fatman

Well, my company fancies itself a pretty research-y type of place - lots of prototypes and proof-of-concept stuff, and the non-managerial senior staff are decently phD-laden. Or maybe it's just my ego talking. At any rate, 8 years seems a little long for two classes at a time, including summers, with maybe a transfer course headstart.

Certainly, probability is alot more useful. But number theory is plain more fun. Also, what school doens't offer probabilty at least once a year? It's pretty important stuff.

Thanks for the info. Maryland looks like a great program, especially in computer vision. I was thinking more along the lines of Villanova, Drexel, or Delaware, but it can't hurt to aim high. The UM website says phD requires 3 years of residency - but I've kinda gotten the impression in the past with my own and collegues experiences (though nowhere as highly ranked as UM) that that requirement is not always iron-clad. As far as developing contacts with professors, I was thinking (hoping) that the stuff I'm working on now could result in something worth a presentation at a conference somewhere, or publishing on the web. Either that, or I'll just try and enroll in a single class somewhere to get a foot in the door. Is paying for classes all there is to "funding"? Or is there more $$ involved somehow? Are GRE's really mandatory? Seems strange to me to require such a generalist test for such a specialized education. Just one more thing I need to start preparing for - if I do this, it's probably gonna be 2014 till I get started.

I'm a mid-career Android developer with an M.S. in Software Engineering from a program one step above a degree mill. Given my personality and interests, "technical expert" seems like a more appropriate career arc than "engineering manager" - so I'm considering trying for a phD. My employer has a pretty generous program where they will not only pay for a doctorate, but also give me 8 hrs a week off (paid) to use for classes and coursework. I've got a mortgage, a job, and a family, so anything more than 2 classes at time is a no-go. Also, I'm pretty much stuck looking at schools in Baltimore, Philadelphia and parts inbetween. (on the bright side I don't think I'd need any funding, right?) Is anyone aware of any part-time CS phD programs that fit my requirements? I've spent the last 8 months developing computer vision algorithms for Android, and I think that would be a pretty cool area for research. I'm not looking for anything elite, just a decent school that's not the University of Phoenix. Thanks, Fatman