Is Georgia Tech’s OMSCS Worth It?
Why I applied, how to apply, and how to prepare.
This might be your 5th or 6th or 10th post about Georgia Tech’s OMSCS. You might still be wondering if this OMSCS course is worth it. The short answer is YES.
You might be seeking for programs to hone your practical coding skills or learn higher-level computer science or get that degree from a renowned institute or change careers. Whatever the reasons are, Georgia Tech’s OMSCS will get you there.
I always wanted to study computer science after I got my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. I wanted to be able to code, work with software engineers, lead software projects, and have an awesome credential to back my CS knowledge.
When I first heard about OMSCS from a friend, I immediately jumped on it. I started to search on Google about OMSCS just like you. I will tell you the things that made me apply to this program.
- Master’s degree is online, which means I can keep my full-time job and keep a flexible program schedule.
- Georgia Tech is renowned for engineering programs and CS.
- I wanted to be able to comfortably work with software engineers.
- I wanted to be able to understand systems used in software products.
- Most students are working professionals like me, which means I can form powerful connections.
- There is no distinction between on-campus master's degree vs online master's degree, which means the institute is confident in academic excellence.
- Master’s degree covers a higher-level overview of computer science rather than focusing solely on coding projects.
- No GRE needed.
- Degree costs about $7000, which is about one-sixth of that of the on-campus master's program.
Visit Georgia Tech’s website to learn more about OMSCS https://www.cc.gatech.edu/future/masters/mscs/program
Admission Criteria
As for requirements for admission, you need an undergraduate degree (computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering) from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Do not worry if you do not have engineering undergraduate degrees. I have met students with various backgrounds who still got enrolled in this program. But they have taken online programming courses to get ready for this program and they emphasized their technical capabilities in their application. If the admission committee thinks you will be successful in this program, they will give you the chance.
Second, if you are an international applicant, you need a satisfactory TOEFL score.
Lastly, you need to fill out some application forms, get 3 recommendations, and write an essay. I applied in March 2019 to be enrolled in Fall 2019. I got my acceptance letter in April.
Getting Ready for the Program
I took two courses on Coursera prior to applying but those were really basic and didn’t help me much. I found a very helpful website that has reviews of all OMSCS courses by students. Visit omscentral.com to see the rating, difficulty, workload, etc. Pay attention to the reviews with low ratings. These talk about the challenges and gives you an idea of what to prepare for.
For example, for CS7637: Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence, the course uses python, numpy, pillow, and opencv. You can prepare by being familiar with how to use them.
The second thing you can do is to get familiar with the various workspace communication tools. The courses I was in used Canvas, Piazza, Slack, BlueJeans. Sometimes, managing communications, and following up on class forums can be a challenge. Don’t let these issues take up too much time during the first half of the semester.
Lastly, be enthusiastic to be part of the online master's program. Connect with fellow OMSCS students. A lot of the time, you feel like you are all by yourself with no one to motivate you to complete the program but know that you have hundreds of classmates.
I will create more posts on specific courses, tips on how to do well in OMSCS, differences of specializations, and best tools to use.
