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I'm in the process of trying to decide on which graduate program to attend. I am pursuing a Master's level degree in Computer Science in hopes of furthering my web development career. I would love to be able to teach web development/programming at a community college someday after getting a few more years of industry experience (teaching requires at least a Master's degree). Previously I taught secondary science before transitioning into web development.

I've been accepted to the following programs:

Boston University - Master's in Computer Information Systems / Web Application Development (U.S. News ranked #51 nationally)

Brandeis University - Master's of Software Engineering (U.S. News ranked #31 nationally)

University of Bridgeport - Master's of Computer Science (not ranked nationally)

I keep going back and forth in regards to which program I should choose. University of Bridgeport seems to have a good curriculum and it looks like it will be cheaper (I may get a scholarship), but I'm concerned that it's not viewed as a "top" school. I would be happy to pay for a more expensive school if it helped provide greater opportunities in the future.

Do you find that going to a "better" school has affected your resume to the point that you may have more teaching opportunities after school? I realize that a certain school won't earn me the actual position, but having a highly regarded school on my resume MAY lead me to getting more interviews. Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Thanks and have a good day.

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  • Are you interested into working later in the US or in other countries?
    – user96501
    Commented Jul 29, 2018 at 20:09

1 Answer 1

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Here are a few points.

1. Industry Jobs

IMHO, "brand" is more important in the industry than in academia. E.g. in general, the HR department is more likely to forward a CV with Harvard on it. Also, people in the industry are probably not able to understand the academic content of your program.

2. Similar Questions

How does the ranking of a university relate to a future career in mathematics?

University rank/stature - How much does it affect one's career post-Ph.D?

Although these are for PhD programs, there might be interesting bits in there with regards to industry.

3. Look

It might be helpful or informative to look at the CVs of the companies or positions you are interested in. This might give you a clue if only the "branded" universities are hired or if there is a wide range of backgrounds. E.g. with regards to mathematics departments, if you look at the CV of professors, a lot of them are Ivy League or MIT, Stanford etc.

Personally, I would pick the most "branded" program I can get into.

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    IMHO, "brand" is more important in the industry than in academia - [citation needed]
    – JeffE
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 18:13
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    @JeffE, It's an opinion, so it doesn't need a citation. However, such a provocative statement certainly begs for some back up.
    – Ben Norris
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 18:26
  • I agree with both comment; I should have some evidence. Perhaps something like this would suffice: usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/…? There is a table showing that most Fortune 500 CEO went to top schools - not exactly solid evidence but might suggests that industry "likes" brands?
    – Legendre
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 22:42
  • @Legendre You can find similar evidence for the importance of branding in Academia (see, for instance, this Academia.SE thread.
    – Chris Gregg
    Commented Apr 10, 2013 at 5:12

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