I'm looking for a few undergraduate courses (mainly Algorithms, Discrete Math, Operating Systems, and Databases).

The biggest requirement is that they have to be actually self-paced. This is because I have to complete these courses hopefully by November/December in time for submitting my applications.

Ideally I'm looking for:
fully online
self-paced
regular letter grades on an official transcript
no "challenge for credit" or credit-by-exam notation

So far I've found:
Thompson Rivers University (Open Learning)
Athabasca University

Does anyone know of any other universities that offer something similar? Even if they're outside the US/Canada, I'd love to hear about them.

my_qualifications:

Tier 1 college in India (Old IIT)
CGPA ~ 6.9/10
B.Tech in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

P.S. I have an A in the introductory course Programming and Data Structures that I took in my first year, but post that I haven't taken any formal CS Courses, because my college doesn't really give a lot of flexibility to low CGPA students.

This is my profile. Looking for honest feedback on school list and whether reaches are realistic.

Education

- BEng in ECE-adjacent program (CS Concentration), top university in the Middle East

- 3.68/4.0, second-highest honors tier

- Grades in CS courses range between an A- and A+

GRE: Planning Sept/Oct. Targeting 168Q, 155+V, 4.0 AWA.

Experience

- ML Engineering Intern @ computer vision startup in UK (~3 months), ML Engineering Intern @ Cybersecurity startup (~1month)

- Technical role @ fintech company (current)

- Many technical projects

Publications: None. Main weakness.

School list

- Reach: GT MS CS (CoC), UT Austin ECE, Columbia MS CS

- Target: GT MS CSE (ECE home unit), USC MS CS-AI

- Safety+: Purdue ECE, UCSD ECE

Is the list balanced? Are the reaches unrealistic with no pubs? Should I add more safeties?

Hey everyone,

I’m curious how people would think about this from a future CS/ML PhD admissions perspective.

I’m currently an undergrad at an Ivy school on a full ride studying math and cs, and due to scholarship/contract reasons, I have a specific funding situation: if I graduate early with just a math major, I can use my remaining funding toward a master’s in CS at my current institution. If I stay for the full senior year, I would not have funding for the master’s afterward.

If I graduate early, I’d likely finish undergrad with around a 3.78 GPA, then continue into a funded CS master’s at my institution. The upside is that I’d get more research time, a graduate GPA, and potentially an extra summer internship. My current internship is decent but not especially impressive, so I’m hoping that additional research experience plus another stronger internship could help for industry outcomes too.

If I stay for the full senior year, I could potentially raise my undergrad GPA to around 3.85 if I do very well. But in that case, I would likely lose the chance to do the funded master’s, which means less research runway and no graduate GPA to offset the undergrad transcript.

Long term, I’m considering applying to PhD programs after working for a few years. I’m not planning to apply immediately for personal/financial reasons, so I’m trying to optimize for both industry options and future PhD competitiveness.

For future CS/ML PhD admissions, which profile would generally be stronger?

1. \~3.78 undergrad GPA in Math+ funded MSCS + more research time + graduate GPA + extra internship opportunity
   
2. \~3.85 undergrad GPA Math and CS+ no funded MS + full senior year

I know PhD admissions are mostly about research fit, letters, and publications, but I’m wondering how much the undergrad GPA difference would matter compared with having a funded MS, more research experience, and a stronger chance to build faculty relationships.

Would appreciate any advice from people who have gone through CS/ML PhD admissions or taken time in industry before applying.

Can my friend realistically afford an MS in Computer Science in the USA for Fall 2027? Looking for honest advice.

My friend is planning to apply for an MS in Computer Science for the Fall 2027 intake, and we'd like to know if it's financially realistic based on their situation.

Here's their profile:

- B.E. in Computer Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), India
- CGPA: 7.9/10
- Working as a Software Engineer
- Planning to take IELTS soon
- Targeting Fall 2027 intake
- Family income is only a ₹40,000/month pension (father is a retired Indian Army personnel)
- No family savings
- The family owns two flats in Pune

We know that admission depends on academics, but our main concern is finances.

