Watch this video before applying to Georgia Tech OMSCS

Georgia Tech OMSCS is not for everyone.

Btw sorry about audio quality, I have no idea what happened :( maybe turn on subs?
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Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:52 Program overview
02:14 Pros
03:15 My concerns + who should not take this program
08:32 Who this program is for
09:32 Who else this program is not for

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About me

Hi, my name is Tina and I'm a data scientist at a FAANG company. I was pre-med studying pharmacology at the University of Toronto until I finally accepted that I would make a terrible doctor. I didn't know what to do with myself so I worked for a year as a research assistant for a bioinformatics lab where I learned how to code and became interested in data science. I then did a masters in computer science (MCIT) at the University of Pennsylvania before ending up at my current job in tech :)
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Contact

youtube: youtube comments are by far the best way to get a response from me!

*If you're reaching out through linkedin, please leave a youtube comment just letting me know that you reached out :)
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#Computer Science #OMSCS #TinaHuang

[LukeBarousse]

Heck yeah!! Love this honest perspective on Tech's program. Such great knowledge sharing. Keep it up Tina!

[athens]

It's tough and I love it. I have a Math + CS minor background from MIT, a Math PhD, and OMSCS is still a lot of work. I've completed 4 classes so far (AI4R, HDDA, CV, and DL) and am fairly burnt out. But there's no denying that I feel a *lot* more prepared for the ML components of MLE interviews and secure in my knowledge of these topics. You don't realize how much you've learned until sometime later down the line. I'm pretty proud of how much I've learned so far. After just finishing DL this spring, I'm no longer afraid of talking about Transformers at work (our last assignment was to code BERT from scratch and train for 10 epochs) and am publishing the research paper our group did. I'm getting a lot more Recruiter attention too now for the specific types of ML roles I'm looking for (e.g., RS at FAIR, etc.), that I wasn't getting before starting OMSCS. Am so glad for the program, best thing I did while staying at home during the pandemic.

[qwertyuiopsdfgh]

I finished the program. It's helped my career out, but as far as software engineering goes, I think it set me back. I could have been spending my time in class learning frameworks, system design, and how to write scalable code. About the videos, there are very few of them that are worthwhile to go back and watch. They skim over the topic and the real learning comes from the books, class message board, office hours, and coursework (which isn't made available publicly). I'm grateful that I have the degree because now I have no trouble getting interviews and am considered for not only senior roles, but also lead, principal, and staff engineer roles. (I entered the program as a junior engineer who made a career change). I've also come up on the radar of a few people interested in mentoring me toward a future CTO role. So go out there and get it because it's another credential that's going to help a stagnating career, but you're going to do your real learning (the kind employers care about) on your own time. The OMSCS is a signaling device for HR departments and as a way to differentiate yourself for HR departments who don't have the time or know-how to evaluate 100s of resumes peppered with qualified candidates and compete incompetents. It's to show intelligence, high conscientiousness, perseverance, and a tolerance for pain.

About my background, my undergrad degree was in math, so I was able to figure out the CS stuff and found the calculus, linear algebra, probability doable. I think I was able to keep up math-wise and had to scramble to learn the fundamental CS concepts on the fly. If anything, it made things worse to learn everything by cramming. I need to go back someday and properly learn the fundamentals because now it's all just a blur. If you're coming from a non-CS or non-math/stats background, it's going to be tough. I don't know how much math and stats you learn in a finance or econ undergrad, for example. But don't let that stop you if you really want. You can always hire a tutor if you need to, or just attend every office hour and hound the TAs for help until you get up to speed. Just typing all this out is making me anxious! I feel lucky because I stood a chance with my math degree, but I really do feel for anybody else attempting this program without the background knowledge.

As for why the university lets anybody in, I've seen on Reddit and Quora from people who are "in the know" that they're pretty openminded and willing to give people a chance, but they expect people to drop out. So there you go... just because you got in doesn't mean they're expecting you to finish. But you'll get the chance and maybe you'll pull through, self actualize, and express your true genius. They probably must figure that if they can uncover one long shot genius then that's worth the dozen others they let in who ultimately crash out. This is atypical because in most graduate programs, there's an unwritten "non aggression principle" whereby if you're let in, then the school will help you graduate because you've ostensibly proven yourself worthy just by being admitted, and it's in everybody's best interest to see you graduate. In the OMSCS program, they'll let you in but the rest is up to you.

[anuzis]

Accepted into OMSCS with an undergrad degree in psychology. Self-studied 10-15 online courses from Coursera, edX, Udacity, on Algorithms, Machine Learning, etc., before applying. I also started with around 3 years experience software development on the job, and 5 years experience programming web & mobile apps as hobby projects. Started OMSCS in 2016 while working full time and international (working in Japan). After 1 year work+school I got burned out and left work to focus on school (after 10 years full time, maybe it was good timing anyway) Graduated in 2019 and loved every course. The instructors are top notch, and I felt like I received more than enough support to succeed via the online forums and Slack groups centered around each class. Tip: don't attempt two classes at the same time, especially while working. Focusing on one course at a time is sufficiently challenging and allows you to go deeper into the material, coming away in the end feeling confident in your understanding of each area covered. Good luck!

