Got admit from CMU - Masters in Software Engineering

[Snehal82]

Guys,

I got an admit from CMU - MSE program....This is a professional masters degree. Any comments on the program?

 

Snehal

[CalmLogic]

1. CMU tution is expensive, and, at least for the MSE program, there are no TA positions available for the first semester. This means you will have no idea if you will eventually get funding unless you get a scholarship/fellowship.

2. Their acceptance rate for professional degrees is much higher than at other grad programs:

 

Approximately 140 national and international applicants apply each year for the Fall start of the campus program. Of that number, less than one-half receive offers of admission.

 

http://www.mse.cs.cmu.edu/information-faq.html

[etschreiber]

Don't listen to that guy. Great job getting in. As for funding, it is extremely rare to get funding from a university for a masters. Funding is usually reserved for a PhD. I am sure you will find the masters to be a great experience as I did for mine.

[veron4]

It is true that the CMU masters program is not as strong as other those at top universities. However, CMU is CMU. And employers like CMU.

 

Given that you're doing an MSE, presumably you aim is to get a job in industry. In that case, CMU is good since companies recruit there. So if you don't have options in the other top programs, and are willing to spend the money, go!

[CalmLogic]

BTW, to clarify, I'm not saying one should not go into the program even though the total tuition for the program will be well over $30,000 per year, not including housing and other costs of living. I must admit that I would be tempted to get a student loan since CMU is obviously a very prestigious college.

 

However, as a U.S. citizen who is less concerned about job placement, I would ideally spend no more than $20,000 on the M.S. and spend the remaining money on something else, like putting a down payment on a home. Though CMU would definitely provide much better job placement than say the University of Arizona, with the money I save I could fly across the country for job interviews (New York City, Silicon Valley, etc.) not only for my first job but for my entire career.

 

On the other hand, everything is relative to your future job prospects. If you eventually land a job in New York City paying $200,000 a year, then $60,000 doesn't seem so high for tuition. Then again, any job that pays such a high salary will likely be more stressful and may even accelerate the aging process.

 

So, if you are still seriously interested in CMU, you may want to compare the job statistics of CMU graduates to that of other MS programs if you haven't already. You probably already the online statistics for CMU's MSE program:

 

Upon graduation, virtually all of our graduates have been highly successful in securing jobs in the software engineering industry. Graduates report that hiring salaries, though dependent upon location, generally range from $65,000 - $85,000/year, minus signing bonuses and additional perks, and that they have little problem with the availability of job offers.

 

http://www.mse.cs.cmu.edu/information-faq.html

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

 

Since National University's MSSE program is allied with CMU, I assume the difference in pay is mostly because those who went to National University (which based in San Diego) were more likely to work in San Diego and Silicon Valley where there is a higher cost of living.

 

BTW, job statistics for CMU's undergrad program:

http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/scs/JobSearch/stats.html#1

 

Based on those statistics, 32% of the undergrad CMU CS students found jobs using CMU's online, private job database called TartanTrak and 17% found jobs using CMU's Technical Opportunities Conference. However, 19% were able to find jobs the old fashioned way by networking and 18% got jobs due to previous employment/internship. Also, CMU's job site has some tips from previous students that, as one would expect, emphasize the importance of previous work experience and networking:http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/scs/JobSearch/advice.html

 

For some additional perspective:

 

"I went to CMU, and I wouldn't look down on an MSCS from Pitt in AI. Soon after you begin your first job in software development it's what you can do, how fast you can do it, and how reliable it is that determines your value. That's what makes the elite. If you've impressed them enough in the interview that they've made you a job offer, you are impressive enough."

 

"Nobody will care where you graduated from after a year or two - probably sooner. Since I'm a graduate from a top tier university in find that very annoying, as I have to keep doing useful work or they will fire me!"

http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.94398.24