Thinking about a part-time master's while working. Worth it, or expensive procrastination?
Self-taught, about a year and a half into my first dev job. It's going fine. But there's a nagging feeling about not having a CS degree, and I keep eyeing part-time / online master's programs (the OMSCS type) as a way to fill the gaps I know I have — the theory, the systems stuff, the things I've never had a reason to learn on the job.
The counterargument I keep hearing: nobody past your first job cares about the degree, you'd learn more just building things, and two years of your evenings is a steep price for a line on a resume.
Anyone here done a part-time master's while working full-time? Did it move the needle for you, or would you spend those two years differently if you could go back?
2 comments
- 0
AnonymousAnon The honest question isn't "is it worth it," it's "will you actually finish it while working full-time." The completion rate for part-time programs is brutal for a reason — two years of evenings is no joke. I'd take one course first and see how it fits your life before committing to the whole thing.
- 0
AnonymousAnon Did OMSCS while working. Worth it for me, but only because I wanted the theory for its own sake — the credential did nothing measurable for my career. If you'd enjoy the coursework, go. If it's purely to plug a resume gap, build things instead; it's cheaper and faster.