Fast Track to a CS Degree?

kyrex asks: "it's been 5 years since I've been working in the tech industry and I've make great progress. My salary has grown by an annual rate of about 50% and I'm currently working as a consultant in a leading consulting firm. But not having received any formal education in Computer Science, and therefore having no degree will be a problem for further progress. I've considered many options but they all take time: at least 3 years. I've been programming since I was 12 (I'm currently 24) and have read hundreds of CS books. I think that I can easily complete a CS degree in 1 year. I want to know if there are universities/institutions out there that offers computer professionals like me a fast track to a CS degree that will be recognised as such by other universities (so that I can continue with a MSc afterwards)"

Comments

Yeah!

[Greyfox]

So all those idiots with no aptitude for this industry will go to college for four years, kiss the right butts and graduate to be the same crappy programmers they are now.

Strangely enough, in the 12 years I've been working in the industry, I never had to use any of the high school math I studied, much less college calculus. Nor the physics or economics. As for the liberal arts aspect of the degree, most liberal arts professors are pretentious assholes who will pass you as long as you don't disagree with their interpretation of the works you're studying.

I am actually seriously considering going back to school to finish off my degree and move on to some advanced ones, but I would be doing so because I've gotten tired of not having anyone around that I can talk to. It's very rare that you'll find someone in the industry who might be, say, learning LISP for the fun of it or who is writing a compiler or hacking the Linux kernel source. Most of the people you meet In The Real World have no aptitude in this industry and either got their degrees in other subjects or went through a comp-sci or IT type degree for the money. They put in their 6 to 8 hours then drive their minivan or their SUV home to the wife and kids.

I would still take a person with four years of experience over someone fresh out of college, all other things being equal.