Getting a Master’s Degree … On My Schedule

Georgia Tech was always on my short list as a kid.

I only completed my bachelor’s degree in 2012, after 30 years. Then I saw the opportunity at Georgia Tech. I applied and much to my delight was accepted. It was an opportunity I could not pass up.

I joined the first cohort from AT&T and started the Online Master of Science in Computer Science with Georgia Tech and Udacity in January. My specialization is software and data base engineering.

I have been with AT&T for six years as a Systems Administrator, based in Birmingham, Al.  This degree will help me keep my skills current as we move to a software and fully mobile-centric business.

What surprised me the most is how difficult it was and this class didn’t have any tests; it was all project-based. We broke into teams and developed an Android task management application. My portion of the project was in developing the test strategy and risk assessment. It worked out great; it’s still loaded into my phone.

For me to get an equivalent degree from an in-classroom program, I would either have to take the classes through a local institution or to take a leave of absence to attend Georgia Tech in Atlanta. I wasn’t prepared to do that over two or three years, and don’t have the funds to do that.

By taking the courses though an all-online MOOC format, I’ve been able to do the work on my own schedule around work and family. I completed the first semester last month and am taking the summer off to prepare myself for the class starting in the fall.

And I got a ‘B’ and was happy!

This post originally appeared on the AT&T Consumer Blog.