In the U.S., education has always been attached to money–tuition, fees, miscellaneous charges. Typically, the more highly ranked a program or school is, the more it costs.
However, Georgia Tech is doing something very exciting. It offers a highly regarded computer science master’s degree program both on campus and online. The campus program costs about the same as other graduate computer science programs–between $43,000 and $57,0000, according to the New York Times, but Georgia Tech’s online students are charged only what the school needs to cover its costs. According to the New York Times article, it is the only online school to charge online students less than their on-campus counterparts–a lot less; only $510 for a three-credit class. In total, the graduate program costs roughly $7,000 to complete.
The Georgia Tech computer science department is one of the top 10 in the country, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The school’s online program also reflects that stature.
Is Learning Online Better?
Unless you’ve taken online classes, you may consider online students as at a disadvantage. But, that isn’t what I heard from students whom I interviewed for a post about the Starbucks initiative that pays for its workers to go to college online. One woman in Illinois said she felt much more connected to Arizona State University–although she was physically thousands of miles away–than she ever had while attending a local college.
Georgia Tech students in the computer science master’s program reportedly feel the same way. They have even formed local, in-person study groups.
A Richer Experience
Charles Isbell, a senior associate dean at the College of Computing, who helped develop the online program, reports a richer experience as well. “I spend more time helping them with assignments online than I ever do on campus. The experience for the students and for me is much richer online,†he says.
Isbell, who has a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence and machine learning from M.I.T, teaches those courses both on the Georgia Tech campus and in online videos.
Admission to the online program requires a minimum GPA of 3.26. Georgia Tech College of Computing offers affordability, quality, and perhaps, a local study group too.
For more information, go to the website.