I did philosophy (specifically philosophy of science and semantics) at a top liberal arts college, graduated top of my class, took an investment banking offer and have been doing that for the last year. For a few reasons, I’d like to move on from my current job. One of the things I’ve found really interesting is patent law for which you need a law degree and a quant background (BS or MS).
I took the LSAT and scored well (175+) but would like to do a JD together with a masters in computer science or data analytics. I have no idea how to get there, or even if it’s possible to get there. Is it possible to get into a good MS compsci program without having done math or compsci undergrad? Would it help my case if I built a stronger compsci background by taking one of those coding boot camp classes first?
Philosophy of language and science gets pretty technical and that was always my favorite part - even independently of this whole patent law thing I’d really like to get a masters and study something in that vein, but are there really any paths open to a philosophy major?
Philosophy and Cognitive Science are fairly related and Cognitive Science and Computer Science are somewhat related, so I’m sure there’s a path there somewhere.
In theory, yes, but usually you’ll need significant coursework in computer science and/or math before you can be admitted. For most programs, you’d have to pursue that before you apply. There may be a few programs out there designed for students who have never studied math or CS before, but in those cases they usually have you take the coursework after you’ve been admitted.
A coding bootcamp alone likely won’t be enough, as graduate work in computer science is going to build on much more than just knowing how to code. You’ll likely need to take some introductory undergraduate coursework in CS, at the very least.
Now, you can get an MA in statistics without a math/statistics undergrad. There are 4 prerequisite classes you absolutely need to have (three semesters of calculus and linear algebra). To be more competitive, you should probably also take an undergraduate sequence of probability and statistics (two semesters).
Regarding patent law, https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/OED_GRB.pdf describes the college course/major preparation needed as prerequisites for the patent exam.