Hi all,
I am currently finishing up my undergrad in Canada. I applied to a number of schools for Computer Engineering in the fall (specializing in Computer Architecture). I've gotten some acceptances from schools I applied to, which I'm very happy about, but now of course I have to make a choice.
I applied to M.S. in some places and PhD in others, partly to try my luck and partly because I don't really want to spend another 5 years in school unless I really like what I'm doing. I'm open to doing a PhD, but only if I feel I'd get a real benefit by doing so.
I applied to the EE M.S. at Stanford and got in (no funding), and also got in to the PhD at UMichigan in CSE (they said with financial aid, don't know how much yet). I was also accepted to the University of Toronto's Masters program (which has a mixture of courses and research).
At the end of my schooling, I'd like to go into industry rather than academia. I've got a fair bit of work experience through internships in my undergrad, so I know what it's like. I'd like to pick the degree that opens the most doors for me. I applied to grad school because I wanted to learn more about computer architecture and associated fields to get a better understanding. I also feel that the creative thinking involved in research would be beneficial when designing/implementing systems in industry.
Stanford of course has the brand name that turns heads, and is close to successful Silicon Valley companies. However, I understand that the M.S. is course based, and Masters students don't really get to do research with profs and learn that way (in the words of PhD comics - "come back when you've finished quals"). Living expenses are also said to be quite high, making for an expensive degree that's really just a bunch of extra courses for the most part.
Michigan, while not as big a brand name as Stanford (but still big in computer architecture), has admission to the PhD program which would definitely allow me to do research. The profs there seem to be doing interesting stuff as well (which is why I applied). There's also at least some funding, though I am willing to pay for a good degree if it'll help me in the long run.
Last but not least, the U of T option allows me to stay in Canada and do research - although I'm not sure what the worldwide reputation of U of T is and how it looks to potential employers in Silicon Valley and elsewhere.
The gist is this: I feel that a research-based degree might be more beneficial to me for learning purposes (i.e. teach me more), but the brand name of Stanford might be too good to pass up. Does a Stanford EE Masters have a lot of value at companies in Comp. Arch. (Intel, NVIDIA, etc), or is its value discounted because Stanford admits a lot of Masters students to make money? Does going to Stanford allow one to develop connections that help lead to good jobs after the degree, or is that only on the PhD side?
If I go the Michigan route but get fed up after completing the Masters requirements (which is also just a bunch of courses), I believe I could leave with just the Masters (and that people have done this), but then I feel I'd be burning my bridges so to speak, and toasting any chance of good references from professors in the future. So that's another factor that weighs on my mind with the Michigan decision.
Any advice would be appreciated. If any of my understanding isn't right, please do let me know. Thanks!
