UT Option III Masters (SWE)
This page describes my experience with the Option III Sofware Engineering Masters program at The University of Texas at Austin. If you’re considering the program and want to talk to a former student, feel free to drop me an email: optionIII@dstoval.org.
Why I did it
I decided that my BS in Computational Physics was great and all, but really wasn’t going to take me where I wanted to go. Besides, if you’re not learning stuff, then you’re just coasting… and I don’t want to coast through life… too boring.
I first heard about this program on NPR, but that was a long time ago… ever since I’ve been flirting with joining up. I finally got my act in gear in 2003 and got my application together. This was by far the hardest part for me. (It’s really hard to write about myself and how great I am, and then to ask a bunch of other people to do the same… man, that was tough.)
But with a ton of support and motivation from my girlfriend (now wife), I got it together in time and was accepted. Thanks babe, I couldn’t have done it without you!
Anyhow, I was accepted and graduated on time in December of 2005.
How it works
The classes are held all day Friday and Saturday once a month, for two years. My classmates are all working professionals, so there’s a lot in common between the students. On the other hand, everyone has different real world experiences, some with the topics that are taught. It’s very interesting to listen to people who have seen actual implementations of topics covered in class. These people (myself included) added more depth and legitimacy to the classroom discussions, and often pointed out benefits/problems that are not routinely cited in the literature.
Be warned that the program is like having a second job, and it’s expensive. As long as you’re willing to accept that, you’ll find that everyone is there for a reason. No one is there because society/parents have pressured them into it. Everyone is actually interested in the material and motivated to actually learn the material. (This is significantly different then my undergraduate experience. I don’t really know how if this is a problem in graduate programs)
Expect to see lots of people from IBM. There’s always a couple from Ft. Hood up the street. I remember people flying in from both coasts (Georgia and California), and people driving through the night from Houston and San Antonio. All in all, I think about half of the class actually lived in the greater Austin area.
Course Reviews
I’ve written up a couple thoughts on each of the classes that I took. The idea is that future students might find the information useful in selecting courses:
