Cornell Tech M.Eng CS vs on-campus GA Tech MS CS

[uncouthSWE]

Cornell Tech: rank 6 in CS. No scope for research and limited course selection, but better for entrepreneurship and resume branding. The existing course selection is almost exactly what I want and the courses are likely better and more current than those at GATech. Would be stuck taking mandatory "Studio" curriculum and doing some assigned project for a company. Could write "Cornell University" instead of "Cornell Tech" on my resume, as some people already do. Coursework on entrepreneurship might be useful b/c I have a side project that I've thought about developing further and selling. Then there is also the fact that this is an Ivy and no one has heard of my undergrad. Cornell and Cornell Tech M.Eng CS admission rate: 20% in 2017 but this has likely dropped significantly

 

GATech: rank 8 in CS. Potential (but no guarantee) to be granted permission to write a thesis and maybe publish a couple of research ideas I've had and would like to explore. Some courses have become a bit dated based on what I have read online. Slightly cheaper than Cornell Tech but the tuition difference is small compared to the lost income, so I don't consider this important. Aside from inferior rank and non-Ivy status, the other major branding disadvantage is that this program is indistinguishable from the online one on anyone's resume - it's possible to start the online one in year X and complete it in year X+1 while unemployed, just like the on-campus one and for less tuition. Admission rate: 10% in 2020

 

Before anyone asks, I have already considered GATech's online MS CS. It is totally ubiquitous at this point and hence doesn't seem worth the time and effort for me in place of targeted self-study. Plus there is no opportunity to write a thesis or do anything besides take courses. I have read multiple posts online stating that it did absolutely nothing for their career, perhaps because it doesn't provide the same branding and networking boost as completing a more selective program. Its admission rate is over 60%. Most recruiters know that and hence don't regard it in the same light as top on-campus programs.

 

My ideal goal is to do research, learn about entrepreneurship, and then return to industry while learning as much as possible and improving my resume branding. Unfortunately, no single CS master's program allows me to do research AND learn about entrepreneurship. Supposedly some people go on to do a Ph.D. even after the Cornell M.Eng in CS, although I'm unsure about the Cornell Tech M.Eng in CS. I am seriously questioning the point in getting a master's at all but I transitioned to software engineering from a different field and know I'd learn a lot. I'm mainly hoping to improve my skills and never be turned down for any position again based on my lack of education. I have 5 years of experience as a software engineer.

[nokturnal]

1. Writing Cornell University instead of Cornell Tech is disingenuous. 
2. Limited coursework is a huge downside. Why would you even think of it as an option?
3. Courses in entrepreneurship? Nothing to do with CS. Will not help you in regards to anything CS. Go get an MBA if you want business education.
4. Ivy? An Ivy in the sense that it is RELATED to Cornell. You wouldn't just go to Harvard Extension School because it has Harvard in the name. I don't see your logic here.
5. There are programs dedicated to doing research (VIP) at Georgia Tech but who the f gives a flying f about that in industry? Are you going to become a PhD student or are you trying to further your career in software engineering? No one is going to turn their nose up at a Georgia Tech master's degree. 
6. There is no major branding disadvantage. The school is well-regarded in computer science. Period. The difference between their rank is inconsequential and you're comparing Cornell (not Cornell Tech) versus Georgia Tech.
7. What are you expecting out of a master's degree that you're not getting from your undergrad degree? You think people are going to hand you things because you got a master's degree at so and so university? Sorry, that only really happens straight out of undergrad. You go to graduate school to get a specialized education and then put that to use. There's zero reason it would close any doors to you if you're going down the CS route. If you work at a company that does CS research, it should get you in the door.
8. You're highly misinformed and honestly, I don't think you should go for a master's degree at either of these institutions if all you're wanting out of it is some clout. And from the sound of it basically it seems like you're going to dip out of industry and then come back, which is a terrible idea because that will legit date you in SWE. 5 years of experience I feel like should've taught you that unless you've been stuck at the same company. 
9. "I'm mainly hoping to improve my skills and never be turned down for any position again based on my lack of education. " I highly doubt you've been turned down because of that. I did not get a CS degree and rose up through senior, probably a year out from architect at this point. If you try to get in anywhere worth a damn, it's not your lack of education holding you back, it's your preparation or your experience you've got (what they're looking for). Rarely have I ever been passed on for interviews.  I'm about to go work at a FAANG company transitioning from a Fortune 50 company. I don't even have my master's degree complete yet.
10. There is no distinction between the online GA Tech master's program and the in-person master's program at GA Tech. It is the same level of rigor. The entry requirements are different because they are in the business of admitting those they think will succeed. It doesn't take away from the program. It's hard to get out. The only way it would detract from it is if a majority of the people graduating turned out to be crummy engineers, which isn't the case. 

