Over Supply of CS Grads?

Data10
Tue, 21 May 2024 19:02:07 +0000

Midwestmom2022:

Question about masters degrees… what is driving the demand for masters degrees? Is a masters degree considered a baseline requirement in the tech industry? Or is it just a chance to specialize more deeply in one aspect of CS (like ML or AI)? Or is it a chance to have another internship round? Or all of the above?

Unlike a good number of other STEM fields, the overwhelming majority of tech majors do not pursue graduate degrees, particularly among CS majors. While a master’s degree can increase opportunities, it is by no means required.

That said, a master’s degree can improve employment prospects, particularly among persons with little work experience. Graduate degrees can be also be near mandatory in some niche fields, which can open the door to working in different types of positions, that some grads may find more enjoyable. For example, I work in an area of tech associated with theory and design. Positions similar to mine typically state that they prefer a PhD in a related engineering field (even better with related PhD dissertation), but in some cases master’s and/or equivalent experience may substitute. Having a master’s would make it easier to start or get on the path to such positions.

I did a double co-terminal master’s program in which I was able to simultaneously work towards a bachelor’s and 2 master’s at the same time. I finished the first 2 degrees in under 4 years, then finished the final degree while working full time. The program was designed to foster tech entrepreneurship by combining a tech master’s with a business related master’s. When starting this program, I wasn’t thinking about employment (maybe I should have been). It was more a combination of finding the classwork interesting and being in an environment where education/learning was highly valued, from my perspective more so than private employment.