MS at Purdue vs. CMU

[Participant]

Hi guys,
I have been accepted by Purdue CS for its MS degree and by Carnegie Mellon University for its Software Engineering program (MSIT-SE). I am a little confused now becuase of the followings:

1) CMU has better ranking and reputition than Purdue but it has no funding opportunities (up to my knowledge).
2) CMU's master is a single year master.
3) CMU's master is a professional master and I don't know its future from academic prospectives (what if I want to apply for a PhD at MIT or Stanford next year)?

So, please, if anyone has any information that can be helpful, let me know.

[CalmLogic]

(what if I want to apply for a PhD at MIT or Stanford next year)?

That makes it very easy then. Go to Purdue As you suggest, the CMU program is meant to be practical rather than academic, which is why they have students working in teams on projects rather than have them working alone on a thesis.

1) CMU has better ranking and reputition than Purdue but it has no funding opportunities (up to my knowledge).

While it is true that the CMU program has been the leader in establishing the curriculum for the practice of software engineering, the ROI of the tuition relative to other programs is very suspect:

According to PayScale.com, the median salary for someone with an MS in Software Engineering from CMU is $78,030. However, the highest pay went to graduates of three other programs:

Median Salary:
National University - $90,132
Seattle University - $84,048
DePaul Univeristy - $81,677

http://www.urch.com/forums/computer-...gineering.html (Got admit from CMU - Masters in Software Engineering)

So even if you just want to work in industry all your life, I would still recommend Purdue since, as you know, the tuition is relatively affordable while having relatively good opportunities for getting a TA/GA/RA position at some point.

[w_guy]

dude can you also compare Purdue with CMU? just go to CMU, its the best!

[CalmLogic]

just go to CMU, its the best!

Keep in mind we are discussing a professional/terminal (dare I say "vocational") MSIT degree at CMU that apparently has much lower admissions selectivity while also being much more expensive compared to the PhD-friendly MS in CS at Purdue . That's why you see the MS in CS at Purdue mentioned more often in this forum compared to the professional degrees at CMU. BTW, Purdue also offers an MSIT:

http://www.urch.com/forums/computer-...ology-cit.html (Purdue University - MS in Technology (CIT))

Now, if you want to compare the MSIT at Purdue to the MSIT at CMU, then I would agree that the CMU program is "the best" when it comes to vocational instruction of software engineering. But then we could still argue over the ROI of tuition. IMHO, the professional IT degrees at CMU are, generally, only a good idea if you have a company that is paying your tuition. I would much rather spend that kindof money on a PhD-friendly M.S. in CS at Stanford...or use the money to put a large downpayment on a house

[prison_break]

Hi guys,

I got my admit from Carnegie Mellon for the MS in IT eBusiness Technology Program.

I would appreciate it if you could help clarify few of my doubts.

1.The fee is extremely expensive, is it worth spending so much?
$45k for one year professional Master's program.

2.Has anybody joined this course before and does the CMU tag count for that much? I would be glad to hear from previous students.

3.Finally to Calm Logic, This program was established in the year 2002.With the ever increasing number of business houses setting up online shops/e-stores. Could you throw some light on future prospects for graduates in this particular field?

[Participant]

Thanks guys for your help. I just want now to ignore the fact the CMU is more expensive than Purdue. I just want to compare my last two points:

1) CMU's master is a single year master.
2) CMU's master is a professional master and I don't know its future from academic prospectives (what if I want to apply for a PhD at MIT or Stanford next year)?

Can anyone help me in that?

[CalmLogic]

CMU's master is a professional master and I don't know its future from academic prospectives (what if I want to apply for a PhD at MIT or Stanford next year)?

I can't imagine the following curriculum being very helpful for PhD admissions:
Master of Science in Information Technology - Software Engineering - Plan Of Study

No one at Stanford or MIT or Purdue will be impressed with such vocational training, especially with 3 units of "Bootcamp" and 36 units of a practicum. For a PhD, you want to be working on a thesis during your masters degree, not doing stuff that you can learn on the job.

CMU's master is a single year master.

That just shows how industry-oriented the degree is. You are in and out of "bootcamp" in relatively short order.

[Ancalagon The Black]

As CalmLogic keeps on saying, the CMU professional programs is just a money spinner and the ROI is simply not good enough. The industry doesn't care either way. Besides, the programs are overrated.

Go to Purdue. Its much better.

[wickedewd]

Originally Posted by Participant

Hi guys,
I have been accepted by Purdue CS for its MS degree and by Carnegie Mellon University for its Software Engineering program (MSIT-SE). I am a little confused now becuase of the followings:

1) CMU has better ranking and reputition than Purdue but it has no funding opportunities (up to my knowledge).
2) CMU's master is a single year master.
3) CMU's master is a professional master and I don't know its future from academic prospectives (what if I want to apply for a PhD at MIT or Stanford next year)?

So, please, if anyone has any information that can be helpful, let me know.

hey PARTICIPANT..can u pls tell me..what ur credentials are..to get into an university like CMU..