I am a graduate of Columbia College, and I now work at a large tech company. I was recently assigned to a new role that will require some Software Engineering skills. My company has a program to pay for academic coursework & advanced degrees related to one’s job, and studying Computer Science would obviously meet this requirement.
I know I could study all this material online, but if the company is willing to pay for it, why not, and I’m sure that getting a better grasp of Data Structures and Algorithms + the degree could help me land a job at another company were I ever to want that down the line. My question is thus, would Columbia allow me to complete a second major/minor/concentration after graduation?
I know that Columbia College students are generally limited to 8 semesters. I could enroll in General Studies, but they did not grant my BA, and I am not interested in completing a full second degree, but rather just the courses required to earn a major in CS (I have already taken an intro class and some of the math too). Is anyone aware of a policy that would allow me to complete this degree, in either CC or GS?
Will the company expect you to stay for X number of years if they pay for a degree? Are the rules different if you take courses instead that do not lead to a degree?
I had originally thought about going the masters route. However, I did not take the most challenging courseload in undergrad (finished with a 3.7 GPA with an admittedly easy major) and am worried about where I could feasibly get admitted. Almost a quarter-third of my credits were from language classes, which are obviously not the most challenging courses, and especially less relevant to proving why you are interested in studying Computer Science.
Some of the CS and Probability courses I took, I didn’t do well in, which might also hurt my chances of admission. I also do not have a Bachelor’s in CS, which is required for admission to most programs. While tech is definitely less credentialist than other industries for sure, I think a BA from an Ivy would definitely count more than a masters or post-bac certificate from a random school that I am probably capable of getting into (just being realistic with myself).
The ideal program for me would be a program like Georgia Tech’s or UIUC’s online programs which can be completed part time so I can keep working, however these programs require a CS degree or having completed appropriate pre-work. Knowing the tech field, the Bachelor’s vs Masters vs PhD distinction isn’t as relevant for Software Engineers who can prove their worth by their portfolio compared to say an AI researcher who really needs to know the math and be on the cutting edge of research.
Additionally, getting the company to pay for a masters degree entails a 2 year commitment to stay, and I was hoping this might help me lateral to another tech company and get a substantial raise. I had thought about pursuing this option because, based upon the math and intro CS classes I already completed at Columbia, earning my concentration in CS would only require about 5 additional courses, and would enable me to do one of those programs like the Georgia Tech one or to just start building projects and interviewing if I feel like my skills are where they need to be to do so at the time.
The company will only pay for non-matriculated academic credit (with a yearly limit) or a full degree program if you commit to not leaving/paying the tuition back if you do. Thus, is my best option likely just to take classes at a cheaper online school, and then either start interviewing/building projects or to use that as appropriate pre-work for entrance into a master’s? I don’t think I am likely to get approved for a post-bac.
Company doesn’t pay for post-bacs :(. If that is the only option I will likely self study at my own pace from for free home and not deal with the hassle of classes.
Contact Columbia GS. Explain you graduated from the College in 20Xx w/a degree in (Latin Honors) and are currently working as a … for YTech. With Math Xx,Xx, and Cs XX on your transcript, you’d need to take 5 courses to get a major, which your company would pay for, after which you could apply for a Masters in CS, sth you can’t yet do. Etc etc
BTW language courses ARE rigorous - and they may help with some logical language building issues in CS - but obviously they’re not CS. So getting these courses done should be prioriry #1. What do HR say?
I don’t know about Columbia specifically, but in general, three option might be open to you (though all are not open at every school):
Get a second BA.
Take a post-Bac or certificate program
Enroll in an MA program.
Sounds like the company won’t support a postbac? What about a certificate (as opposed to general coursework that you take post-BA )? If the company would support a non-degree certificate program, then this is probably the option that will give you the most bang for your (or the company’s) buck, in the least amount of time.
As to a second BA, you could do this, but I would recommend it only if it were the only option. And you would want to find a university that fast-tracks second BAs. In other words, it’s absolutely not worth the time if you have to repeat general studies programs, etc, and do another four years of course work. The university where I teach supports second BAs but exempts them from all general studies requirements, which basically means these students just have to complete a major (as long as it’s different than the one they already have) and its prerequisites. If you can find a program like this, and your employer will only pay for a degree program, then this might be the best deal you can get (if you don’t have the academic background to start an MA program in CS). But a second BA, even from an Ivy, is not especially prestigious – you already have an Ivy degree. Another one won’t matter for prestige. And a second BA might be the least efficient way to advance your career, even if you do find a fast-track program.
I agree with others that an MA would be preferable to the other options, because it would advance you in your field. If you don’t have the training to enter an MA program in your desired field, then maybe a few postbac courses (on your own dime, it looks like) might give you the experience and academic background you need to apply. I don’t think the two-year commitment to stay at your company in exchange for a fully funded MA program is a bad deal at all! Think about the long game - those two years are your investment to match the company’s investment in your advanced degree. They will enable you to make a lateral (or upward!) move in the future and command a higher salary due to education and experience, and a two-year delay in your career track is, frankly, nothing compared to the benefits.
Thanks for your perspective, would you be comfortable sharing the name of the school(s) that allows this accelerated BA?
A certificate/post-bac would be allowed only if I were getting academic credit for undergraduate (or graduate) courses for example. If there is no academic credit, the company doesn’t pay. I will do more research and see if there is one that meets these criteria.
With respect to the staying vs leaving after the masters, I hear your point, but I know the raw numbers and I disagree. The other train of thought that I have is that if this process takes too long, I could start thinking about getting into the territory of being an MBA > middle level management category. Optimizing over the long term, that is a better path if studying CS would take 1 year of prebac work and then 1.5-2 years of masters.
Well, I agree with you about maximizing opportunities with an MA. However you do that depends upon your personal circumstances, but if a company is going to pay for it, then I recommending playing by their rules to make it happen. There is very little financial aid for MA students, so a fully funded MA is a great opportunity – you can consider it equivalent to income, because if the company were not paying for it, you would be. So that’s income gained by sticking around for a couple of years, and through the higher salaries you could command afterwards.
As to accelerated second BA programs, I don’t know which universities have them (I teach at a regional public in Colorado, which would be unlikely to interest you). But upon a quick Google search, it looks like you can make something work at CUNY, a few SUNYs, Brooklyn College, possibly Columbia (in the College of General Studies), some divisions of NYU (possibly nothing applicable to your interests, though). You’ll have to look up the programs at individual schools to see if they work for you.
Don’t make any assumptions before sitting down with your HR rep and walking him/her through your thought process.
My company makes exceptions to the policy ALL THE TIME. We have no interest in having employees struggling in a role when some more advanced coursework could fill their knowledge gap. We have no interest in a newly promoted employee under-performing because the courses they want to take don’t fit exactly into our tuition reimbursement policy.
Don’t assume. Go have a conversation and you might be surprised. Your HR rep may tell you to forward the curriculum of anything you are interested in taking to your manager- and if he or she agrees that it will enhance your knowledge of a “job-adjacent” topic, it’s likely to get approved.
Thank you and yes you’re right, there’s no harm in it. Showing my manager that I want to work hard to go the extra mile and succeed in my new role can’t be a bad thing either.
It would be hard to argue that CS isn’t related to a job that involves software engineering. Let’s see what they say.