<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="10" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Berkeley's Data Science Master's </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Master Key Skills in Data Mining, Machine Learning, Research Design & More </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>The online Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) program is preparing the next generation of experts and leaders in the data science field and providing students with a UC Berkeley education without having to relocate. Students graduate with connections to UC Berkeley’s extensive alumni network in the Bay Area and across the world. All international applicants will be required to submit official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-10" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-10" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://ischoolonline.berkeley.edu/requestinfo/mids/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UCB-DATA_MKTGAD-13675_Program-Logo_750x500.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://ischoolonline.berkeley.edu/requestinfo/mids/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> <table class="edu-card-table"> <tbody> <tr> <td>GRE Required</td> <td>No</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Part Time</td> <td>Yes</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="56" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Full-Stack Web Development Certificate </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Start your coding career today </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>Get comprehensive career training in web development and software engineering. Life is unpredictable, so we're flexible: attend in-person or online, full-time or part-time, with access to class recordings after each session.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-56" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-56" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://www.nobledesktop.com/certificates/full-stack-development/?utm_source=fortune&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=[dynamic]post-id[/dynamic]">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Noble_logo-n-only.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://www.nobledesktop.com/certificates/full-stack-development/?utm_source=fortune&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=[dynamic]post-id[/dynamic]">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="17" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Syracuse University's Online M.S. in Computer Science </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Earn a Master of Science in Computer Science Online in as few as 15 Months </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>Syracuse University's College of Engineering and Computer Science offers an online M.S. in Computer Science focusing on subjects crucial to understanding emerging systems.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-17" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-17" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/requestinfo/mscs/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SYR-UMT_Lockup_Eng-Comp-Sci_Full-Configuration_RGB_COLOR_900px.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/requestinfo/mscs/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

ad_Comp-sci

cat_Other

Low Intent

ptype_Explainer

Nicole Gull McElroy

<p>Going back to school for a master’s degree is often a way to advance to higher-paying roles. In computer science, a graduate degree can open the door to six-figure salaries, and that extra degree <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/07/15/how-much-can-you-make-with-an-online-masters-degree-in-computer-science/">leads to a $30,000 pay bump</a>, on average, as <em>Fortune</em> previously reported. Money isn’t the only reason people <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/07/22/who-should-get-a-masters-degree-in-computer-science/">choose to pursue</a> a master’s degree in computer science, however. </p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>For Sam Hays, the idea of carving out time to connect with others who shared his curiosity for technology and the role it plays in business and innovation was appealing. After more than 20 years of working in information technology and with a long established skill set as a computer scientist and systems architect, Hays enrolled in the online master’s degree program in computer science at <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/masters/rankings/vanderbilt-university/">Vanderbilt University</a> in 2020. </p>



<p>“I value education, and there’s always new stuff to learn,” Hays says. “I’d been thinking about a master’s for a long time and then maybe a doctorate.”</p>



<p>The online format of the program was also an important factor, says Hays, who lives in Colorado Springs with his family. Enrolling in a more intimate program meant increased opportunity for connection and collaboration with his cohort. </p>



<p>A relatively small program is intentional on Vanderbilt’s part, says Jules White, associate dean of strategic learning programs at the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. “Early on, our goal was to extend the Vanderbilt model,” he says. “We aren’t looking to have 10,000 people in the program that we haven’t met. We have a really stellar body of students right now.”</p>



<p>For Hays, that aspect of the online model only strengthened the program’s benefits and helped to further inform his <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/10/04/how-to-get-into-vanderbilts-masters-degree-program-in-computer-science/">decision to enroll at Vanderbilt</a>. “I was interested in being around other people that are big fans of this kind of <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/07/25/is-an-online-masters-degree-in-computer-science-worth-it/">computer science</a>,” he says. “I’ve worked a lot of places. The amount of people you could have a coffee or a beer with after work and talk about real cutting-edge problems was really limited. For me, it’s the love of the science…I wanted to work with people that were similarly interested. Folks choosing to go back and do more schoolwork were probably those folks.” </p>



<p>Hays sat down with <em>Fortune</em> to share a bit more about his experience and offer his best advice to students interested in a similar path.</p>



<p><em>The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. </em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-commitment-for-an-online-master-s-degree-in-computer-science">Time commitment for an online master’s degree in computer science</h2>



<p><strong><em>Fortune: What was your schedule like while you were studying at Vanderbilt?</em></strong></p>



<p>Hays: I was a <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/01/27/how-to-become-a-software-engineer/">software engineer</a> at the time when I started. I was writing software all day. I have two children—one of whom, though, is in college. When I started, he was studying <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/masters/rankings/best-masters-in-data-science/">data science,</a> but then he switched to <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-psychology-degree-programs/">psychology</a>. Some of my evenings were spent discussing his work with him. I [also] did some consulting on the side. It was a pretty busy schedule.</p>



