For a Self-Taught Developer, UT Austin’s MSCS Program Fills Knowledge Gaps
As a primarily self-taught senior Python developer working in the financial services industry, Anton could feel gaps in his knowledge. Although he had taken a few short courses, he found that he needed something more challenging and comprehensive.
“I consider myself a decent developer, but because most of my knowledge comes from practice and self-teaching, I always felt there were some ad hoc gaps,” Anton said. Fortunately, The University of Texas Austin’s online Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program was both rigorous and accommodated his schedule as a full-time developer.
Keep reading to learn more about Anton’s experience with UT Austin’s MSCS program.
"The program over-delivered in terms of quality of education (especially materials and lectures), and [I have] the flexibility of being able to watch lectures when I feel I can learn best.”
“The program over-delivered in terms of quality of education (especially materials and lectures), and [I have] the flexibility of being able to watch lectures when I feel I can learn best.”
What was your program experience like?
My goals in doing the master’s were to improve my theoretical foundation and give me a good taste of more advanced topics.
The program over-delivered in terms of quality of education (especially materials and lectures) and the flexibility of watching lectures when I feel I can learn best. That, coupled with frequent office hours, which I can attend from my living room, suits me working a full-time job while studying. I initially struggled with time commitment—I hadn't done homework in over five years, so the first term hit particularly hard. After that, routine kicked in, and it became much easier.
What was your experience with the faculty teaching the course?
The lecturers are quite well versed in their subjects. Overall, I've been very impressed with the quality of lectures—deep learning, machine learning, parallel systems had some of the most engaging lectures I've seen period. It's important to say that this is a graduate program, and material isn't spoon-fed. How this impacts you is that homework requires quite a bit of further reading and research.
How do you plan to leverage your degree towards your career goals?
I plan to join projects which are relevant to what I studied. I've already been able to leverage some of my modules, which was a very rewarding feeling.
Learn More About UT Austin’s Top-Ranked Online MSCS Program
If, like Anton, you’re interested in developing a comprehensive foundation in computer science or want to become a better developer, start by exploring UT Austin’s MSCS program.
Request information to learn more about how UT Austin’s 100% online, top-ranked master’s degree in computer science can accelerate your career or get started on an application.
Last updated: May 2022