Virtual Open House MS Computer Science Transcript

George Mason Online Admissions: And so thank you again for joining us today for the virtual open house for the Master of Science in Computer Science offered online. By George Mason, I’m Stephanie Racine. I work in admissions. I may have had the pleasure of speaking with some of you in the past, but today we’re in store for a real treat because I’m joined by Dr. Rob Pettit.

George Mason Online Admissions: He is our online program director and associate chair of graduate studies studies for the master of science and computer science. He’s taken time out of his busy schedule to join us and go over some of the things that he thinks are are great about our program and tell us about himself. And so let’s take a quick look at the agenda here today

George Mason Online Admissions: we’ll meet Dr. Pettit, the program director go over some of the curriculum details and career outlooks.

George Mason Online Admissions: We are accepting applications for the fall term that starts here on August 20 sixth. So we’ll go over those admissions requirements. And during the presentation you can use those controls that some of you have found down at the bottom of your screen to type in questions during the presentation, and we will read those and answer all of those for you at the end of the program. So again, if we look at this screen, we’ll use that question and answer button down at the bottom.

George Mason Online Admissions: There.

George Mason Online Admissions: Okay, so, Dr. Pettit, thank you again for joining us. I’ll turn this presentation over to you, so you can tell us some highlights about the program and a little bit about yourself. Thank you again for joining us, Dr. Pettit.

Rob Pettit: Thank you for the introduction and thank you for for joining us. So

Rob Pettit: a little bit about our program the online master of computer science at George Mason

Rob Pettit: is

Rob Pettit: one of the few, I think that is is not just a separate program. All of our courses are developed by our own faculty. They are taught by our own faculty. They are the same courses that are offered in person in Fairfax, just a smaller subset of them. So we have 13 courses online that let you complete your your entire master’s fully online

Rob Pettit: and and you will. You will actually see. If you notice students that are across list as we let, we let our our regular students take these courses as well because they are the the same exact courses that we teach in our regular masters program.

Rob Pettit: we are. By Cs rankings.org a top top, 30 top 40 depending on the the day you look at the rankings. Program for computer science. We are the top ranked computer science program in the State of Virginia. One of the top ranked in the country and the largest computer science program in the State of the of Virginia. We

Rob Pettit: have roughly

Rob Pettit: 80 faculty. Right now, I’ve lost count. We’ve hired so many in the last few years.

Rob Pettit: so so yes, it’s it’s it’s a vibrant well respected program that that that you can be a part of here. Alright go ahead to the next one.

Rob Pettit: So I I am Rob Pettit. I I can give you many perspectives on, on George Mason. I am an alumni.

Rob Pettit: I am a parent of a Mason student. And I. I spent 30 years in the software engineering industry. Prior to going full time at Mason. I I was an adjunct professor during those years, but now I’m full time, and I am the associate chair for graduate studies. I’m also the program director for the the online program. So so I’ve kind of seen seen it all as far as as the the George Mason perspective and and the link to the jobs

Rob Pettit: and and the benefit to the education. My my masters, at George Mason was in software engineering my Phd, and what would now be computer science prior to, we had a computer science. Phd,

Rob Pettit: so yeah, I think that’s that’s

Rob Pettit: it for me. So let’s go ahead.

Rob Pettit: Alright. So the online masters of computer science master of science in computer science at George Basin

Rob Pettit: is a subset of what you would see in the full master of science that we have in Fairfax. So if you, if you

Rob Pettit: go to our catalog, you’ll see that there are.

Rob Pettit: I don’t know. We’re probably pushing 100 classes that we can offer.

Rob Pettit: don’t quote me on that. I haven’t counted actually. But there, there are a lot of classes that we offer in Fairfax. In in person. The online curriculum is a subset of those. So, as I said, there are 13 classes that we have online that are, specifically chosen to get you through the masters in a completely online pathway.

Rob Pettit: So

Rob Pettit: the way that it works is that you have a set of core classes that that you need to take, and those are shown

Rob Pettit: on the left hand upper left hand side there, the the 500 level ones under the theoretical computers, computer science.

Rob Pettit: And I apologize for my voice. I if you’re in Virginia, which I think all of you are. You know how the poll it is right now, my yard this afternoon. So

Rob Pettit: please please bear with my voice. Alright. So. So the the core. 4 classes that you would take.

Rob Pettit: Let me back up a minute.

Rob Pettit: The the masters itself is 30 credits

Rob Pettit: every class in the master’s program is 3 credits each. So you’re talking about 10 classes that you will need for for your Mscs

Rob Pettit: full time enrollment is considered to be 9 credits or 3 classes. But of course you can do this part time as as well, and and we have a mix of students in in the program doing that.

Rob Pettit: So

Rob Pettit: your, your, your core basic classes are going to be Cs 535, 83, 5, 31 and 5, 80 which gives you the mathematical foundations, gives you the graduate level algorithms class

Rob Pettit: gives you systems programming and then an introduction to artificial intelligence.

