BS in CS plan for Masters in CS?

[atmoex]

I'm an international student interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science. I'm currently enrolled in the BSc in CS of University of London (if anyone has any questions I'd be more than happy to answer), however, I still need 3,5 years to finish which is a long time. I am thinking of changing my plan and complete a degree from TESU (or any other alternative). What I want to do is to attend a B&M university for a masters in CS in the US. Most of them have prerequisites.

1) Is through TESU the best way to do my undergraduate degree?
2) In order to be admitted for a Masters degree, how many graded credits should I have? Would 30 be enough for my GPA?
3) Since I plan on taking 30 graded credits (including the prerequisites), would it be wise to take them with TESU (although I see that they're a bit expensive)?
4) Would letter of recommendations be difficult to take?

Thanks!

[rachel83az]

1. TESU is the fastest way to get a specifically CS degree. Purdue Global has an Information Technology degree with a few different concentrations that could possibly be faster/cheaper. But such a degree may or may not provide admittance to a Master's degree in CS.
2. It depends on the school. You have to go per-school. One of the best CS Master's degrees (and also cheapest!) is through Georgia Tech. A degree from TESU is sufficient for entry to Georgia Tech's OMCS degree.
3. No, don't take them with TESU. Do the 16-credit-term with TESU and then get the rest of your graded credits somewhere else.
4. I have no idea how this works.

[atmoex]

1. TESU is the fastest way to get a specifically CS degree. Purdue Global has an Information Technology degree with a few different concentrations that could possibly be faster/cheaper. But such a degree may or may not provide admittance to a Master's degree in CS.
2. It depends on the school. You have to go per-school. One of the best CS Master's degrees (and also cheapest!) is through Georgia Tech. A degree from TESU is sufficient for entry to Georgia Tech's OMCS degree.
3. No, don't take them with TESU. Do the 16-credit-term with TESU and then get the rest of your graded credits somewhere else.
4. I have no idea how this works.

Thank you for replying!

Regarding the Master's degree, I plan on taking it on campus and not online. Also, if I take 14 credits elsewhere as you say, will these credits appear on TESU's transcripts as graded, or not?

[rachel83az]

TECEPs are pass/fail and do not have grades. If you take credits from TEL, ONU, UExcels, or ASU, those are graded and will appear on the transcript as such.

You might want to take the Master's degree on campus, but it's my understanding that Georgia Tech's option is better than most in-person ones. The school is highly regarded in the tech sector. That's certainly something to keep in mind, especially as an international student.

[atmoex]

TECEPs are pass/fail and do not have grades. If you take credits from TEL, ONU, UExcels, or ASU, those are graded and will appear on the transcript as such.

You might want to take the Master's degree on campus, but it's my understanding that Georgia Tech's option is better than most in-person ones. The school is highly regarded in the tech sector. That's certainly something to keep in mind, especially as an international student.

Indeed, OMSCS is the best choice. However, I plan on working in the US and this is why I want to take a degree on campus. If the universities I'm interested in pursuing a Master's degree at require more than 30 graded credits and I do ONU for this purpose, do you happen to know how long is it going to take approximately for the 10 general education ONU courses if I do them full time? Thanks

[rachel83az]

That depends. The ONU courses claim that they each take around 120 hours, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. They may take slightly more or less time, depending on prior knowledge.

[atmoex]

That depends. The ONU courses claim that they each take around 120 hours, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. They may take slightly more or less time, depending on prior knowledge.

This means that for 10 courses I would need to put at least 60 hours every week for 5 months. Isn't this a bit too much? Do you or does anyone else know if the other colleges mentioned in the wiki (clovis, nmjc) are as demanding as ONU?

[rachel83az]

Like said, I don't think it's completely accurate. People here have been able to finish the ONU courses more quickly than proscribed. Most of the other sources are not self-paced. TEL is, but they also claim about 120 hours per course and they have TWO proctored exams per course.

People have been able to finish the TEL courses more quickly, too, so I strongly suspect that both TEL and ONU are off-base when it comes to how long it would take a determined student to finish.

[Pats20]

That depends. The ONU courses claim that they each take around 120 hours, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. They may take slightly more or less time, depending on prior knowledge.

This means that for 10 courses I would need to put at least 60 hours every week for 5 months. Isn't this a bit too much? Do you or does anyone else know if the other colleges mentioned in the wiki (clovis, nmjc) are as demanding as ONU?

Honestly , it’s probably not too far off , unless you are a very fast reader/ learner. Think about it, For most people It takes a year to get through 10 courses in college. 10 courses in five months is moving pretty fast.

[atmoex]

Like said, I don't think it's completely accurate. People here have been able to finish the ONU courses more quickly than proscribed. Most of the other sources are not self-paced. TEL is, but they also claim about 120 hours per course and they have TWO proctored exams per course.

People have been able to finish the TEL courses more quickly, too, so I strongly suspect that both TEL and ONU are off-base when it comes to how long it would take a determined student to finish.

I see. I think ONU sounds better then. I also read that UMPI has 8 week courses that are coursework based. Would it be quicker to do the gen eds with them?

I'm trying to come up with the fastest plan. I have contacted several graduate schools regarding how many of the undergraduate degree credits should be graded and I'm waiting for responses.

Honestly , it’s probably not too far off , unless you are a very fast reader/ learner. Think about it, For most people It takes a year to get through 10 courses in college. 10 courses in five months is moving pretty fast.

You're right. I don't think I will be able to put 60h/week consistently though, so it might take as long as 7 months. But I guess that's what I get if I want RA credits.