Top 10 Institutions in the US for pursuing an MS in Computer Science

Top 10 Institutions in the US for pursuing an MS in Computer Science Home career Top 10 Institutions in the US for pursuing an MS in Computer...careerTop 10 Institutions in the US for pursuing an MS in Computer ScienceBy Nivedha Jayaseelan - October 6, 201811990Facebook An MS is one of the most preferred masters degrees by Indian students who want to pursue a postgraduate degree in the USA, which is the holy grail of technology. With the numerous advancements in technology, the demand for Computer Science Engineers continues to grow exponentially. Computers are used in almost every aspect of our public life-entertainment, health, transportation, education and so on. A Masters of Science (MS) degree in Computer Science studies the architecture and benefit of computer-oriented technologies in detail. The specializations include- Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Bio-computing, Network Security, Software Theory, Real-World Computing and so on. By pursuing an MS, you are basically mastering a particular domain in your field. Planning to do an MS in volves a lot of research on the courses offered by various universities, the funding and scholarships available and also the amount of effort an individual needs to put to bag a seat in a top-notch university. The same program might exist under different names in different universities. An important thing everyone needs to realize is that no university is bad. Our career depends on how well we utilize the opportunities available to us.The common requirements to pursue an MS in Computer Science are as follows:A GRE Score in the range 300-340 The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) has three main divisions- 1)Verbal Section 2)Quantitative Section 3)Analytical Writing Section. The Verbal and Quantitative sections are allotted 170 marks each and the AW(Analytical Writing) sections are scored for 6 marks.A decent TOEFL score(Above 90) The Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL) is an examination conducted to test the English Language Proficiency of non-native speakers.A decent underg raduate CGPALetters of Recommendation(LORs) Getting a seat in a university involves a lot of paperwork and is a tedious process. Among all the papers that you deal with, getting LORs usually turns out to be the most stressful task. All universities need at least 2-3 of these recommendation letters. Fresh college graduates take these from recommendation letters from teachers. Those with work experience usually take 2 letters from their professors and 1 from their workplace. A recommendation letter should basically prove all the claims that you have made in your resume. They throw light on your background and abilities from a third person’s point of view.Internships/Work ExperienceIf you have successfully completed various quality projects from an internship or have published one or more papers in a top-notch journal, you should be able to get in with even an average GPA. For an undergraduate applying fresh out of college, the admission committee usually seeks at least two internshi ps.Statement of Purpose(SOPs)This essay should elucidate why you opted for a particular course in a particular stream, your achievements, how this program will influence your career, what drives you and how you will contribute to the field that you have chosen. Admission committees keenly observe your SOPs to make sure that you have the right stuff to be successful in grad school. They look for focused candidates who have clear-cut research interests and goals.A decent resumeThe US follows the norm of writing a one-page resume.Here is a list of the top 10 universities abroad for doing an MS in Computer Science Engineering:1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Contents hide 1 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 2 2. Stanford University, Boston 3 3. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh 4 4. The University of California, Berkeley(UCB) 5 5. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 6 6. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 7 7. Princ eton University, New Jersey 8 8. The University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA) 9 9. University of Washington, Seattle 10 10. California Institute of Technology(CalTech) Found in 1861, MIT’s Computer Science department is the largest department at the university and has phenomenal research facilities.MIT houses one of the largest Computer Science research laboratories called CSAIL(Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) which is one of the world’s most pivotal centers for delving into Computer Science. This institution is a dream come true for any MS aspirant. Algorithms, Information Theory, Artificial Intelligence,  and Software Construction are the prominent courses offered by the CS department. The institution focuses upon leadership, versatility,  and engagement in life-long learning and does n’t have a dedicated MS-only program. Students are admitted to the doctoral program and they earn their MS degree in the process.  This has many consequences. First, very less number of students are admitted. Two, a student doesn’t take many classes and is involved in a lot of research activity right from the first semester.2.   Stanford University, BostonEstablished in 1885, Stanford has carried out a plethora of research activities in areas like Machine Learning and Robotics and continues to carry out top-notch research activities in many other fields related to Computer Science. Since Stanford is situated near the Silicon Valley, California, it has abundant opportunities right at its door-step. Prominent firms like Sun Microsystems, Google and Yahoo were founded by Stanford alumni. The University also offers all-encompassing post-graduate programs like â€" the integrated CS-MS and MBA program and the integrated CS-MS and Law program. Areas of specialization include Artificial Intelligence, Theoretical Computer Science, Mobile Computing,  Human-Computer Interface and so on.  