[TheDburchill]

I graduated from OMSCS last year, this is a very good video

[neomage]

It is a great program. I have 15 years experience as as a software engineer and came in with bachelors in CS and EE. This is my last semester and finishing up graduate algorithms (it's not as hard as people say). I really enjoyed the program and it allowed me to further my education and explore things outside what I work in day to day

[EdwardMendoza]

That feeling you get when you are watching someone else's video and you see your own comment being highlighted =]

[metadevgirl]

This is pretty helpful. Maybe some people applying don't realize exactly how much rigor they should really expect. It's Georgia Tech Computer Science so I'm expecting it to be top tier and it sounds like it is. For me it's more of an opportunity to prepare academically for a PhD. I didn't know about some of the other programs mentioned here in the comments so I have more research to do now. Thanks for the video and starting the discussion!

[kkhaha]

I have to disagree with the point that OMSCS is not for someone without background & it's weird that no job placement is posted
1) OMSCS is a rigorous graduate level program and it was not attapted to be easier for those without a background. I think this is quite the reason why this degree is so valuable. For people without a background, OMSCS provides a great opportunity for them and not like "oh you dont have an undergrad in CS so you're never going to be able to get into a serious CS masters". The program website already provided many guidance to those students about how to prepare for the prgram before the offical start of the first semester. It's the student's job to catch up.
2) As you may already notice, the acceptance rate shows that the program opens doors for anyone looks serious. But whether they are going to really finish well on the program is another story. The low cost also attracts a lot of people who only want to know what CS is like but perhaps struggles with it and eventually find that CS is not for them. I will not be surprised that the job placement isn't ideal as compared to traditional on-campus and highly selective programs.

[AckAttack]

I'm currently in my 2nd semester of OMSCS (completed GIOS so far) and have a BA in History! I got in to tech via landing a software qa job with the company I worked for with no prior experience lol. The boss gave me a shot and a few years later I decided to go for a CS degree. Turns out OMSCS is a great value proposition compared to working full time and trying to earn a BS in CS. I will say that I did my prep work at community college (earning an associates in CS) and also took a few classes at a nearby state uni before applying. All of those undergrad classes + work experience has made OMSCS manageable but still very difficult. The projects sometimes give a ton of freedom but at the same time can leave more inexperienced students totally lost. Idk if I would have survived my first class without industry knowledge and undergrad CS experience.

[Lalo-everything]

To anyone who is watching in 2023 this video is no longer relevant, not saying this to be mean or anything but OMSCS has introduced human computer interaction which another specialization. This specialization does not contain much math if you pick the right courses. And also I feel if you have the right undergrad degree and don’t do machine learning or any other ai based courses then you’ll be fine

[wilson-ti]

Happy to be the first one seeing my favorite DS influencer sharing views on the program that I had been pondering for a long time.
Job placement is absolutely one of the most important figure to take a look at. Not just for CS master, but other fileds as well.

[Hycholah]

As some with a Bachelor's degree in Biology, I am currently enrolled in the program and have been getting straight A's. I think this program is doable even without an undergraduate degree in CS as long as you prep well. It's a great way to transition to computer science or a domain that intersects with computer science as a non-CS major.

[acasualviewer]

International students don't only study to get into the US. So your comment saying "they shouldn't choose this program" seems a bit off. They shouldn't choose this if their objective is to get a student visa to the US. But that doesn't mean you should avoid it. Plenty of people overseas benefit from this program. Not everyone wants to migrate or be a student in the US.

[brianmccormick]

Yep. OMSCS is difficult. Even if you have a background in CS already. I've completed 7 out of 10 courses in it so far including RL, AI, AI4R, HPC, CV, HDDA, and SIM and I'm not sure I want to continue anymore.

[KevZen]

It is a Master's Degree, so one shouldn't expect it's for beginners, at least if it's credible

[Vim_Tim]

I'm halfway through the OMSCS program. I believe they don't collect & publish outcomes because it's specifically designed as a part-time program for working professionals; Georgia Tech probably doesn't see these outcomes as comparable to other programs.

You're right about the self-teaching/self-direction attribute. Georgia Tech already has a term for this: "drownproofing" 😄 Almost all of the help you get on assignments is through the class forums on Piazza. I'd still take OMSCS any day over other online programs: the industry-leading price and (to my knowledge) the largest catalog of classes of any online MSCS program add up to a great experience.

[analisamelojete]

Thank you! I’m motivated to apply next year to this degree. So, I better study this material beforehand.

[CollapsedMass]

about 8 courses in, def not a easy thing to do but I have enjoyed it because of that very reason.

[erickim]

Thank you for such a nice informative video. I watched it all without subs and had no trouble. Trust me, Its much better than some of the conference call I had to go through.