Ask HN: MBA or Masters in Computer Science? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: MBA or Masters in Computer Science?

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I am on the verge of graduating with a B.S. in Computer Science. I'm still considering on what to do afterwards.

I'm currently working at a great company in California, I really love what I do there. My family has been encouraging me to continue on with my education. At this point I am contemplating the idea. However, I still can't decide which would be my better option, to get a Masters in Computer Science or an MBA. I really love both subjects. I need some points that would make my decision a bit easier.

Were you ever in my position? If so, what did you end up doing, what was the outcome? Even if you weren't in my position, what would you recommend? Thank you in advance!

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For the love of God, take your time.

Under no circumstances do an MBA with less than two years of work experience. You won't get into a top ranked programme and if your programme isn't top ranked you'd be better off doing it by distance education while working. If you were going to do a second entry degree a J.D. would be a much better idea.

An M.Sc. in CS probably has a better ROI than most MBA programmes, and it'd let you compete for jobs that wouldn't be available to you fresh out of a Bachelors. The thing is you might be able to get enough real world experience in the time that you'd be doing a Masters that you'd be at the same level in the same time, but you'd have been earning and making contacts in that time.

If you love what you're doing keep doing it until it palls.

Don't pay to do an M.S. get in as a Ph.D. and bail once you've got what you want. Alternatively come to Europe where education is dead cheap. Karlsruhe in Germany has a fantastic CS programme, and it's a beautiful, beautiful city.

For an MBA, consider INSEAD. It's highly ranked and it only takes one year.

For the love of God, take your time.

Absolutely. If you really want to learn, you'll do far better by apprenticing than by studying in the classroom. Check out Corey Haines (http://www.coreyhaines.com/) for inspiration.

Then, if you want a little more formal understanding, go back to school. But don't go until you've worked for a while - like 10 years.

Generally, to get a promotion past first-level-supervisor requires some business degree, and this is usually (an unspoken) policy at most larger corporations. It is my belief that far too many folks have gone for MBA degrees and that they no longer really work for sifting employees. Anecdotally, there are several programmers I know who have MBAs working in my company and it has done nothing for them.

As for myself, I'm working on a masters in accounting. It is a business masters, so it meets the requirement for a business masters degree, but one that I think opens a couple additional options. I live in CO, and here (as well as MA), one can sit for the CPA exam with a masters in accounting (with no on-the-job time hired as an accounting). For me, this is one of my "Plan B" strategies to possibly transition out of IT. A CPA with a background in IT should be able to do well with sox/cobit/sas70 auditing.

For yourself, the question should be along the lines of "do you want to move into management" or "do you want to stay in technology." Because I think the answer to that question decides what degree to go for (and really, I can't answer that for you, I can only say "I did X and why" and perhaps that might be useful to help you decide). And I think you should only consider the masters if your company (or family) is footing the bill, as I think this is a terrible time to get into debt for college.

Have you ever consider creating your own way, as in, researching a path for yourself, away from formal education?

Won't earn you a degree, but it is a path that perhaps would be more enjoyable. It certainly was/is for me.

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