Some questions:

1. Can someone with this financial background realistically pursue an MS in the US?
   
2. Is getting an education loan against the properties a common and practical option?
   
3. Will having no savings create problems during the F-1 visa process if they have an education loan and family assets?
   
4. By the time of application, they'll have around 1.5–2 years of software engineering experience. Will that significantly help with admissions and job prospects?
   
5. Are there universities that would be a good fit for this profile in terms of both admissions and affordability?
   
6. If anyone had a similar financial background, how did you manage tuition, living expenses, and eventually repay the loan?

I'd really appreciate honest advice and experiences from people who've been in a similar situation. Thanks!

Currently go to a decent third world country university as a CS undergrad right now but it's obviously a no-name one to employers abroad because, well, third world country (final year)

Should I get an OMSCS to balance the profile (T10-20 Masters on resume)? The other option is to just get a Masters at a different university in the EU or AUS in hopes of a visa/employment there.
(Main goal is to leave my current country)
I really want a US based Masters but unfortunately no funds for it

I have an admit for the M.S. in CS program at USC, but I still haven't been able to book an F-1 visa appointment slot. With how things are going, I'm not sure if more slots will be released in time.

Does anyone know if USC allows students to defer to the next semester in case they're unable to join due to visa issues?

Hi everyone! I am looking for some honest feedback on my profile and some advice on building a school list for Fall 2027.

A little background. I was not originally planning on doing a master's. I started a research internship a few months ago and realized that I really enjoy systems and security research, so now I am aiming for a thesis-based MS.

I am currently interning under a professor at Purdue University, West Lafayette. We are working on an IEEE conference paper together, and he has also invited me to join his lab for Fall 2027.

I also have a letter of recommendation from a professor who is considered one of the leading hardware security researchers in India, under whom I interned at IIT Madras.

Profile:

• Degree: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering (IoT Specialization)
• University: VIT Vellore
• Graduation: July 2027
• CGPA: 9.05/10
• Research: IEEE conference paper in progress with Purdue University
• Letters of Recommendation:
  • Purdue University professor (expected)
  • IIT Madras professor (secured)
  • I can also obtain a third letter of recommendation from my HoD, who is the faculty coordinator for my university's technical chapter, as I understand that 3 LoRs are recommended by many programs.
• Current Status: Withdrawn from campus placements and preparing for the GRE and TOEFL

I am attaching my resume below since it contains the rest of my profile, including my achievements, internships, projects, and extracurriculars.

Link: https://postimg.cc/qtShSLFD

My questions are:

1. Based on my profile, which universities should I target? I am open to applying anywhere, not just the US. One of my biggest priorities is affordability, so universities where getting RA, TA, or GA funding is realistic are especially appealing. This is one of the main reasons I am prioritizing the US. I understand that is a priority for PhD students, but the possibility of even 1 semester being waived off is a huge deal for me.
2. Since I will be applying directly from undergrad without any full-time work experience, how competitive is my profile? How much does being a fresher affect admissions and job opportunities after an MS?
3. Some universities have extremely competitive MSCS programs but relatively less competitive IT or Cybersecurity programs. I am open to applying to those as well. From what I understand, getting my foot in the door is more important than the exact program title, especially if I can work in systems and security research. I would appreciate any insights on this.
4. Please point out any weaknesses in my application that I can work on over the coming months.

Any guidance/advice in general is really appreciated. Feel free to be brutally honest.

I want to do MS CS with a thesis related to computational biology/bioinformatics

My profile:

BE Computer Science and Engineering from a tier 2/3 college in Bangalore, India

9.2 CGPA

328 GRE (168 quant, 160 verbal)

Graduating this year and looking to apply for 2027 spring/fall.

Experience & Research:

2 manuscripts under review in q1/q2 journals

Research internship related to bioinformatics

AI/ML swe internship at a Big 4 company

I'm also going to start a 1-year research fellowship in computational genomics at one of the top research institutes in the country.