Bagging a spot in the MS program in  Stanford  is extremel y competitive. Even with great scores in your undergraduate, GRE, and TOEFL, you must still write an impressive personal essay, have exception Letters of Recommendation(LOR’s)  and skills that make you stand out.3. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh  CMU’s Computer Science department is regarded as one of the best in the world. The MS program in Carnegie Mellon entirely focuses on coursework, rather than research activity. The approximate acceptance rate into the CS program is 8-9%.CMU’s  MS in Software Engineering/Management is focused on soft skills and software development practices. The CS department has various departments like Computational Biology, Software Research, Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, and Robotics.4. The University of California, Berkeley(UCB)The CS department of UCB is splendid and is one of the strongest CS programs in the US. They excel in their AI research. Multi-faceted and top-notch researches and projects are being carried out in fields like Scientific Computing and Security. Courses like Data Science and Computational thinking are prominent in the institution. The course-work is extremely stressful and highly competitive.5. Georgia Institute of Technology, AtlantaGeorgia Institute of   Technology, nicknamed GeorgiaTech has an extremely competitive recruitment process because the department of CS opts for only highly qualified applicants. They look for a minimum undergraduate CGPA of 3.3, strong research, excellent LOR’s (Letters of Recommendation) and a strong GRE score. The University has a very good graduate-level robotics program and has received several National level Robotics Initiative grants. It has an MS Computer Science program(MSCS) and an MS Computational Science Engineering program(MSCSE). The only difference between their curriculum would be a difference between the two courses. The institution also offers an online Master’s program in CS called OMSCS. The instructors and the course materi als for the online degree are same as the offline program.6. Harvard University, Cambridge, MassachusettsIt is one of the Ivy League private universities. Computer scientists at Harvard have performed ground-breaking research in the domains of Security, Privacy, Networking, and Theoretical Computer Science. Research activities are also being performed in domains like Computer Graphics, Database Management Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and Computational Linguistics. Harvard doesn’t provide a terminal masters degree and you get an MS degree(Computational Science and Engineering Master Program) on your way to obtain a CS Ph.D. Harvard is a place that sheds more light on engineering than pure theory.7. Princeton University, New JerseyThe MS degree at Princeton is a two-year, full-time program and students are admitted in the fall semester only. All the students are initially admitted to the M.S.E (Masters of   Science in Engineering) program, and can later switch to the M.E(Master s of Engineering program) which is a non-thesis program  if needed. The institute has a dedicated alumni base. Notable research areas include Computational Biology, Computer Architecture, Machine Learning, Security and Privacy and so on. The acceptance rate is about 6-7%.  Exceptional test scores, meticulous research, internships, SOP(Statement of Purpose) and LOR’s(Letters of Recommendation) are vital for admission into the Princeton Masters Program.8. The University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA)The campus of UCLA is stunning. The campus is lush green with hills and grass spanning across the campus. The MS students in UCLA need not select one major field. The CS program at UCLA is rigorous and tiring. It lays a lot of emphasis on theory. They can choose a combination of courses from available courses like-Artificial Intelligence, Network Systems, Software Systems, Information and Data Management, Graphics and Vision, Computer Science Theory and so on.UCLA has a lot of research centers like Center for Encrypted functionalities, Center for Domain-Specific Computing(CDSC), Scalable Analytics Institute(ScAi), Center for Information and Computation Security(CICS) and many more. UCLA is a target university on many company’s recruiting list like-Facebook, Microsoft, Google, eBay, Adobe, Amazon, Intel, Linkedin,  Boeing, Apple and so on and also provides funds to the students who wish to become entrepreneurs. The CS department also invites famous personalities in the field of technology to give speeches once or twice a week.  9. University of Washington, SeattleThe University of Washington, found in 1861, is a public, research-based university located in Seattle, Washington. The University has a professional masters program(PMP) in Computer Science. The University doesn’t offer an exclusive master’s program, but it involves enrolling in the Ph.D.  program and dropping out after completing the masters part alone. Top-notch research activities in fields lik e Machine Learning, Data Science, Scientific Computing and Security are being carried out. The University has produced 20 Nobel Prize laureates and a huge number of Pulitzer Prize winners.10. California Institute of Technology(CalTech)California Institute of Technology, found in 1891, is a private, research-based university located in Pasadena, California. CalTech has one of the top-notch   Computer Science Departments in the world. Getting into CalTech is very, very hard. CalTech doesn’t offer a direct MS program. Graduate study in Computer Science is objectively based  Ph.D. research and there is no acceptance to an MS program as the degree objective.TAGSms in us

