CMU(SV) MS-SE or Columbia CS

[David.wx]

Hi everyone, I received the admissions to the M.S. program in Computer Science from Columbia and the M.S. program in Software Engineering (MS-SE) at CMU-Silicon Valley (SV) campus. They are both great graduate university and I like them both. It’s a hard problem for me to decide which program to attend. So I really want to listen to your advice.

 

I gathered some information about these programs on the Internet and I came up with some pros and cons for them. Hope they can help;)

 

CMU-SV(program link: http://www.ece.cmu.edu/programs-admissions/ms-in-se/index.html):

pros:

         1. Great Position: This program is located in Silicon Valley. I believe there would be millions of opportunities to do an intern or hunt for a full-time job. What’s even better is that I don’t have to travel far to take the on-site interview. Besides, the weather in North California is awesome. I am sure it’ll be a great place for studying and living in.

         2. Research Interest: The SV campus of CMU is dedicated in the area of mobility, which has deep connections with local companies. In fact, I found my great interests in this area. I like to do some research work related to mobile computing or cloud computing. In fact, I emailed a professor there to ask if I could join his group. His feedback was positive and he told me we could talk after my arrivals.

         3. Great Reputation in IT: I believe the reputation of CMU in IT world is exceptional. Plus its great position at SV, as well as my efforts, I don’t think it’ll be a problem for me to find a job there in the future.

 

cons:

         1. First-year Program(uncertainty): The MS-SE program at CMU-SV underwent some changes recently and it was just  affiliated with Electrical & Computer Engineering this year. Last year, this program is a one-year project-based program. However, now it lasts for 1.5 years. Besides, the curriculum is also expected to change. So there are kind of uncertainties in this program.

         2. Limited courses: Since the main campus of CMU is at Pittsburgh, most of faulty and study resources are at Pittsburgh. The most apparent disadvantage because of this is that the courses for us to choose are limited. Although some of courses will be broadcasted to SV and we can request to take up residence at the Pittsburgh campus after the first semester at SV, it’ll be quite inconvenient.

         3. Campus Culture: The SV campus is located at the NASA Research Park. There are only two buildings available for CMU students. So I suppose there would be little campus culture, which is a great pity.

 

Columbia(program link: http://www.cs.columbia.edu/education/ms):

pros: 

         1. Great Overall Reputation: As an IVY university, Columbia has a world-wide reputation. Many people did suggest me that if I choose to go back to China in the future, Columbia is a better choice as everybody here in China knows about Columbia.

         2. Diversity and Network: New York City is a diverse city. Compared to the geek environment in CMU(although I consider myself a geek;)), Columbia is much more diverse and I am expecting to know some extraordinary people there. I believe Columbia would provide me with diverse experience and networks that no place could provide.

         3. World-renowned Faculty: Another advantage of Columbia is its faulty. I heard some very famous people who wrote text books are working at Columbia. Unlike CMU where most faculties are far away from SV, I can actually interact with those giants and even work with them. Beside, Columbia CS is still recruiting new distinguished faculties. David Blei, the founder of Topic Model in machine learning and the former professor at Princeton, just join the CS department of Columbia.

         4. “Pure” CS Program: Compared to the MS-SE(Master of Science in Software Engineering) at CMU-SV, Columbia’s program is a CS program. This means I could have more areas (Software Systems, Machine Learning, Graphics, Networks and etc.) to study at Columbia. There is also a Software System Lab which focuses on researches on mobile systems. I contacted the professor; he also wanted me to talk with him in the fall.

 

cons:

         1. Too Many Student Enrolled: It is said that last year the MS program in CS enrolled 190 student worldwide. I supposed this year there would be at least 100 student enrolled in this program. With so many peers and limited resources at Columbia, I am little worried about the potential competitions.

         2. Investment Bank: I also heard a lot about the jobs found by Columbia CS graduates. It is said most of them will still enter tech companies like Google or Microsoft, but some of them will end up in IT department of some investment banks. However, some people are complaining that the future for those who entered investment banks is not so bright, though they can also make decent money there, because the technical work at investment bank - mostly concerning the back-end management systems - does not sound so exciting like those cool staff at Google like Google Glass.

 

Personally, I think I am geek guy. I like cool stuff and I desire to implement great ideas with my own efforts. So ideally I would like to join big companies like Google or Microsoft. Besides, I am also dreaming of building up my own business one day. But if I could find a job in an investment bank, I would not repel it.

 

So how should choose? Expecting your advice;) Thank you!

[David.wx]

Anyone help？

[David.wx]

OK, because of the strong advantage in finding jobs at SV, my final decision is CMU-SV...

Anyone who's also enrolled in the program of MS-SE at CMU-SV, contact me Please!

Thank you!

[Icydubloon]

I would have voted CMU as well. It doesn't matter if Columbia is an ivy league. CMU is (tied for) number one in CS and the world knows that.