If I were you, I'd take a lot more time before considering applying to a master's degree. 

Edited May 16, 2021 by nokturnal

[uncouthSWE]

I am seeing your response fairly late here.

1. I asked and have received explicit confirmation from Cornell Tech's administration that writing "Cornell University" instead of "Cornell Tech" on one's resume and/or LinkedIn profile is permitted by the university. I've even seen Cornell undergrads do it, in addition to graduates from similarly prestigious undergrad programs. Fundamentally, a degree from Cornell Tech is a degree from Cornell University and Cornell Tech is a campus of Cornell University.
2. Almost all of the courses I want are there, aside from an OS course which used to be taught at Cornell Tech. I can take that one elsewhere and I think the benefits of Cornell Tech outweigh that downside. Completing the degree in 9 months is a major benefit in any full-time program, given the opportunity cost of not working. At GA Tech, it would take 16 months on campus.
3. There is little academic relation but lots of overlap in the private sector between the CS and entrepreneurship fields. I want an education in CS and entrepreneurship, so in that sense Cornell Tech perfect. Cornell Tech (not Cornell University in Ithaca) also has more VC funding per alum than any other university in the US by far, according to the data that I could find on TechCrunch and elsewhere. And it's in the top 5 or so in (VC funding/(MBA + CS alum count)).
4. See the first point. A degree from Cornell Tech is a degree from Cornell University and Cornell Tech is a campus of Cornell University. The diploma lists Cornell University, not Cornell Tech. 
5. It would be ideal to preserve the option to do a PhD later and having a publication or two is immensely helpful for landing an ML job. In that sense, the on-campus MS CS at Georgia Tech is superior to the M.Eng CS at Cornell or Cornell Tech.
6. That's true but you can actually quantify this to some extent. Cornell places a substantially higher percentage of CS alumni at GAAF (Google, Apple, Amazon, FB) than Georgia Tech, as does Cornell Tech according to LinkedIn data: https://www.reddit.com/r/csMajors/comments/mowct6/faag_by_school/. (You can check Cornell Tech on LinkedIn separately. Georgia Tech also fares worse relative to Cornell/Cornell Tech once Amazon is excluded, which is by far the least desirable FAANG company to join.)
7. I don't have a degree or any research experience in CS and have no training in entrepreneurship, so I'd like an education in all of those things. No reputable company hires people into actual CS research positions (not data scientist jobs) without any CS research experience or formal education in CS, which is the case for me. (Although it seems to be possible in rare cases with only one of those qualifications.)
8. "Clout" is not all I want out of a master's degree (which is obvious from my previous post) and 9 months doing a master's degree will not "date" me as a software engineer. It's quite common for people to take a year to travel and return to working for top Silicon Valley companies, let alone getting a relevant master's degree from a top program.
9. I agree with you here for the most part but education definitely still matters to some top software engineering companies. With no CS degree and without Cornell or Cornell Tech listed on my resume, I was offered senior SWE positions at Apple, Lyft, Wish, Citadel, and Jump Trading shortly before dropping out of Cornell Tech in the first week. However, I still want to finish my Cornell Tech M.Eng in CS at some point. My only reason for dropping out was because my original plan of deferring my start date did not pan out at any company and getting those offers took considerably more work than applying to 11 top CS master's degree programs. I was assured that attending Cornell Tech in the future would be possible, so it seemed best to accept one of my offers.
10. I already applied and was admitted to both programs when I posted this almost a year ago, and researched them intensively. The fact is that the on-campus MS CS at Georgia Tech offers the thesis and capstone options, which the OMSCS does not. In addition, it offers courses that are not available in the OMSCS. In that sense, they are fundamentally different. Although obviously the OMSCS has the advantages of lower cost, the ability to do it while working, and the ability to do it remotely while traveling the world or living abroad.

Edited March 8, 2022 by uncouthSWE