally feel the MS in CS would be more valuable, but I never thought I would have been accepted into the program. I was accepted into the first semester of the MS in Cyber MS. If I had known that I would be successful, I would have applied to the CS degree years ago.
It's a rigorous degree, they only admit a limited number of students (so your application has to be reasonable), and it's completely affordable. It's also indistinguishable from their on-campus MS in CS. It doesn't say you took it "online" after you graduate. Georgia Tech is a pretty outstanding school, so this looks good for places that care.
If you want an MS in CS and want to do it from home, this is the one you want.
[1] Anecdotal, but I know five colleagues that have taken it and have nothing but praise for the program. The two I am closest to used for the following cases:
1. A CS grad working in the field used it to explore machine learning a decade after college. They had no previous experience with the field and then shifted into a deep learning role shortly before graduation.
2. Another close friend was a graduate working in radio research and wanted to learn CS fundamentals (OS, distributed, etc.). They're still doing radio work, but they used it to get an expanded role and a pretty substantial raise.
Both were very happy with the program. Both completed the program while working full time, though they admitted it was a ton of work.