<p><strong><em>Fortune: What was your course load like?</em></strong></p>



<p>Hays: When I first joined two-and-a-half years ago, you had the option of one, two, or three classes. I ended up going with two classes. The adviser was pushing for three, but I didn’t believe, given my obligations, I could reasonably do that. I would say at the heaviest workload, I might have been putting in 20 hours a week.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-value-of-a-master-s-degree-program-cohort">The value of a master’s degree program cohort</h2>



<p><strong><em>Fortune: How has being a part of the Vanderbilt community informed your career and life?</em></strong></p>



<p>Hays: At first blush I’d tell you, everything sort-of felt like I had more or less expected it to feel. I have done a bunch of online classes through Coursera and MIT. I was used to the cadence of those kinds of things. The material was good. There were some professors I felt were pretty exceptional. </p>



<p>There are definitely folks in the program that seem to be in it for the love of the game. Those are the folks I became friends with. Certainly, the faculty; I have good relationships with the faculty. And I’ve now built a relationship with Vanderbilt, in general. I teach a cybersecurity class there now. I’m building good relationships.</p>



<p><strong><em>Fortune: How would you characterize your cohort?</em></strong></p>



<p>Hays: There were folks that were pretty young that maybe worked for a few years. There were folks like myself with 20 years of experience; lifelong learners. I remember having side channel conversations, particularly people who <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/08/30/can-you-get-a-masters-degree-in-computer-science-without-a-computer-science-background/">came without computer science degrees</a> and instead maybe math degrees. There is a lot of assumed knowledge in the program, and they had to catch up. I didn’t expect that. It was a pretty wide range. There were folks that were a little out of their depth, and I saw a lot of them really turn it around.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-career-impact-of-a-master-s-degree-in-computer-science">Career impact of a master’s degree in computer science </h2>



<p><strong><em>Fortune: How has your time at Vanderbilt informed your path forward?</em></strong></p>



<p>Hays: Recently, I ended up taking a new position as systems architect at another company. Now I’m still building software, building systems, and helping to drive this company’s technology stack forward. I’m also actively working on my Ph.D. now. Maybe when I do that, there might be something I look to change in my career. I’m also teaching. I’ve been in the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-cybersecurity/">cybersecurity</a> space for a long time and now I do some instruction at Vanderbilt.</p>



<p><em><em>See how the schools you’re considering fared in </em></em>Fortune’<em><em>s rankings of the best master’s degree programs in data science (<a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/masters/rankings/best-masters-in-data-science/">in-person</a> and <a href="https://fortune.com/education/data-science/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-data-science/">online</a>), <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-nursing/">nursing</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-computer-science/">computer science</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-cybersecurity/">cybersecurity</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-psychology-degree-programs/">psychology</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/public-health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-public-health-programs/">public health</a>, and <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business-analytics/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-business-analytics/">business analytics</a>, as well as the best <a href="https://fortune.com/education/leadership/doctorate/rankings/best-online-doctor-education-programs/">doctorate in education</a> programs and MBA programs (<a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-parttime-mba-programs-in-2022/">part-time</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-executive-mba-programs-in-2021/">executive</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-mba-programs/">full-time</a>, and <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-online-mba-programs/">online</a>).</em></em></p>
</div>

Fortune sat down with a graduate of an online master's degree program in computer science to learn about his experience and his advice to other students.

Why I chose to get my master’s degree in computer science online

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Tech

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Business

Career Hub

Health and Wellness

EDUCATION

EDUCATION ARTICLES

WHY I CHOSE TO GET MY MASTER’S DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE ONLINE

Why I chose to get my master’s degree in computer science online | Fortune Education

Rich Griset

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://fortune.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

Preston Fore

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://fortune.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

Northwestern, Columbia, and UPenn have the best EMBA programs in the country. Here's why

https://fortune.com/education/articles/best-exec-mba-programs-news/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Jason Del Rey

Is eBay actually sexy again as the ecommerce old-timer’s stock surges to an all-time high?

/2025/07/31/ebay-earnings-live-sports-cards-trading-pokemon/

Erik German

Meet the CIA-backed venture fund behind Palantir, Anduril—and a spy tool that might be on your phone

/2025/07/29/in-q-tel-cia-venture-capital-palantir-anduril/

Dana Hull

Kiel Porter

Bloomberg

Tesla engineering VP Moravy says company in ‘big swing moment’

/2025/07/27/tesla-engineering-vp-lars-moravy-big-swing-moment-musk-robotaxi-optimus-semi/

Christiaan Hetzner

Volkswagen seeks audience with Trump, dangling more than $10 billion in U.S. investments in exchange for tariff exemptions

/2025/07/25/volkswagen-trump-tariffs-exemptions/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

Why I chose to get my master’s degree in computer science online

About the Contributors

Top Articles

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

Northwestern, Columbia, and UPenn have the best EMBA programs in the country. Here's why

Syracuse University's Online M.S. in Computer Science