Is a graduate pathway program likely to help for admission to a masters in another field? Is it better than MOOCs or an internship for this purpose?

Question

I am a 4th year Electronics engineering student studying in India. I applied to Master's of Science in computer science programs (I wish to change fields) offered by 11 universities in the US, but my application was rejected by all 11 of them.

One of the important factors (correct me if I am wrong) that I consider is weak in my application is my background. I have no formal background (even though I have lots of informal background) in Computer Science (my university did not encourage Minoring in a second subject).

To address the above stated problem, I am considering enrolling into the "academic graduate pathway program"(by academic I mean that it is not intended to fulfil english language requirements, but to fulfil background requirements for the graduate studies in some field) which is basically an additional year before the Master's program where I will study all the required prerequisites for a Master's program in Computer Science.

The problem is that the cost is an issue. I will have to spend an year's worth of extra money before the Master's.

So, my question :

• Is enrolling into the pathway program necessary (and if yes, how much) for improving my chances of getting into a Master's in Computer science program, or would taking online courses on coursera, edx, udacity ... be equivalent (by equivalent I mean would it benefit equally in the admission procedure)?
• Hypothetically, if I get an offer for a 6 month research internship in a subject of my interest (Machine Learning - which is what I wish to concentrate on during my graduate studies), will the internship, or studying at the pathway program benefit my application more ?
• Are there any other ways, specific to my case, in which I can complete the background requirement, without formally enrolling in such a program ?

Answer 1

My experience with interviewing/selecting candidates to enter a masters program (in social science, it may be different in computer science) is that the process can be highly variable, and candidates may be rejected for a range of reasons ranging from test scores, to a lack of experience, to not filling out admission paperwork properly, and, unfortunately, discrimination due to ethnicity, gender, age, nationality, etc.

Different programs have different mentalities toward admitting students, some programs might want you to apply two years in a row, because they decided that this is an indication that you are "more serious".

So... It might be safe to assume that your lack of background is the problem (particularly since you were rejected 11 times), however, the only way to know for sure is to ask the admission committees.

In my experience, graduate programs in the U.S. will NEVER tell you why you were rejected, because doing so places them at legal risk. However, they will respond if you ask them "What can I do to strengthen my application between now and the next admission cycle?".

With regard to how you can get experience - many faculty members I talk with don't consider MOOCs legitimate at this time. This may be different, depending on where you are applying. Personally, I would advise you to seek education at a brick and mortar institution, if you can afford to do so.

You mention prerequisites - in my experience this term generally refers to a course that is required to take another course. Thus, prerequisites are typically taken at the same university as a graduate program in which you are enrolled, as credits won't always transfer. What you are describing seems to be taking general coursework.

Unfortunantly, there is a hierarchy in higher education. In my experience it goes:

1. Research 1 Universities (ranked by the Carnage foundation)
2. Other universities
3. Community colleges
4. Online programs

With option one being the most prestigious and most expensive and option four being seen as the least prestigious, and also the least expensive.

In summary: 1. Ask the graduate programs what you can do to strengthen your application. 2. Engage in the behaviors that the programs tell you to.

Answer 2

It might be a year, but are there that many pre-reqs in total? Isn't it just 3 to 4 courses? Regarding admission, if you want to continue for a master's at that school offering the pathway program, and if that program is really competitive, then the pathway program is crucial for you. The good programs trust their own professors and quality and content of their own courses. They'll be more convinced of your preparation, if you do well. However, if you're not aiming very high for a master's, maybe consider cheaper options to fill in your pre-req background.