Rob Pettit: The the intro to AI is not one of our required courses in the Fairfax program.

Rob Pettit: but it is for this one, because you need it for satisfying the prerequisite to the advanced class over on the right hand side, which is, is computer vision.

Rob Pettit: The other advanced classes that you, you need to take, which total 12 credits, or 4 classes of of advanced coursework

Rob Pettit: are the software engineering. 6, 42, 6, 32, and 6, 37.

Rob Pettit: And then

Rob Pettit: so so so those those are. Those are the the.

Rob Pettit: the mandatory classes for the online program, the the ones that you need to take to get you through the the degree regardless of which other path you take

Rob Pettit: for the remaining 2 classes or 6 credits

Rob Pettit: you need to choose those from the the below offerings.

Rob Pettit: and and they, they really should be in 2 different areas.

Rob Pettit: So you can, you can choose the system as a networking option with computer networks. You can go with a database class that that’s grouped together with with the AI category.

Rob Pettit: You can go with visual computing which is our Cs 551 computer graphics class or, there are 2 software engineering options, suite, 619 and and 621. The object oriented software construction class and our software design class respectively.

Rob Pettit: I I will add, and I don’t think we have a slide on this because I just didn’t think to to put it in here.

Rob Pettit: But in addition to the online Msc. S.

Rob Pettit: What you can also do with the way that we have these courses structured

Rob Pettit: is.

Rob Pettit: hey?

Rob Pettit: If if you well, you, you have to take the advanced courses that include these software engineering courses. But if you take

Rob Pettit: I think it’s either the database systems or one of the 2 suite courses in in your electives. Then you also satisfy the software engineering graduate certificate at George Basin. So you just need to apply for that before your last semester. It’s nothing you have to do on on entry to the program. Just if you want that extra certificate, you can apply for it anytime

Rob Pettit: before your final semester.

Rob Pettit: So

Rob Pettit: all right, let’s move on.

Rob Pettit: So

Rob Pettit: you know, lots of people come into the masters for different reasons, to advance their career. Some are are looking for a change of careers, some want the the financial growth. Because let’s be honest, it’s it’s a well paying job. And and

Rob Pettit: these numbers that that we have on the slides here are national averages. The the Virginia averages are actually much higher the the average for a a master’s degree.

Rob Pettit: computer scientist or software engineer in

Rob Pettit: in Northern Virginia. Right now, I forget where they benchmark the city. But it’s it’s Northern Virginia is is right around $170,000 on average. So it, it does give you the the big you know, career advantage over simply having the bachelors. And certainly, if you would like to get into some of the higher

Rob Pettit: roles, such as a software architect,

Rob Pettit: manager, project, manager, and such. Then then the Master’s degree is a must.

Rob Pettit: And and also, if you want to get into some of the more advanced areas of computer science these days. Such as the the computer vision and and artificial intelligence, and such the the masters is is nearly essential for those.

Rob Pettit: Alright.

Rob Pettit: Let’s move on

Rob Pettit: so for admissions.

Rob Pettit: you need a bachelor’s degree, preferably in computer science.

Rob Pettit: You at least need to satisfy the prerequisite courses that we list down here. So you need a data structures and and algorithms course, if you’re looking at Gmus undergraduate curriculum. That would be our Cs 3, 10

Rob Pettit: the. You would need an automata theory and formal languages. Course. That would be our Cs 330

Rob Pettit: calculus up through calculus 2

Rob Pettit: which should be fine for all of the courses that we have in the online masters. If you were to to

Rob Pettit: switch campuses and and and take some some of our advanced machine learning or AI courses in Fairfax. I I would recommend calculus 3 for some of those. But calculus one and 2 are fine for for everything that you would take in the online program as we have it today.

Rob Pettit: you also need a computer architecture class which does or should include Assembly language programming. That would be something equivalent to Gmus, Cs 367,

Rob Pettit: and you would need a discrete mathematics. Course math. 125 is what that would be at at George Mason.

Rob Pettit: Kind of assumed in here, but not not listed is is, you would also need an object oriented programming course. So something equivalent to our Cs 2, 11.

Rob Pettit: So that that’s that’s what you need out of the bachelors. Again, if you have a bachelors in computer science

Rob Pettit: from any

Rob Pettit: real, any Us. University, I was, gonna say, any accredited U university. But really, any Us. University would do this. You would have that in your bachelor’s degree for computer science.

Rob Pettit: So you need to provide us with your transcripts. Give us a personal statement and a resume. There are no no requirements for letters of recommendation. There’s no requirement for a gre.

Rob Pettit: If you.