[David.wx]

Hi guys, things became more complicated, I just received AD from UPenn and Dartmouth College(with scholarships)! Still CMU-SV? Any advice?

[PhDerp]

Hi guys, things became more complicated, I just received AD from UPenn and Dartmouth College(with scholarships)! Still CMU-SV? Any advice?

 

If I were you, I'd go to CMU-SV. The internship opportunities sound important to you. Yes, you can get internships from other schools and there will be recruiting events from all over. But it's easier to hire someone already in-state, and to invite them in to interview. This also makes you more accessible to the startups that aren't ready to invest hundreds in flying you across country for an interview! You're automatically casting a wider net just by being in Silicon Valley. Also, SV has a really good culture for CS; you'll be able to find techies and collaborators at bars, not just in the classroom! IMO that's the coolest thing about the Bay Area.

 

Still, it's hard to tell what other people's priorities are. Maybe you just wouldn't like SV. Who knows? You might end up working in Boulder or Cambridge instead! But I think it's easier to start at the heart of the tech industry if your goal is to get involved.

 

Congratulations, by the way!! And good luck! Keep us posted.

Edited April 23, 2014 by PhDerp

[thedreamykind]

I'd have gone to Columbia, or UPenn (if it was much cheaper than Columbia).

 

Depends on what you want to study - the MS CS curriculum would likely be fairly different from SE at CMU.

From my understanding, the SE course is coursework oriented - complete your credits, get a job and leave. Also, the courses would probably be tailored to SE rather than core CS. MS Computer Science, on the other hand, would give you more exposure to core Computer Science (algorithms, machine learning, NLP - whatever you're interested in), and also more research opportunities if you're looking for those.

Also, while the CMU brand name does stand out, you can't just go by the rankings. CMU has around 8-10 different masters courses related to CS, and courses like MS CS, Language Technologies, Machine Learning, etc are very difficult to get into. MS Computer Science at Columbia is their main CS course.

 

In terms of internships and jobs, I don't think you'd have trouble finding opportunities at any of the top-20 schools. Columbia, being in NY, will have easy access to the financial industry (which has plenty of tech jobs, I'm working one right now), and also the start-up scene in NY, which I've heard good things about.

 

Congratulations on your admits, and good luck with your decision!

[David.wx]

If I were you, I'd go to CMU-SV. The internship opportunities sound important to you. Yes, you can get internships from other schools and there will be recruiting events from all over. But it's easier to hire someone already in-state, and to invite them in to interview. This also makes you more accessible to the startups that aren't ready to invest hundreds in flying you across country for an interview! You're automatically casting a wider net just by being in Silicon Valley. Also, SV has a really good culture for CS; you'll be able to find techies and collaborators at bars, not just in the classroom! IMO that's the coolest thing about the Bay Area.

 

Still, it's hard to tell what other people's priorities are. Maybe you just wouldn't like SV. Who knows? You might end up working in Boulder or Cambridge instead! But I think it's easier to start at the heart of the tech industry if your goal is to get involved.

 

Congratulations, by the way!! And good luck! Keep us posted.

 

Hi, thanks a lot for your advice! I am so excited by the Bay Area now and I believe it'll be a great choice for me. As you mentioned above, "Yes, you can get internships from other schools", do you mean that I can participate in the career fairs held in other schools nearby like Stanford. If that's true, that'll be really exciting!

[David.wx]

I'd have gone to Columbia, or UPenn (if it was much cheaper than Columbia).

 

Depends on what you want to study - the MS CS curriculum would likely be fairly different from SE at CMU.

From my understanding, the SE course is coursework oriented - complete your credits, get a job and leave. Also, the courses would probably be tailored to SE rather than core CS. MS Computer Science, on the other hand, would give you more exposure to core Computer Science (algorithms, machine learning, NLP - whatever you're interested in), and also more research opportunities if you're looking for those.

Also, while the CMU brand name does stand out, you can't just go by the rankings. CMU has around 8-10 different masters courses related to CS, and courses like MS CS, Language Technologies, Machine Learning, etc are very difficult to get into. MS Computer Science at Columbia is their main CS course.

 

In terms of internships and jobs, I don't think you'd have trouble finding opportunities at any of the top-20 schools. Columbia, being in NY, will have easy access to the financial industry (which has plenty of tech jobs, I'm working one right now), and also the start-up scene in NY, which I've heard good things about.

 

Congratulations on your admits, and good luck with your decision!

 

Thanks! That helps a lot. I do agree with your opinion on the different courses between SE and CS. But my current plan after graduation is to find a job in a high-tech company. CMU-SV seems more suitable to me. It's not easy to decline a school like Columbia, but I hope I've made the wise decision. Thank you again

[SumanKumarSP]

Hello Friend,

Your post is still an inspiration for candidates.

I'm planning to pursue MS SE from CMU-SV campus in Fall 2017.

I work as Technical Manager with 12 years experience in software industry.

Will it be considered during admissions?

Thanking you,

Suman Kumar