University of Illinois - Springfield

[ReverendRick]

I'm a grade posting away from finishing my second masters degree at UIS. Just wanted to take a moment and give the school and instructors a positive review.

The school is listed 5th on GetEducated.com's Best Buys in Computer Science Masters. http://tinyurl.com/muthsm The total cost is really about $11,000 when books and fees are included. About 2 years ago, I contacted a number of schools on the list and UIS quickly bubbled to the top as the best for my goals.

The degree program took 3 semesters and a summer class to complete. There are a total of 8 classes to take, and one can be waived with transfer credit. No campus time required. There were a couple of proctored exams, but those can be completed locally. I used the exam proctor services of a local community college.

I found the program challenging, with some classes easier than others due to my academic history. I skated through the database concepts course, then got hammered in the data mining class. Most of the classes required weekly interaction with the school's Blackboard online "classroom". There was no thesis or project for the program. Instead, there's a "Graduate Research Seminar" class that I wish I would have taken before starting the research phase at NCU. We covered academic research, summarization and presentation topics, centered on ACM and IEEE publications. Dr. Keith Miller was the instructor for the class and presented a comprehensive research how-to methodology that I hope to use in a future doctoral program. All of the instructors were responsive to questions and comments, with Dr. Miller standing out due to his teaching style. It's one thing to ask a student to read a book, answer some questions, then regurgitate it all back in an exam. Dr. Miller engages the student with a topic, asks them to create their own derived story, then present back to rest of the students via voice-over-powerpoint. A great way to provide for student presentations in an asynchronous environment.

As for the staff supporting the professors, they are top notch. My final semester ended in December, 2009. During the semester, I was put down hard with the H1N1 virus. Recovery was slow and it impacted both work and school. The staff worked with me so that instead of dropping the classes, I was be able to take an incomplete and finish the course assignments. Special thanks to Barbara in the front office. She is a shining star and an inspiration to any student lucky enough to study in the programs she manages.

Have I gushed enough? Probably not. If you want to earn an MSCS, put this school at the top of your list.

[nosborne48]

Congratulations! In about 18 months, I hope to be posting something similar.

Curious, though...what does one do with an MSCS?

[ReverendRick]

Congratulations! In about 18 months, I hope to be posting something similar.

Thanks! And in 18 months, I look forward to returning your Congrats!

Curious, though...what does one do with an MSCS?

A number of things:

A stepping stone to a UNISA PhD in Computer Science.

A nice addition to the CV. It's a tough economy right now. Might help distinguish myself from the competition.

I work for a company specializing in Health Care IT. The knowledge gained from the MSCS studies has been useful in my current IT Architect role.

And finally, the most important reason, personal satisfaction.

[Anthony Pina]

UIS has one of the most nationally recognized distance learning programs. It was the only small university to receive the Sloan-C Award for best institutional distance learning program. Ray Schroeder and his excellent team at the Office of Technology Enhanced Learning have been leaders in online learning for years. I have tried to emulate many things that they do at my own institution.