Pursuing a master’s degree with a Background in Frontend Development

I’m planning to pursue a master’s degree abroad and have a web development background. I’m passionate about tech, but I’m unsure of which specialization to focus on. I’ve been considering cloud computing, AI, or something else that would complement my experience in web development.

Here are a few questions I’m hoping to get some insights on:

What should I know before signing up for a master’s program?
Are there specific prerequisites or skills I should have?
How challenging is the coursework compared to an undergraduate degree?
?

How important is it to engage in research during my master’s?
Does it make a significant difference in career prospects, especially in the tech field?
Which specialization would you recommend?

Given my experience in web development, should I focus on cloud computing, AI, or another field?

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar position or who has knowledge of these fields. Any advice on how to make the most out of a master’s degree abroad would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Sacred01

I’m planning to pursue a master’s degree abroad and have a web development background. I’m passionate about tech, but I’m unsure of which specialization to focus on. I’ve been considering cloud computing, AI, or something else that would complement my experience in web development.
Here are a few questions I’m hoping to get some insights on:
What should I know before signing up for a master’s program?
Are there specific prerequisites or skills I should have?
How challenging is the coursework compared to an undergraduate degree?
?
How important is it to engage in research during my master’s?
Does it make a significant difference in career prospects, especially in the tech field?
Which specialization would you recommend?
Given my experience in web development, should I focus on cloud computing, AI, or another field?
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar position or who has knowledge of these fields. Any advice on how to make the most out of a master’s degree abroad would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

I don't work in the field, but I have read up about some of the above.

What should I know before signing up for a master’s program?
Master's degrees are usually to help you to go into academia, and so they are there to focus on research. If you intend to get one for a job in a role and industry where they don't need you to have one, be prepared to be disappointed.
The study is more intensive than an undergrad degree. For example, a master's degree can have 50% more of the credits you would normally get in 1 year of an undergrad (depending on the individual degree).
They're not cheap either.

Are there specific prerequisites or skills I should have?
Mostly programming experience and good maths skills. Some master's programmes in tech don't even specifically need you to have an undergrad degree if you have accredited prior learning i.e. a lot of industry experience and skills relevant to the course. Most would ask for an undergrad degree, and some would specifically want something with a lot of computing.
You would need to check the entry requirements/admission requirements to be sure.

How challenging is the coursework compared to an undergraduate degree?
Usually a bit more difficult. However, that depends on the individual degree and subject (didn't do my degree in tech).
However, the grading criteria is generally the same, except requiring a higher mark in order to pass.

How important is it to engage in research during my master’s?
For masters' in general, pretty important. A master's degree is more academic and more oriented towards research than an undergrad. Not engaging in research at master's level is like asking for trouble.
For one, you would be guaranteed to do a dissertation as part of your grading, and dissertations is an independent piece of research.

Does it make a significant difference in career prospects, especially in the tech field?
As far as I know, no. Most jobs in the tech field focuses on what skills you have and whether you can do the job.
You can have a PhD in computer science from one of the top universities in the world, but if a hippy young wise-crack with god like programming skills can do the job better than you, the wise-crack gets the job.
A typical example in the US is someone with degrees in computer science can be passed over for people who have went through a freecodecamp.org course because the material is more relevant and you complete web development projects that you can showcase to employers.
Also, if anything, professional IT certificates that are recognised by the industry are a lot more relevant to getting the job than academic degrees focusing on research. For example with cloud computing, you're usually recommended to do AWS certificates because that's the platform most companies that engage in cloud computing use.

Which specialization would you recommend?
The one you have the most interest in and see yourself working in.

Given my experience in web development, should I focus on cloud computing, AI, or another field?
See my answer to your previous question.

You might want a second opinion from people who have worked in the field, but I think they would more or less agree with the above.