Masters in Computer Science vs PhD in Sociology

[Owego]

Crazy thread I know.

 

 

I graduated from college last year with a sociology degree and have been meandering around on a fifteen dollar an hour salary ever since. I'd been planning to apply to PhD programs next year and kind of have a romanticized image of it in my head. I'm not sure if it's something I truly want to do or if I just romanticized it because it seemed like my only option. I don't really picture myself being a good teacher, but you never know.

On a whim I applied to some masters of computer science programs despite having very little programing experience (although enough to know I find it interesting). I just got accepted to one at a top 10 university. Not sure if I should take it. It would require me to go 50-60 thousand dollars in debt, but the quickness of the program and high salaries in the industry likely make it the better financial option long term. Any advice? It seems like such a huge change of direction and could go massively wrong. Could I really learn enough about computer science in 2 years to make get a job at a place like Google or Microsoft? What would you do in my situation?

[juilletmercredi]

You got accepted to a top 10 master's program without any computer science coursework or programming experience?   Huh.

 

They're not mutually exclusive processes.  You could choose to get a master's in CS now and a PhD in sociology later.  You could decided to do neither.  While your decision for one will definitely influence the other, you need to go through semi-separate processes to make that decision.

 

Questions for the PhD program

-Do you really want to spend 6-7 years of your life studying a social science?  Are you willing to work 40-70 hour weeks for those 6-7 years (on average), taking classes and qualifying exams plus doing research with/for a professor in your department and trying to publish papers?  Scientific papers that only people in your field will read?  These are the things you need to do to get a job.

-Do you have a passion for a job that requires a PhD?  That's primarily as a sociology professor at a college or university, but could potentially include being a researcher at a think tank or government agency.  Do note that professors don't just teach, they do research and publish scientific papers and books - although the balance of both depends on where you are employed.  Also note that these jobs are extremely competitive - most of them are probably just as competitive as trying to get an internship at Google or Microsoft.

-Is there a research topic you are particularly interested in?  Can you see yourself making that your research agenda for at least 10-15 years?

-Are you okay with living on $20-30K for the next 6-7 years of your life, even though you will be working as much as people in much higher-paid fields?

 

Questions for the CS program

-How much debt do you already have from undergrad?  Can you expect to make at least as much as you've borrowed?  $50-60K isn't that much debt for a master's in CS, but you also have to factor in how much you already owe.  (Does that amount include living expenses?)

-Is working at Google or Microsoft a personal requirement for your CS degree?  In other words, is that going to be the only thing that makes it worth it?  Because remember that literally *hundreds* of of people are going to be competing for those plum, well-paid jobs at those top tech firms (and others, like Apple, Sun Microsystems, Symantec, Intel, etc.)  Everyone who goes to your top program and all the other top 30 programs will want those positions, too.  Will you also be satisfied working, say, as the IT person at a more local firm?  As a software developer for an unrelated firm that needs software to manage their personnel or store data?  Not that you still can't get into a great firm, but chances are slim at those very top-rated places.

-How much do you actually know about CS?  Are you pretty sure (like 80% sure) that you'd at least be content at working as a CS person for at least 5-10 years?