Please Guide Me! UIUC MCS(Professional) vs USC MS CS

[harddecision]

Hi,

 

I have two options. UIUC Professional MCS and USC MS CS. I want to enter industry right after completing masters. I do not want to continue to PhD program.

 

I am inclined towards UIUC due to its ranking; however, also concerned that a professional degree may not have the same respect in the eyes of big tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.

 

Do you think a professional degree from UIUC will hinder or limit my employment opportunities after graduation? Will USC MS and alumni network would be a better option to secure a job?

 

As I am very confused, I would be very grateful to all for any help as April 15 is drawing near.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[harddecision]

Hi Friends,

 

Thank you so much for helping me with poll. Is there any way I can find the placement record of UIUC Professional MCS students. I am very concerned about shelling out money on a degree with the word "Professional". But again, would it matter in the industry?

 

Please help!

 

Thanks! 

[PhDerp]

To be blunt, I'm not aware of anyone with any kind of CS degree having trouble finding work. The only professional master's student I know (did UG in India, then the master's at my UG university) works at Amazon in Seattle now, and is very happy there. And that's not even as renowned a school as UIUC.

It sounds like you're not looking for research positions. Is this right?

[UCLAColumbiaUNC]

I'd go with UIUC.... much better name recognition. And you would be taking the same courses with the MS/PhD students anyways. The only difference is the amount of research (MCS almost none, MS/PhD, a lot).

[billrach]

I'm interested in this question as well.  What about professsional degrees like 'Master in Software Development' or 'Master in Software Engineering'?  Would those be viewed as inferior to pure CS degrees when it comes to job recruiting?  Some very reputable CS schools like CMU have software engineering degrees, but I was wondering how much value those degrees have.

[altaire12]

I realized this post is more than 6 months old but I'm curious. @harddecision, which school/degree did you end up choosing? What do you think about the school that you chose?

 

I got admitted to both USC CS (Technical Professional) as well as UIUC MCS and have a hard time choosing.

[bsk]

@harddecision @altaire12 In a similar situation. Any suggestions? Thank you!

[wannabegrad'20]

It depends on what you want to do after the Masters. If you plan to go for a PhD then I would pick USC because it would give you research experience. If you're sure that you'll be entering the industry then I would pick UIUC. I don't think employers care about MSCS vs MCS as long as you do the same coursework and projects.