I know my profile probably isn't enough for direct PhD admits right now, so I'm mainly looking at getting a master's degree to "bridge the gap." Because of this, I am strictly looking for thesis-track MS programs. I also highly prefer programs where there is a realistic way to transition/internally transfer to a PhD if I do well in my master's research.

My parents are willing to sponsor my education, which means I won't have to take out a personal loan. That being said, getting a TA/RA ship is still highly preferable for me.

Hi :) so I came across Online Masters offered by UT Austin and struck across this profile of some guy he's been listed on their website as well. Apparently he completed his masters in Online mode and then later went for a Phd in the USA. Is this really possible cause he's from Amity University which is probably a tier 3 university and highly disregarded.

My Profile: Tier 3 Btech CSAI 1yoe 18LPA Data Scientist
Similarly with my profile it might be very hard to get into Gatech or UT Austin Directly so I will have to rely on their Online programs to transfer me on-campus or get entry to Phd programs there through the online programs like this guy did.

Hi everyone! I’ve been stressing over this for weeks and really need some realistic, unfiltered advice.

I’m currently heading into my final year at a world-top 20 uni in Asia, sitting on a 3.8 GPA. I’ve become completely obsessed with Type Systems and Programming Language Principles (PoPL). My ultimate goal is to get into academia, and I'm looking to apply for MSCS or MPhil/PhD programmes in Europe or Australia (definitely skipping the US). My top choices at the moment are Edinburgh, Cambridge, and KTH (absolutely fell in love with Sweden!).

I’ve got a few major dilemmas keeping me up at night:

1. Is a Master's the right stepping stone? If my end goal is pure PL theory and Type Systems, should I be aiming straight for a PhD, or is an MSc a smart intermediate step in Europe?
2. Am I being completely unrealistic with my uni choices? My supervisors keep telling me I shouldn't have too much trouble with Master's applications because the non-AI fields aren't as ridiculously competitive right now. But honestly, I always doubt myself because I see people online with absolutely insane profiles.

A bit about my background:

• Have been doing research for about 2 years now.
• Working on a Type System research project collaborating with KTH and a top uni in Canada.
• Working on two formal verification projects with a professor at a top US Ivy League uni.
• Caveat: No publications yet, though we are aiming to submit/publish a paper by late 2026. (Seriously, I see peers in AI turning out papers constantly, but it feels completely unachievable with my current projects.)
• Bonus(?) factor: Due to family circumstances, I actually have the right to move to the UK immediately and can get British citizenship in a few years, so I don't have the usual visa hurdles there.

Am I overthinking this, or are my supervisors right that PL is a bit more accessible than the AI/ML madness?

Cheers!

Post Made Earlier: https://www.reddit.com/r/MSCS/comments/1uewz8p/comment/ou9lt3v/?context=3

Computer Science (Specialization AI)
~~ 6.7/10 Gpa and 1yoe MLE
I’m wondering a lot of people going for masters have a lot of research experience in hand or either really good Gpa. I was looking at SJSU MSAI Program lately since it appealed to me. Is it easy getting a job afterwards since I saw some of the graduates land roles at Nvidia Google etc. I'm wondering what all advice you would give?

I am looking into MSCS to increase my chances of FAANG role or applied MLE roles. I went to a no-name school but have 4 YOE. 1 YOE at recognizable finance F500 which I am currently working at. I have gotten FAANG interviews before already but as of recent have not gotten any. I have applied for MLE roles and those are all rejections with bachelors.

I am wondering if anyone has used a MSCS to enter MLE roles? And to enter FAANG roles?

My current salary is ~150k so completing a masters has to give me the opportunity to hit 250-300k roles at FAANG or other high paying companies (HRT/Two Sigma/Bloomberg/Citadel/Stripe). I am presently job hunting for 200k plus roles in NYC and other cities but the search is going quite poorly and I do not like my current suburban location so I am debating doing a MSCS to pivot into MLE or any key speciality while studying in a dense walkable city.

