Is a Masters in Software Engineering worth it ?
Posted by Doudie-kun@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 27 comments
Hey Everyone,
As a quick background I have a Bachelor's in software engineering and I just graduated this year, looked for jobs for a while but the job market was very overly saturated so I started working as TA in a well respected uni which offers free Masters for full-time employees,
I was planning to stay as a TA until I find a better job but now the masters offer seems very tempting so I wanted to ask should I keep looking for another job or should I pursue the masters ? idk how important a masters is in the market yet tbh
thank you in advance <3
m_techguide@reddit
Tbh since it’s free, i’d take the MS but be smart about what you pick. the degree alone won’t get you hired, it’s what you do during it that matters. an MS SE is probably the safest choice since it lines up with your bg and keeps you on the dev path. MS CS is also good if the program is practical and not too theory-heavy. so if you’re open to pivoting a bit, MS BA or MS DA is a solid option too since those roles are pretty accessible and in demand.
either way, don’t stop applying while doing the MS. use that time to build projs, get exp and actually make yourself hireable bec the degree just gives you time and access but not a guaranteed job.
if you want i can share a couple guides that compare these programs so you can see what actually fits your situation :)
mjmvideos@reddit
Another option is get a job with your BS. Then get your employer to pay for your Master’s.
Advanced-Attorney194@reddit
How does it works?
mjmvideos@reddit
A lot of employers will offer tuition assistance as a perk. Usually, what I’ve seen, they will cover full costs as long as you get a passing grade.
AndThenAlongCameZeus@reddit
I did my Master’s in Data Science and the only time I would recommend doing any post grad degree is either if you’re interested in working in academia or to advance your resume for a hyper-specialized role like AI engineer. After my ComSci bachelor, I worked for 3 years and after getting an admin job at a university, I went to get my masters since it was free. The work experience is infinity more valuable practically and on your resume. Imo, I’d keep trying to find a job and decide if you want a masters later. Try not to be picky but don’t sell your soul. Look for postings in local government, federal government offices, or other universities. I can’t guarantee they have the best tech practices, in fact I know many that don’t, but they’re always looking for positions and a good start to build a resume.
OkAmount5959@reddit
From your perspective, is it worthwhile to switch from a SWE to an AI/data engineer?
Full-Weird-2788@reddit
It is a bit saturated at the moment but still I think its worth just do what you like and can see yourself working for the next 20 years broski, atleast thats my mentality
lo0nk@reddit
There are a subset of jobs that require a masters. Especially in computer vision, computer graphics, ml, and other sciency stuff
KeizokuDev@reddit
None of which would be covered in a software engineering masters. That would be in cs
lo0nk@reddit
It just depends on the program I was thinking their software bachelors would set them up for any cs related masters but yeah idek what's covered in a software engineering masters
KeizokuDev@reddit
imo no, unless you find a curriculum that is as good as all the great free / cheap resources out there and you want / need structured path. The tech educational market is so favorable to these kinds of topics, you can learn from them easily
AccordingAnswer5031@reddit
No unless it is from a Top 10 school
thmsbdr@reddit
Honestly depends on the price. I’m glad I did mine but I wouldn’t have if it was any more expensive.
Barajmar-@reddit
I don't even think a bachelor's in SWE is worth it right now lol
eh_it_works@reddit
If you network with the profs and wanna get more into academia then yes go for post grad.
964racer@reddit
If you already have an BSSE , I’d consider an MSCS . I had a BS Math and got an MSCS. I’m glad I diversified.
Greedy_Ad5722@reddit
I feel like any kind of masters will be required sooner or later if you are planning on going into leadership roles. Team lead and manager level can get away with not having masters most of the time. But if you are thinking director and above, eventually it will be required. If you are wanting to stay technical, then it won’t be useful.
mandzeete@reddit
The degree itself, it depends. While a Bachelor degree introduced you into the field then a Master degree in specializing in one specific path more in depth and also preparing you for academical/research path. What are your goals? Are you planning to just work in the field or do you want to improve the field further and invent new technologies or contribute to some more complex projects?
All these new programming languages, new language versions, new frameworks, new communication protocols, etc. These do not just appear out of nowhere. People with Master and PhD degree were working on these things. Also your professors have either a Master or a PhD degree. If all people would decide to not go for higher degrees then we'd have no professors. And all these youtubers with their programming tutorials, these are often having just a Bachelor degree. Because their target audience is beginners not professional developers.
But decide it based on your goals.
Another thing, as you started working as a teacher assistant and you get this Master degree for free, as an employee, then you can consider going for it. Because it is free either way for you. And, perhaps, you can advance further in the path you want to specialize in.
Another thing, I have seen some job offers requiring a Master degree. For example developer of applied cryptography. Yes, it is a niche field but it is also a needed field. Such Master degree requirements can be also in other fields under Computer Sciences umbrella.
timecop1123@reddit
A free Master’s from a respected uni is a solid opportunity. It really depends on what you want to do long term. Some specialized roles can benefit from a Master’s, but from what I’ve seen a Bachelor’s is enough for most SWE roles.
DataPastor@reddit
Probably a master's in software engineering would be very much redundant on the top of your bachelor's -- it is not worth your time and effort, not to mention the cost (if you have to pay for it). Try to get to a specialized master's, such as cyber security, data science or ML/AI...
jlotz51@reddit
Do it while you have the option of free classes.
One of my friends from college taught math and he got free classes in every subject while teaching. He got advanced degrees in Math and then started taking art classes. He ended up moving with a fill scholarship to another university so he could get his MFA while teaching math.
He ended up as an art teacher, museum curator and stopped teaching math.
His free classes opened up his creativity and excitement for the rest of his life.
Supersaiyans2022@reddit
You have a BS in SWE. Get a few carts. Expand your horizon to IT support or infrastructure based roles like Data Center, IT Technician, etc. They won’t pay as much stating out like a SWE, but your technical degree puts you ahead. Anything that can be done remotely, sitting behind a computer is very competitive and over saturated. With the possibility of being offshored to LATAM, Eastern Europe, or India. Work on your soft skills and try to get into an entry level role that’s on-site. Healthcare, Education, Gov, Retail, etc. all have IT operations.
Jrrs1982@reddit
No.
on-standby@reddit
If you want to get into management yes. Otherwise, no.
mgmatt67@reddit
Bachelors is probably good enough, the market is in fact very saturated but the increased degree may not make much difference in this field. I just got my masters in computer science (bachelors in sw) but I only did it cause of my college’s fast track program. I ended getting both degrees in 3.5 years total, but I wouldn’t have done the masters if it added longer than 1 year
You could start your masters while job searching and stop it and go full time if you get a good offer
claythearc@reddit
It depends. Something like ga techs OMSCS is worth it because it’s $7k, same with UT Austin or boulders coursera thing, or a couple others.
There’s a very real cost to sitting at a mid TA job for a masters because your gonna miss out on both private sector experience and private sector money.
A masters is worth it but it’s not worth staying as a TA for a free one
CodeToManagement@reddit
If you can get a job a year of experience will be worth more than the masters. So personally I don’t think it’s worth it just for the ability to get a job - it’s probably worth it for what you’ll learn though but it won’t pay for itself financially