I can’t believe that it has been nearly 3 1/2 years since I started the OSU Post-Bac in Computer Science program, and I am less than 3 months from finishing. From CS 161’s coursework that at times I thought “Is that all I have to do?” to CS 374’s project’s in which I asked “What am I supposed to do?!!,” it has been a journey that I can’t believe is nearly done.
I started the journey realizing that in my work as a Data Analyst, my department had a number of software development projects that the department developers lacked the time to address. With my company’s generous tuition reimbursement plans, I realized that I could get training to help my department AND complete a degree in Computer Science! After starting the process in the Summer of 2020, and being admitted in Spring of 2021, I was off to the races! This race has led to me finishing a Django Web App from scratch for my department and a sense that this program really has set me up for success.
Some coursework was more enjoyable than others, but I feel like the education was fairly well-rounded. From the ease of CS 161’s introduction, to the onslaught of CS 374’s Systems Engineering coursework to the peak of fun and interesting work in CS 475’s parallel programming, I feel like I have strong programming foundation. In fact, the course CS 290 (Web Development) helped me greatly in developing my department’s web app.
Overall, I would strongly recommend the Oregon State’s postbaccalaureate computer science program. It has been an arduous, but fulfilling journey with long nights and busy weekends / vacations, but has already started to pay me dividends in my career.
Thanks for reading!