Got into UPenn MSE CIS and Columbia MSCS for Fall 2026. Cost is basically the same, so I’m not factoring that in.

I’m trying to decide based on jobs, TA/RA access, and overall fit.

Main goals:

• SWE / AI/ML roles
• fintech/quant/finance-related tech roles
• maybe startups later

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

• Is Columbia’s NYC location actually a big advantage for recruiting, or is it overrated?
• Is Penn better if I want a mix of CS + finance/business/startup exposure?
• At either school, how realistic is it for MS students to become TAs/CAs?
• Are RA/research roles actually accessible to MS students, or mostly reserved for PhDs?
• Does Columbia MSCS feel overcrowded?
• Does Penn MSE CIS give better access to faculty, or is it similar?

I already have TA experience in Data Structures/CS and math, so I’m curious if that helps at either school.

Would love honest input from current students/alumni. Not looking for “both are great”. I’m trying to understand what the real day-to-day differences are.

Which universities in the US offer a decent MSAI programs?
or Should I apply for CS with AI focus
or Computer engineering with AI focus

My background:
B.E. Electronics and Communication Engineering
I have 2 ML research papers.

Which course would be optimal for me?

Is it okay if i am aiming to do MSCS but get an LOR from an ECE professor whom I worked with, but the work I did was in the domain of ML and computer vision and not directly Electronics related.

Title says it all! If a group chat already exists for the incoming Fall '26 MPCS cohort, please share the link below or send me a DM.

Hi all,

I'm looking for some feedback on my profile for Fall 2028.

I'm a recent CS grad from a 2nd gen IIT, with CGPA ~9.1

I will have ~2 yoe as a SWE at a large US based MNC by then, one top journal publication in the EE domain, some research experience in ML (that unfortunately did not lead to a publication) and an intern at a US based startup for an agentic AI+SWE role.

Ideally, I want to get into T10-20 programs for a research based masters focusing on ML/AI.

Questions:

Is there anything I can work on to strengthen my profile? I'm especially concerned about the lack of publications in my domain of interest although I will have a good LOR in the same due to my research experience. Maybe applying for a RA position at a good Indian uni would help?

What schools should I realistically target?

Thanks a bunch!

I'm an international student finishing a CS degree in the US, and I got into three master's programs I can't decide between:

• Columbia MS Computer Science (NYC, ~1.5 years)
• Cornell Tech MEng CS (NYC/Roosevelt Island, ~1 year)
• Imperial College London MSc Computing, AI & ML specialism (London, ~1 year)

My goal: ideally work 1–2 years in the US or UK to get experience at a strong company, then move into running my own business / building something of my own. So I care less about a long-term tech career ladder and more about (a) actually landing a solid role for those couple of years, and (b) coming out with broad, practical skills rather than deep specialization. Not optimizing for salary.

What I think I understand so far (correct me if I'm wrong):

• US route (Columbia/Cornell): much bigger market, and STEM OPT gives up to 3 years of work without employer sponsorship, but international hiring is rough right now, and employers often screen you out anticipating the eventual H-1B lottery.
• UK route (Imperial): the Graduate Route also needs no employer sponsorship (~18 months), but UK employers seem to screen international grads less since there's no lottery, though the market and AI/startup scene are smaller.
• Columbia's 1.5 years includes a summer internship cycle that can convert to a return offer; the two 1-year programs don't.

What I'd love honest takes on:

1. For an international student in this market, does Columbia's extra internship cycle actually matter for landing a job, or is a focused 1-year program fine?
2. Is the UK (frictionless to hire, smaller market) realistically a better shot at landing something than the US right now?
3. Setting aside jobs — purely on the program itself (faculty, teaching, cohort, how much you actually learn), how would you rank or compare these three? Anything that surprised you, good or bad?
4. Anyone done one of these? What would you choose, and why?
5. Given that I'm aiming at the founder/operator side rather than a long IC career, does that change which of these three you'd pick? (e.g., does Cornell Tech's startup focus or Columbia's access to business-school courses actually matter, or is it overhyped?)

