NVP12345

I did my undergrad at WUSTL and have a few friends who did their BS/MS in CS there. The university overall is highly reputable -- consistently in the top 15 in the US over the past several years. The CS and Engineering depts. in general are ranked slightly lower, in the 20's and 30's. I can't speak to their funding opportunities but I know that my friends all got good jobs out of school, though not in St. Louis. There are not many CS jobs in St. Louis, at least when compared with NYC/Bay Area, so I suspect that you will be looking primarily elsewhere. Top 20's may be a stretch, but it is not far off. If you do well, I'm sure that many major companies will consider you -- and once you get the interview, how well you perform is really all that matters. St. Louis itself is great, there are lots of areas that are fun and worth exploring and the cost of living is dirt cheap, which is a factor if money is an issue.

This is a really old post, but I am interested in this subject as well -- do the original posters or anyone else have anything to contribute?

Help! It's down to the wire and I have no idea which would be better. Here are some factors: For UCLA: I got to visit UCLA and I really liked that they require a thesis or project and that professors work closely with MS students as well as their PhD's. Also required pass/fail seminar in current topics in CS so I can keep up to date on advancements in industry. Weather is WAY better Could drive up to Silicon Valley for a weekend if necessary to interview. More jobs in LA than Madison, and Google Santa Monica is walking distance from campus. For Wisconsin: Entirely coursework-based, which is good if I want to have a set plan to graduation. No guaranteed opportunity for thesis/project without finding a professor to work with on my own. Ranked slightly higher than UCLA, and admission is way more selective (~8% vs 25%). Virtually everyone (>90%) accepted attends as opposed to ~50% for UCLA (I'm guessing a lot of those students apply/get accepted to Berkeley, CMU, Stanford etc.), but most students have guaranteed funding which I do not. Possibility to apply for TA- or RA-ship but no guarantees. Closer to home in Connecticut, but farther from many jobs. Anyone who knows more about these two schools, feel free to enlighten me! I have 3 days to decide!

Help! It's down to the wire and I have no idea which would be better. Here are some factors: For UCLA: I got to visit UCLA and I really liked that they require a thesis or project and that professors work closely with MS students as well as their PhD's. Also required pass/fail seminar in current topics in CS so I can keep up to date on advancements in industry. Weather is WAY better Could drive up to Silicon Valley for a weekend if necessary to interview. More jobs in LA than Madison, and Google Santa Monica is walking distance from campus. For Wisconsin: Entirely coursework-based, which is good if I want to have a set plan to graduation. No guaranteed opportunity for thesis/project without finding a professor to work with on my own. Ranked slightly higher than UCLA, and admission is way more selective (~8% vs 25%). Virtually everyone (>90%) accepted attends as opposed to ~50% for UCLA (I'm guessing a lot of those students apply/get accepted to Berkeley, CMU, Stanford etc.), but most students have guaranteed funding which I do not. Possibility to apply for TA- or RA-ship but no guarantees. Closer to home in Connecticut, but farther from many jobs. Anyone who knows more about these two schools, feel free to enlighten me! I have 3 days to decide!

Hey everyone, I'm starting a Masters program next year at either UCLA or Columbia, and their programs differ pretty significantly. UCLA requires either a Thesis or a "Comprehensive Examination" which is just like a thesis with slightly lower standards. Columbia, on the other hand, mostly consists of courses in specialized tracks with no extra requirement (just like undergrad, pass your courses and you get your degree), though they also offer the option to do a thesis. I'm likely looking to make a Masters my terminal degree, and am more interested in industry than in research. On the other hand, I feel that I may learn more by opting to do the thesis, and that I could impress interviewers with my research when the time comes to hunt for jobs. It might also be nice to keep open the option to work in research or come back for a PhD. However, the open-endedness of doing a thesis is daunting to me, particularly because I was not a CS major as an undergrad and only have been doing CS coursework for a little over a year. I worry that I may struggle to come up with a good topic, or hit a wall and end up staying in school longer than I hope. So, would it be worth it to suck it up and go for the thesis? Would it be much more rewarding and fulfilling, or tiring and frustrating? Which do employers value more in an MS program, if either? Thanks for your input, and please share helpful comments and insight below!

I've just learned I'm admitted to these schools for MS in Computer Science, and they are my only serious contenders at this point. A few things that are factors for me: - I am already at Columbia (School of Continuing Education), and the 3 graduate-level courses I am taking now will transfer in directly. UCLA MAY let me transfer in two of these pending a petition to the department. Wisconsin will not take any transfer credit. - I am out of state for UCLA and Wisconsin so cost is comparable to each other and Columbia - I've been in New York for almost 4 years and am getting a little sick of it - I think I'd rather end up on the west coast after I graduate, but would like whatever school I choose to be held in high regard on either coast - My number one concern is the quality of job I'll be able to find when I graduate I am interested in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning and Software/Networks engineering. Any thoughts from those with some knowledge about this area would be helpful. Thanks!

[sorry for the repost -- I just learned of my acceptance to the third school, and I didn't realize there was a sweet poll option! Please factor in my personal considerations when voting, and thank you! ] I've just learned I'm admitted to these schools for MS in Computer Science, and they are my only serious contenders at this point. A few things that are factors for me: - I am already at Columbia (School of Continuing Education), and the 3 graduate-level courses I am taking now will transfer in directly. UCLA MAY let me transfer in two of these pending a petition to the department. Wisconsin will not take any transfer credit. - I am out of state for UCLA and Wisconsin so cost is comparable to each other and Columbia - I've been in New York for almost 4 years and am getting a little sick of it - I think I'd rather end up on the west coast after I graduate, but would like whatever school I choose to be held in high regard on either coast - My number one concern is the quality of job I'll be able to find when I graduate I am interested in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning and Software/Networks engineering. Any thoughts from those with some knowledge about this area would be helpful. Thanks!

Thanks so much for the great insight. I am surprised that people haven't heard of Columbia out west, at least to the extent that I thought. And I know you're right that the opposite is true here on the east coast -- UCLA is respected as one of the best state schools, but on the east coast people do put a lot more stock in the Ivy league. I've had a lot of pressure from family in CT to go to Columbia just based on that. As for the cost, you're right Columbia on the average is higher, but remember what I said about my credits being transferrable as I'm already studying there. Columbia charges on a per-point basis, and since I only have 21 left to complete after this semester the cost would be roughly 28,000 + health and fees. Compare that to UCLA, where a year runs an out-of-state student over $29,000 all-inclusive (http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/fees/gradfee.htm). Also, I live with my girlfriend (and leaving her is a whole other issue, but one I'm trying to leave out of my decision process), so I have a very good deal where I pay about $800 only about 10 blocks from campus at Columbia. So you can see, the difference in cost is pretty negligible for me. Does CA really suck that bad for jobs? I'm guessing the competition is a little stiffer as its such a haven for the tech industry. I know NYC startups are taking off in the last few years, and there are only a handful of top tier schools nearby.

I've just learned I'm admitted to both for MS in Computer Science, and these two are my only serious contenders at this point. A few things that are factors for me: - I am already at Columbia (School of Continuing Education), and the 3 courses I am taking now will transfer in directly. So I would only have 7 courses to complete at Columbia (a single year, easy) while at UCLA I'd be starting from scratch, likely 1.5-2 years - I am out of state for UCLA so cost is comparable to each other - I've been in New York for almost 4 years and am getting a little sick of it - I think I'd rather end up on the west coast after I graduate - My number one concern is the quality of job I'll be able to find when I graduate I am interested in Artificial Intelligence and Software/Networks engineering. Any thoughts from those with some knowledge about this area would be helpful. Thanks!