Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!reed!percival!littlei!ogcvax!pase
From: pase@ogcvax.UUCP (Douglas M. Pase)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: MS in SE or CS
Message-ID: <1622@ogcvax.UUCP>
Date: 17 Apr 88 00:32:08 GMT
References: <17063@gatech.edu> <cca.26960>
Reply-To: pase@ogcvax.UUCP (Douglas M. Pase)
Organization: Oregon Graduate Center, Beaverton, OR
Lines: 24

This whole discussion has brought to the surface one of my pet peeves.  It
seems in some cases that an MS in CS is used as a shortcut into industrial
positions -- either programming or leadership.  I have seen a number of
people with an unrelated BS degree (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, or English) get
an MS in CS, and receive better offers/treatment than those with a BS in CS.
I would consider this reasonable IFF those people had a better grasp of CS,
programming, or SOMETHING worthwhile.  (You probably think I'm now going to
tell you they didn't, and you're right.)  In each of the cases I had to work
directly with the individuals, and they were more of a liability than an
asset.  They would propose ambitious programs/features with almost no concept
of performance or how such things would be implemented.  Even taking care of
the more mundane things seemed almost beyond them.  In two of the three cases
they were also Prima Donnas who demanded better equipment for themselves than
was available to the rest of the group.  (And no the rest of you guys can't
have new stuff -- it's too expensive!)

In all fairness, my sample size is three, and each of these guys had been out
of school no more than two years by the time I got them.  Also, I worked with
several others who had BS degrees in Math and/or CS, and an MS in CS; I
observed no such problems with them.  I don't think there's anything wrong
with an MS in CS, but I do see problems with having a BS in something
unrelated if you've got one.
-- 
Doug Pase  --  ...ucbvax!tektronix!ogcvax!pase  or  pase@cse.ogc.edu (CSNet)