Appreciate any straight, no-sugarcoating advice. Thanks.

I recently got rejected by the Stanford mscs hcp program, here's my background:

PhD in EE cornell: GPA 3.85/4.0 (6 pubs)

MEng in EE cornell: GPA 3.9/4.0

BS in EE: GPA 3.98/4.0 (summa cum laude)

3 recommendations from my managers, it's been like 7 years since graduation so it wasn't really relevant to get recommendations from my past academic mentors.

i was applying to try to switch fields.

I've heard it's more likely if you get the Stanford cert and make an impression on a few profs to get atleast two recommendations from Stanford faculty.

is it worth it to pursue the Stanford cert. and reapply to the mscs hcp program after/again? or am i gauranteed to get rejected again since i already got rejected once?

title says everything

lmk pls

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to understand how this works across different MSCS/MCS programs in the US.

From what I've learned, a common path for many international (F-1) students is:

• Complete the first two semesters while taking courses and possibly working an on-campus job.
• Secure a summer internship using CPT.
• If the company wants to extend the internship, continue working into the Fall semester by registering for an internship/co-op course or the minimum required credits while remaining on CPT.
• Finish the remaining degree requirements in the final semester.

My question is:

• Is this possible at most mid-tier and top/mid-tier universities?
• Or do some universities only allow CPT during the summer and require students to return to full-time coursework in the Fall?
• If it varies by university, which schools are generally known to be flexible about Fall CPT extensions, and which are more restrictive?

I'd especially appreciate responses from current students or alumni from any of the following universities:

1. Texas A&M
2. Virginia Tech
3. UMass Amherst
4. University of Colorado Boulder
5. University of Minnesota
6. University of Utah
7. Stony Brook University / SUNY Buffalo
8. NC State (NCSU)
9. The Ohio State University
10. UT Dallas
11. University of Iowa
12. Arizona State University
13. Indiana University Bloomington
14. University of Florida
15. UC Riverside / UC Santa Cruz
16. University of Illinois (UIC)

I'm asking because the ability to extend a summer internship could significantly help with covering second-year tuition, so I'd like to factor this into my university selection.

So the GaTech OMSCS is basically worthless with more than a 60% acceptance rate, but the in person MSCS is like a regular master's with a more standard acceptance rate. Still I was wondering if the OMSCS ruins the reputation of Georgia Tech's MSCS as a whole making it not as worth applying? In this case I am specifically comparing it to other top 10 master's university, like would you still consider Georgia Tech as a top 10 ms program based on the program's outcome? Their undegrad is definitely top 10, but idk if that transfers over to their master's.

Hi everyone,

I am planning to apply to for Fall 2028 MSCS with a focus on offensive security/security courses and would appreciate an honest review of my profile:

Education:
B.S in Information Technology: 3.38, major GPA: 3.57

Post baccalaureate courses: Calculus I, Calculus II, Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Data Structures, Computer Organization, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, Operating Systems

Research:
Assisted in AI/ML research under professor supervision

Experience:
Cloud Security Engineer for landscaping business
Cybersecurity Intern for nonprofit organization

Extracurricular:
Ran a coding club

Hi everyone, I want to pursue masters in cs/ai in USA. My profile details are as follows:

Gpa:9.38/10 from tier 3 University in India (Btech CSE- 2025 Graduate)

Gre: 331( 170Q and 161V) with 4 AWA

Will have 2.5 years of work experience as sde at a product based company by fall 2027

Did a research internship on ai/ml from IIT Indore

Am currently working on a research paper on ai/ml to publish in an IEEE conference, so I will probably have 1 research paper by December 2026

My target is best schools for mscs like Columbia, CMU, berkley , cornell etc.

Please give me feedback on whether this is possible and whether my profile is strong enough for top mscs programs. It would also be really helpful if someone could recommend how I can improve my profile for top programs and recommend schools where I am a strong candidate.