online Masters in Computer Science... UIUC MCS or Georgia Tech MSCS?

[UCLAColumbiaUNC]

Obviously, both UIUC and Ga Tech computer science departments are in top 10 with UIUC being ranked a little higher. So you will benefit from a Computer Science degree from either institution.

 

One great thing about Ga Tech online computer science master is it only costs $7000 for the entire 30-credit program, while UIUC will cost you about $35000 for the entire 32-credit program. Though you can theoretically lower the total cost to about $25K if you take 4 classes at Ga Tech for 12 credit and transfer 12-creidt hours back to UIUC to save roughly $10000. (UIUC allows you to take class elsewhere during summer because there are very few CS courses offered during summer semester.) I took one UIUC online CS course, and it's basically just a video recording the on-campus lecture earlier in the day, so you'll see a huge lecture hall, but you can't see your professor clearly, however, you'll see the powerpoint presentation being shown in another video feed. And you'll basically on your own with homework/exam after watching the recorded lecture. TA/professors will answer emails and comment in piazza forum, but you don't get the face-to-face office hour like on-campus students do. I am not sure about Ga Tech online course, but I heard the lectures are produced specifically for online students, so I think it's not a video recording of on-campus lecture, but rather professors recording themselves in a production studio giving lectures.

 

Another thing to consider is, Ga Tech admits a lot more students to its online MSCS program than UIUC admits its MCS applicants (online or on-campus). I was told by an administrative advisor of UIUC MCS program that the admission rate of UIUC MCS is about 1 out of 10 for Fall semester and about 2 out of 10 for Spring semester. For Georgia Tech's new online program, they enrolled about 300 students out of 1300 applicants in spring 2015 semester, although I am not sure how many applicants were admitted to Ga Tech's program.

 

And, do potential employers care if your degree designation is "Master of Computer Science" instead of the more common "Master of Science in Computer Science"?

 

So which program would you pick?

Edited June 15, 2015 by UCLAColumbiaUNC

[Icydubloon]

Georgia Tech