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Best Degree to Pair w/ a B.Sc. in Computer Science?
VeryCleverHandle asks: "I have held a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science for about two years now, and I want to further my education, and increase my marketability. I am wondering what kind of degree makes a good pair for my existing one. At first, I thought of a Master's, but in my searches for a job, I've rarely (read: never) seen a Masters degree required. I am also researching what kind of degrees others, who have obtained their Bachelor's, received to help complement their education. So I ask you, Slashdot: Which degree(s) do YOU think will go well with a Computer Science Bachelors?"
Carly had a Bachelors in medieval history but was able to become the CEO of a once impressive company because of her MBA. Not that she was any good at it but she did get a hefty severance package.
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I myself have CS and physics bachelors, but my primary aim is at physics. I found the compsci degree helpful when I was doing work in particle physics, as I was writing tons of analytical code. Also, if you planned on doing development for government labs, an ability to create accurate models is a good thing, and physics will help with that.
Management, obviously MBA. I'd also consider a humanities (particularly English) degree; we always complain about the plight of the illiterate programmer/engineer/scientist. Well-spoken and clear-writing employees look good and go a long way. 3-4 years is a major commitment to polish up your writing, though! That having been said, I find I need the humanities to stay sane, so it's probably time well spent...
To follow knowledge like a sinking star, / Beyond the utmost bound of human thought. ("Ulysses", Tennyson)
While I respect you for wanting to further your education, I would argue obtaining another degree is the wrong way to do it. It's been said a million times, but there really is absolutely no substitute for experience, and 3 years of it is worth far more than another piece of paper. Knowing the theory, and being able to put it to use in real life situations are two different things. I suspect you already know this as you obtained your degree two years ago, and hopefully have been employed for at least some of that time.
Unless of course you are looking to learn something totally unrelated to Computer Science in order to provide an additional route for employment. If that's the case, only you can make that choice, and asking people here is silly. If you're not interested in the subject, you're highly unlikey to be motivated enough to do the best you can at it.
Most pairable degree with Computer Science: Mathematics. Affinity for math tells employers you're capable of high level, abstract thought. I agree-- I've got a dual BS (comp sci/math), and then a masters in comp sci. It's good if you want to stay technical for a while. If you're intent is to manage, you might as well go for an MBA or a communications degree. I've heard from people in similar positions that MBA programs are a joke compared to the hardcore science classes (but I'm sure some /.ers will mod me down for that.
Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. --Nietzsche
Hindi is not the principle language of Karnakata, the state where Bangalore is located; Kannada is its official and largest language. Of course, in practice, tech workers in Bangalore come from different regions of India--or indeed, the world--so probably English is even more common in technical workplaces.
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As a medical student, I have to point out that one can't really just "decide" to get an MD degree. There are a lot of hoops to jump through just to get into medical school. Consider that throughout the US, there are 16000 seats in all the medical schools per year, and there are 48000 applicants vying for them. Then, the requirements for admitance to any medical school are as follows - 1 year of biology with lab, one year of chemistry with lab, one year of physics with lab, one year of organic chemistry with lab, one year of english/literature. Those are the requirements for EVERY medical school in the US. Then there are certain schools which require you to have taken biochemistry or calculus as well. More than likely, a person who majored in comp sci hasn't taken biology or organic chemistry, or for that matter, chemistry and physics either. So that's a minimum of 1 year of post bac work before even applying to medical school. Then there's the matter of the MCAT, an eight hour standardized exam from hell testing physics, chemistry, biology, O-Chem, reading comprehension, and writing 2 essays. Oh yeah, it's only offered twice a year (April and August), and it costs about $200 to take. Then there's applying to schools. The harsh reality of applying to med school is that there's no "safety school" that one can apply to that they are garunteed admission like you could do for undergrad. Thus, most people will apply to about 10-15 schools in order to get 1 or 2 acceptances (unless of course, you are L33t with a capital three). Application costs for that many schools will easily run about $1200. Then there's the costs of going out on interviews (med schools do not reimburse you for travel expenses unlike every other civilized interview on the planet). And then once (or if) you get an acceptance, it's four grueling and expensive years (med school has painfully little in common with the wild and hedonistic lifystyle of an undergrad). Then it's 4-8 years of poorly paid residency, though a few do turn to the "dark side" where they pass on the residency and instead work for insurance companies or some other kind of corporation, where they make big bucks, but aren't licensed to practice medicine, but instead use their degree to lend credence towards whatever project they are assigned to. So if medicine is a path you choose, more power to ya, but it's not a decision you can just make one day and be like "Hmmm, I think I'll become a doctor today". All that being said, there is a nationwide shortage of nurses, and male nurses are always in demand. Nursing is a 4 year degree, but with your degree, I'm sure some credits would transfer and you could finish in less time. And with medicine becoming more and more computerized, someone with a strong background in comp sci and medicine/nursing could probably find some pretty good work in hospital IT. But again, medicine is a calling, not a backup plan.