Advice on computer science major selection required.

[barttoo]

Hi guys,
planning to do my masters in computer science. I'm very R&D oriented and interested in scientific software. Currently i'm a C# developer in multi-threading environment. I'm pretty comfortable in c/c++ as well. Looking forward to master a subject. Stuff that i'm interested are computer architecture, image processing and distributed systems. Any comments are welcomed and will be considered a help on decision making. Event if the subject not mentioned on the above list, please consider any and i'm still willing to consider. Please breakdown your suggestions and justification in this format if can. Thank you.

i) area of knowledge(e.g image processing)
ii) industry that requires and applies this area of knowledge.
iii) future and demand for this area of knowledge.
iv) Your personal view and advise.

[Rashakil Fol]

Study what you're interested in. If you're good at programming, i.e. actually capable of serious programming, you'll be in demand no matter what. And if you're not, well, I wouldn't care if my advice was bad for you.

[shiva07]

if your programming is very strong then you can do masters in computer science.

[StuXYZ]

I will comment, that your programming AND your math need to be strong to do a masters. I believe that you can effectively trade between ability in them. Extremely good math, and ok programming will work as well. If I have to select between two candidates I have a tendency to go for stronger math. [Note there is a minimum in both areas that you are going to need].

Finally, (a) never do a masters in an area that you feel is uninteresting. Unknown is ok, spend a few days going over papers in the field before accepting. (b) the interaction with your supervisor and to some extent his/her group is important, you don't have to like your supervisor [doesn't harm] but you have to be able to respect him/her, and he/she has to have enough time to do those things that help you, be that dealing with the bureaucratic stuff, getting money, helping you write up papers, or actually helping you avoid dead ends, and particularly structuring scope.

I can't really comment on what industry needs, basically, in a couple of years time, I don't think I can predict with any certainty what is required in my field, so the whole scope of industry seems impossible. Personally, I recruit primarily on ability, not specialization in the field.

[\007]

It depends on the school and focus.

I am finishing an MS in computer science this year. My MS is pretty heavy in software engineering, programming and quite a bit of theoretical work. It isn't heavy on writing nor does it need a dissertation. It's course work only.

If you want to do programming find a program like mine. If you want to go further and get a phd in the future then find a dissertation/paper work program that focuses more in theoretical work.