MS Programs that are lenient towards non-CS applicants?

[cinoadam]

Are there more programs like UChicago and UPenn's MCIT that are lenient towards non-CS majors, and are more or less designed for non-CS majors?

 

 

[bassman]

I would also be interested in this. I'm a current holder of a B.A. in jazz studies and, faced with the abysmal reality of making money playing music, want to change career paths and go back to school for CS. I've considered getting a second bachelors, but most schools to don't accept undergraduate applications from people already holding a Bachelor's.

[cinoadam]

The UChicago program is only 1 year, much better than doing a 2nd bachelors in 3 years imo.  I wonder how selective Uchicago is though.

 

Edit: Does anyone know how employers view these degrees like UChicago's MS in computer science and UPenn's MCIT?  Can these degrees lead to software engineering roles?

Edited July 4, 2013 by cinoadam

[jpc123]

I was in a similar situation, having studied Econ. I applied to both MCIT at Penn and MS at NYU. I ended up going with the latter. It seems to me that they were willing to consider the fact that I had work experience that involved programming (mainly for data analysis) and that I demonstrated a keen interest.

 

In line with this, perhaps you can consider taking some non-degree courses in CS at your local university. Thsi way you can provide some kind of track record in the area. If that is not an option (it wasn't for me given my work schedule), try to take advantage of the many offerings online (coursera.org offers a lot of CS-oriented courses that are quite interesting and might at least work for your statement of purpose)

[cinoadam]

JPC, so you were able to get into NYU's MS in CS program with no CS courses once so ever?  Would you mind telling me your GPA, GRE scores were, and teh general profile of your undergrad school (ivy league, top 20, top 50) so I can put it into context?  

[Aurora15]

Brandeis University also has a program similar to Penn's MCIT program. There are two routes. One seems to allow you to just take courses without any real "degree" at the end of it. The other route gives you a Masters of Arts in Computer Science. You can check it out here:

 

http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/computerscience/postbac/standalone.html

 

http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/computerscience/postbac/masters.html

 

To answer some other questions on this thread, Penn's MCIT program definitely holds some weight with employers. I have two friends who both completed the MCIT program after their liberal arts degrees didn't get them anywhere. They had jobs lined up (position titles: web developer; software engineer) before they graduated due to on-campus recruiting. If you want to see where the Class of 2012 ended up, how much they made, where they became employed, you can review all that info here:

 

http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/files/SEASM_CPSurv2012.pdf

 

FYI: I am currently enrolled in the MCIT program.

[wanghaoran1992]

I was in a similar situation, having studied Econ. I applied to both MCIT at Penn and MS at NYU. I ended up going with the latter. It seems to me that they were willing to consider the fact that I had work experience that involved programming (mainly for data analysis) and that I demonstrated a keen interest.

 

In line with this, perhaps you can consider taking some non-degree courses in CS at your local university. Thsi way you can provide some kind of track record in the area. If that is not an option (it wasn't for me given my work schedule), try to take advantage of the many offerings online (coursera.org offers a lot of CS-oriented courses that are quite interesting and might at least work for your statement of purpose)

Hi jpc. Thank you for your sharing. I got admitted to NYU MS program this year, and am still waiting for the decision of MCIT. Would you mind sharing your considerations for choosing NYU over Upenn? 

[Codevangelist]

This is very informative.

 

Can 

jpc123, kimasx, wanghaoran1992

tell me how their GRE scores and other things helped them get into these programs?

 

[TexasGuy]

Gatech OMSCS

[meg123]

Hello everyone,

 

I am looking into transitionig from a biology background  to computer science and need some help and advice for the same. I have an MS in Biology and Bachelors in the same field too. I have been working in the biotech industry for the past 3 years, and have reached a point where I see myself doing something in comp sci in the future.

 

I have NO background in computer languages or any other formal education in this field other than knowing how to handle MS Office.  I contacted GATECH for their online MS CS program [coz I felt this was a great online program with great value] and this is what they told me too. They wanted me to be very familiar with some computer language and some advanced fields like algorithms, networking etc to name a few  before I could even apply. Now, I would like to know would anyone have any inputs as to how I can start preparing for my prerequisites, should I look into community colleges or online univs if at all they offer computer languages ? Is there any other reliable source that a non trad student like me can utilize to learn languages or advanced topics in computer science?

 

OR, am I better off earning some computer degree from a community college that I can utilize right away and start looking for jobs? 

Is the pay very different for a student graduating from a college than from a university?

 

I would appreciate any honest and useful suggestions!

 

Thanks in advance!

[cicada2014]

most MSCS are friendly to non-CS applicants (that's the point of the MS!)

 

phd is a different story

[svent]

Hello everyone,

 

I am looking into transitionig from a biology background  to computer science and need some help and advice for the same. I have an MS in Biology and Bachelors in the same field too. I have been working in the biotech industry for the past 3 years, and have reached a point where I see myself doing something in comp sci in the future.

 

I have NO background in computer languages or any other formal education in this field other than knowing how to handle MS Office.  I contacted GATECH for their online MS CS program [coz I felt this was a great online program with great value] and this is what they told me too. They wanted me to be very familiar with some computer language and some advanced fields like algorithms, networking etc to name a few  before I could even apply. Now, I would like to know would anyone have any inputs as to how I can start preparing for my prerequisites, should I look into community colleges or online univs if at all they offer computer languages ? Is there any other reliable source that a non trad student like me can utilize to learn languages or advanced topics in computer science?

 

OR, am I better off earning some computer degree from a community college that I can utilize right away and start looking for jobs? 

Is the pay very different for a student graduating from a college than from a university?

 

I would appreciate any honest and useful suggestions!

 

Thanks in advance!

There are a few postbac CS programs out there, but they're expensive, and not sure how good the schools are that offer them. Your best bet is to go to your local school, get in-state tuition, and start taking classes as a non-degree student. Programming, data structures, algorithms, automata theory, computer organization, operating systems at least. Maybe some others like networks, programming languages, compilers, etc. The problem is CS has gotten so impacted lately it will be hard to get in to classes if you're not a degree student. You'll also need discrete math (I assume you took calculus as a bio major) and possibly linear algebra and/or probability and/or stats. But these classes will likely interfere with your work schedule. I think Harvard Extension will let you take all of most of these classes online but it'll probably take a couple years.

 

Summer classes can be your friend (easier to get into), but be aware that some of the upper level ones will be very hard in a short time frame. I wouldn't recommend taking computer organization, operating systems, programming languages, or compilers in the summer.

[TexasGuy]

a degree will make things a lot easier to get a CS related job IMO.. i am starting at gatechs omscs program this fall coming from a non-cs background.for preparation, everything you need is online. but preparation for gatech omscs  it completely depends on what area you want  to specialize in. so do some research on the specialization areas and figure out what kinds of courses you want to take

[meg123]

Thanks everybody for all your input!! I had an inclination towards comp sci right from undergrad( which I did in India) and the system there is not flexible like how it is here. Hence due to circumstances at that time, I had to do  biology( dont want to continue in this field). Just recently I started learning HTML and CSS from an Open courseware source and I have been pretty hooked on to it, so I feel I will be able to transition into CS and do that for a career too. 

[emmm]

If you need to take some CS classes, starting at a CC could be an affordable option, but may only get you through CS 1 and CS 2. You might need to look into university courses for other typical prerequisites for a master's program. For example, U of WA has a summer sessions that is open to anyone; though course offerings are limited, a data structures and algorithms class is generally available. Other schools might have similar programs during the summer. Harvard Extension has a lot of options online for fall and spring, but is very expensive.