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Ask HN: Online Degree Programs

3 points by walesmd ↗ HN
First a bit about me: I just recently separated from the US Air Force after 6 years. I now work as a Senior Developer for General Dynamics Information Technology in Augusta, GA. The job is great and I make plenty of money, so no real concern here.

I've been thinking of going back to college - I have a few college credits from courses I've taken and military courses/experience, but nothing significant.

Now, I'm not wanting to go back just for the piece of paper, so that rules the majority of online schools out. I've talked with Colorado Technical University and a school in Arizona and they both told me I would be wasting my time in their Computer Science programs.

Devry University has, what appears to be, an excellent Computer Engineering program. It hits the full-breadth of computer science, getting into electronics, signal processing, software engineering, etc. This seems to be a pretty good fit for me since I will actually be learning something and can use my electives to really focus more on software engineering.

Guess I'm looking for validation, opinions on Devry or other school recommendations? Online is pretty much the only way I can go - the local schools don't go into the depth I would want to go into and with a wife, 2 year old and full-time job I pretty much need that "3AM in your underwear option."

7 comments

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stonemetal
USC, Purdue, heck even harvard have online only degree options. Try finding a school you actually want to go to then see if they offer an online program. There is no need to scrape the bottom of the barrel just because you need a little flexibility. Find a school you want to go to and see what they offer.
walesmd
I didn't really think Devry was scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Cost is an issue - although the GI Bill will cover a majority of it, the schools I am looking at do charge more than I will receive so out of pocket expense is of some concern.

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jhawk28
DePaul University has the largest online CS programs. Illinois Institute of Technology has a decent program too.
walesmd
Thanks for the link - it's so hard to get around all of the spam when searching for a online CS degree, I completely missed DePaul. The program looks pretty good.
gcheong
I was in the DePaul M.S.C.S. program for a while. I found it reasonably good overall but decided, after taking all the core courses and a couple electives, that I could learn whatever I needed on my own. With any accredited distance degree program there is often a requirement to have a proctored exams (midterms, finals) taken in person somewhere (I did mine through the UC Berkeley Extension School), so be aware of that as that will be something you will need to schedule time for.

You might also look into the Stanford Center for Professional Development http://scpd.stanford.edu/ .

Good Luck!

walesmd
I recently discovered Troy University has an office local to me as well as offering the Computer Science degree online.

Growing up, near Tallahassee, Troy was always seen as a great school for those individuals going into fields like Sports Medicine.