Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Searching For A Masters Program

I am currently trolling through the websites of Toronto universities looking for a good post-graduate program. It's tough when you are a Computer Science graduate. I don't want to program codes or research vague theories forever. However most of the Canadian Masters education in Computer Sciences is based on Graph theories and researches. I find a dearth of options when it comes to IT management and planning. It has to be in Toronto as I don't want to move and give up work.

I talked with one professor recently and asked him about the lack of good post-graduate options in Canada. His answer? Canada poaches off educated personnel from around the world, so we don't need to develop our own. That may be true, but most of those entering Canada eventually leave for the US as they cannot develop their skills here. And with outsourcing as it is, coding and researching may eventually shift to India and China, leaving the Western world's computer scientists in a state of despair.

The kicker? I checked out one universities requirement for an EMBA program. One of the admission requirements was $70,000. Per year.

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9 comments:

Aisha said...

70K requirement huh? Crazy.

Would you come to the US for a masters?

mezba said...

the EMBA was the Executive MBA, and its an exclusive one usually for corporations. other prices for other programmes are more in the normal range.

I would consider the USA except I won't get funding from government here (only canadian univ) and I dont want to give up my great job. It will hav to be a part time masters.

Anonymous said...

hey Mez,
why dont u try the distance learning option? Having attained admission in that myself, I can tell u that its not all that bad...infact its really great the way the education flows through e-learning.

Try that option if u r interested..this way u can expand ur horizons...

- Behbood

Anonymous said...

Check out University of Waterloo's website...they have a program called "MOT @ Distance". Its the best option I could find when I was in your situation.

-Sak

Masti-boy said...

I agree if you have great Job, online programme is your answer where you go to campus twice a year.

My friend did through Phoenix online. He had great leap in career. May be expensive at first sight but worth if you choose program sensibly.

(ya no irritating comment today).

mezba said...

Behbood, Sak: checking out those options.

Masti: Thank you for a that comment.

I am interested in knowing how much value corporations give to correspondence degrees. Is that attitude changing?

Anonymous said...

yeah the attitude is changing, depends how you sell it. You can claim that it is more challenging to do a masters degree while holding on to a full time job. Besides....the degree you get doesn't say "DONE ONLINE". No body will know you did it online until you tell them.

-Sak

Masti-boy said...

If program is from a well standing regular accredited univ. and ask you to go to campus once a semester or twice per year, mostly its no different from regular degree. But I agree before throwing money, better to do home work

Aisha said...

I don tknow what the standards are like in Canada but for me Phoneix (no offense to anyone who went there) and others like it are like degree mills... and if I think that its worth a study of the market to see what corporate execs and bosses think of it.