You’re almost certainly right that these things (especially his MS thesis) distinguished him. Most master programs, particularly those 4+1 programs (some schools even have joint 4-year BS/MS programs), don’t require a thesis (or it may only be optional), and only require graduates to take a set of graduate-level courses. Some advanced/ambitious undergraduates often complete these same courses without explicitly enrolling in a master’s program. Not all employers have the ability or resources to look beyond the degrees granted (that partially explains their different approaches), but I bet your son’s startup (or others like it) does.
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