Rob Pettit: if you are

Rob Pettit: borderline on your Gpa. And you take the gre, and you got good scores, and you want to give us the gre you can we? We would. We would look at it as

Rob Pettit: yeah, an added component. But there, there’s certainly there’s certainly no requirement to do it. And and and most people just simply don’t anymore.

Rob Pettit: All right.

Rob Pettit: So moving on.

Rob Pettit: Okay.

Rob Pettit: so there’s a QR code for your application link. And I’m happy to answer any questions. I know. It went through that fairly quickly.

Rob Pettit: But the the information is pretty straightforward, I think, but happy to answer whatever questions you may have at this point.

George Mason Online Admissions: Well, thank you for that. Overview, Dr. Pettit. And yes, this is the best point of the presentation. So for those of you that just joined. I know we had a few join after we started talking here, down at the bottom of your screen, you should see the question and answer area.

George Mason Online Admissions: Please feel free to type those questions for us. We know that’s the main reason why most people join if not, you could have found the information online. But you have us here to help. And while we wait for those questions to trickle in, I wanted to point out that we are accepting applications for the August 26 start date. You do still have time to apply right here on the screen. You can see our phone number. If you want to give us a call tomorrow and follow up and have us send you the

George Mason Online Admissions: checklist.

George Mason Online Admissions: We’ll work with you. I will work with you and my team throughout the application process. And you can also email online, [email protected].

George Mason Online Admissions: if you have questions. And yeah, you’re right on time for the fall term.

George Mason Online Admissions: So I’m going to start looking for these questions here. And while we wait for those to trickle in, I have a few commonly asked questions that typically come in from the students, is it okay? If we kick things off with those.

Rob Pettit: Certainly.

George Mason Online Admissions: Okay? So the first common question that we get from the students would be with the growing field of AI

George Mason Online Admissions: this is a very common question from people. Is this the best program? If they’re looking to learn more about AI or work in the field? Or is there another program that you would recommend.

Rob Pettit: So this program will at least get you an introduction to artificial intelligence. If you

Rob Pettit: if you start off in this program, you take the intro to AI class. And you really really want to get into more of the AI what you can do is that there’s a form called a change of campus form. And you can just simply change to the Fairfax campus.

Rob Pettit: If you’re able to take courses online or in person. And we have we have our more detailed advanced machine learning classes and natural language, processing classes and robotics, classes and and all that. In person. In Fairfax.

George Mason Online Admissions: Are you saying, can students actually start off online and do a one-time switch to campus? Or if.

Rob Pettit: Yes, it it. It is a one time switch. So they need. They have to be sure that they

Rob Pettit: want to make that switch.

Rob Pettit: But but they they can do a a one time change of campus form and just simply switch to being in person.

Rob Pettit: We’ve actually had. We’ve actually had a few students do that specifically for the AI classes.

George Mason Online Admissions: Yes, and I think that’s a huge benefit of our university. You know these. These are the George Mason instructors. It’s the same quality. So you know you can. You have that ability to contact your instructors or switch to campus if you need to? And we did have a question trickle in here. What is the best way to cross reference classes taken for the bachelors with the prerequisites? Now, are you meaning

George Mason Online Admissions: to find out which classes would match up.

George Mason Online Admissions: Am I understanding that correctly.

Rob Pettit: Going to see if I can switch windows and put a link here in the chat to answer that.

George Mason Online Admissions: Yeah, that’s a great question. I do oftentimes have people say, Well, you know, where should I take them?

Rob Pettit: Give me just a second.

George Mason Online Admissions: Okay. So we’re getting those resources for you. Shannon.

Rob Pettit: Alright. I’m gonna put it.

Rob Pettit: Okay. Let me

Rob Pettit: answer here on the Q. And A. Oops.

Rob Pettit: I did not mean to answer. Live type. Answer, there we go

Rob Pettit: alright. So I answered it in the QA.

Rob Pettit: I’m assuming everybody can see that basically on our catalog page for the masters of computer science. If you if you look at the admissions text and scroll down, there’s a list of our

Rob Pettit: required foundations, and they have George Mason course numbers next to them, so you could try to match those against your transcript. The the title should be roughly the same for most bachelors of computer science programs.

George Mason Online Admissions: Wonderful. And we have another question. Here.

George Mason Online Admissions: I am a math major looking to get into the computer science field.

George Mason Online Admissions: As long as I take the required prerequisites. Do you believe I would be prepared for a master’s in computer science?

Rob Pettit: I am. Gonna pop another link in here. Just give me 1 s cause. I can’t type and talk.

George Mason Online Admissions: I am the same way.

Rob Pettit: The the short answer is, yes, and I just posted a link in the chat of where you can easily get those those foundations. If you don’t have them in in your program as a math major, you may have taken a number of computer science classes, and if you did, we would certainly consider those

Rob Pettit: and and and see if they match up. But if if you have the math background and don’t have the the computer science background. Then one of our newest programs that we offer, which is currently only in person, we’re hoping to put it online. In in in the near future

Rob Pettit: it. It’s called the the Computing Foundation’s graduate certificate, and it is explicitly meant to help people bridge into

Rob Pettit: the masters of computer science who may not have had a bachelor’s in computer science.

George Mason Online Admissions: So then those classes would transfer in.

Rob Pettit: So it’s it’s an 18 credit certificate. And and the way that it works is, if you get a beer better in those classes. Then you’re guaranteed admission into the masters. Actually, you you can have an automated transition into the master’s program.

Rob Pettit: They. They don’t count for the masters.

Rob Pettit: But but we guarantee that those satisfy all of the foundations that you would need to get into the to the Mscs.

George Mason Online Admissions: And that’s a great way to pick up a credential. Also a formal certificate, you know.

Rob Pettit: Yes.

George Mason Online Admissions: To doing it. Yes.

George Mason Online Admissions: And what if a student just needed one class, for example, is that something that they could take through just individually through George Mason, or even Nova, or another community college.

Rob Pettit: So so you could certainly look at the community colleges. And if if you if you Google, you can, you can find a transfer equivalency map between the Northern Virginia Community college system and George Mason. So some of our computer science classes are mapped to to the Nova classes.

Rob Pettit: You can. You can certainly do that. To to satisfy some of the prerequisites. I don’t believe they have the

Rob Pettit: the systems programming class, and they may not have the

Rob Pettit: formal autonomy class.

Rob Pettit: I’m pretty sure they don’t have those 2, but but you could do everything else at Nova. You could piece it together by applying for non degree status and and taking those those remaining ones with us, or you could apply for

Rob Pettit: for this this computing foundation certificate and fill in the the gaps there. The the only caveat I would say with that is that if you, if you use the certificate to just fill in the gaps.

Rob Pettit: Then then you you wouldn’t. You wouldn’t do the full 18 credit certificate, which means you. You wouldn’t get the piece of paper

Rob Pettit: and and and we wouldn’t have an automated transition into the Mscs. You would still meet the entry requirements.

Rob Pettit: But then you would have to apply separately. Once you. Once you completed those.

George Mason Online Admissions: One thing that I’ve noticed about this program is that even though some people need prerequisites to get in, it’s actually a pretty quick masters program. Can you tell us a little bit about the normal? I know you mentioned you could do 2 or 3 classes at a time. What would you say, is the normal timeframe for completion? Who’s someone for someone who’s working in a full time job taking 2 classes, a semester.

Rob Pettit: So so so I I worked full time through my degrees and took 2 classes. So if you do the the summer. We we don’t offer

Rob Pettit: as many classes, although the online ones are are often offered. So if you did

Rob Pettit: you, you could do 2 2 classes in the fall and spring maybe pick up one in the summer to to accelerate yourself. I wouldn’t do 2 in the summer and and so

Rob Pettit: accounts 2, 4, 6, 8

Rob Pettit: so so if you did, if you did, 2,

Rob Pettit: 2 per fall and spring and one each summer.

Rob Pettit: then that’s that’s still only 2 years to finish your masters.

George Mason Online Admissions: Yes, and we have student success coaches who can help you map out your courses so that you can finish as soon as possible while not having to navigate all of that, you know by yourself, and we also work with you throughout the admissions process. So if you ever have any questions about prerequisites. You can funnel those to the admissions team. You can see here our email address. You know, we’ll get you the answers that you need so that you have a good admissions experience.

George Mason Online Admissions: and I have not seen any additional questions trickle in in a while. But did I miss any? Dr. Pettit? Are you seeing any that maybe I’m not seeing.

Rob Pettit: I don’t see any, but I did think of one. One line of questioning that we do get frequently asked, which is whether we accept certificates? You know, like coursera courses or work experience. And and the answer is, is, no, we do not, and and

Rob Pettit: most not for profit universities W would be the same. We. We just don’t accept those those online certificates from, you know, vendors and such

Rob Pettit: or or account work experience, because it can be so varied.

George Mason Online Admissions: Okay.

George Mason Online Admissions: Well, do you have anything else that you’d like to add? Dr. Petted anything we haven’t covered so far.

Rob Pettit: No, I I

Rob Pettit: I think we’re good on my end. If nobody else has any questions.

George Mason Online Admissions: Okay? Well, just as a reminder, you’re right on time for the August 20, sixth start date. And if you just reach out to us using the contact information on the screen. We are happy to assist you. We’ll send you the admissions, checklist the personal statement, instructions, or anything else that you would need.

George Mason Online Admissions: and we just like to thank you all again for joining us tonight, and thank you again, Dr. Pettit, for joining us.

George Mason Online Admissions: and we hope that we’ll hear from you all soon.

George Mason Online Admissions: Thank you so much. Have a great night.

Rob Pettit: Take care!