How to reach the new American dream

How to reach the new American dream American dream has changed. It used to be a college education, a steady job, a nice house (and a family to fill it), and a better financial picture than your parents. There is a new American Dream that is still about doing better than your parents but not in a financial sense. This dream is about fulfillment. Boston-based artist, Ariel Freiberg, just got engaged, and she and her fiancé are gearing up for this new dream. We were brought up to think its important to own a piece of property. Its how you build your life in this country. But buying a house is not a major goal for us. It is not what will make our lives secure and it will not help us define ourselves. The idea of the American dream is taken out from under us, explains Anya Kamenetz, blogger and author of the book Generation Debt. There used to be a contract with employers healthcare, pensions, predicable employment, but today there are none of those guarantees. Additionally, the cost of a college education is far outpacing inflation, making it more difficult to make this first steps toward the American Dream, according to Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why Americas 20- and 30-somethings Cant Get Ahead. The average student loans come to around $20,000, which means $200 a month out of an entry-level paycheck. On top of that between 1995 and 2002 median rents in almost all major cities have increased more than 50%. Hillary Clinton recently gave a speech about how a lot of kids dont know what work is and young people think work is a four-letter word. These were not renegade words, but rather an expression of the prevailing attitude among her fellow baby boomers. The boomers mistake a rejection of their American Dream as a rejection of reality. But heres some news: Young people know that work is a reality for everyone. Its just that everyone needs to work toward something; so young people have a new American Dream. The new American Dream is much more entrepreneurial, says Kamenetz. And its about shaping ones own destiny: mobility, flexibility to do your own work and the ability to have a career as an expression of who you are as a person. Here are some things to keep in mind as you craft your own version of the new American Dream: 1. Cushion an entry-level salary with a move back home. The first step in restructuring the American Dream is to save money to ensure flexibility. Moving back with your parents is smart if you can do it. Most jobs are in big cities, and starting salaries simply cannot pay the rent in those cities. People who are not able to get subsidized housing from parents are much more limited in terms of their early career choices. 2. Get comfortable with risk taking. The new American Dream is for risk takers. This is actually not groundbreaking in terms of the American Dream. For immigrants, the American Dream has always meant risk-taking. But today young people are taking risks that parents would have never dreamed of, like playing contact sports without any health insurance and signing up for a mortgage with a freelance career. 3. Protect your time. The American Dream of Baby Boomers came at the expense of personal time and family time. Success is not having more things than your parents. Its having more time. More time for hobbies, for travel, for kids. Its not about how much money you have, its about living your life on your own terms, says Barbara Stanny, financial coach and author of Overcoming Underearning. 4. Dont assume personal fulfillment requires a small career. Sure, the new American Dream has nothing to do with financial studliness. But dont sell yourself short in the name of personal time. Higher earners with balanced lives dont work more hours, they are just more focused, says Stanny. To make more money you dont have to work more hours. There is a difference between settling for a low income and taking a job to feed your soul. 5. Buy as small a home as you can. You preserve the most options for your future if you can buy a home on one income. The advice used to be: always buy the most expensive house you can afford because its an investment. Today its different. Buy only the amount of house that you need so it doesnt become an albatross around your neck. says Phyllis Moen, author of Career Mystique: Cracks in the American Dream. 6. Make decisions by looking inside yourself. Be aware of the tradeoffs youre making. For example, big cities are exciting and filled with career opportunity, but you pay a high premium for living there. When talking about her decision to stay in Boston, Freiberg says, Theres a certain vibration living in the city that feeds me and my fiancé this inspiration is something that we cant get in the suburbs. Choices are difficult today because the new American Dream is not as measurable as the old one. You cannot look at your bank statement or count your bedrooms to assess your success. The new American dream is about fulfillment, which is a murky, slippery goal, but young people like Freiberg know it when they feel it, and you will, too.

Social Media What Does It Say About You

Social Media â€" What Does It Say About You Over the past 5 years or so social media has become a part of most of our lives. We check, post and upload a great amount of information every day. The important question is: What does your online presence say about you? Employers are increasingly using social media as part of their recruitment process and this rise is likely to continue. A recent survey by Reppler of 300 hiring professionals showed that 90% of employers have used or are using social media as part of their hiring process. With so much information being shared it is an easy and cost effective way for employers to screen potential employees. With this in mind here are a few tips to help you manage your ‘brand’ on the World Wide Web: Google Yourself Have a look and see what information is out there about you. Go on to your timeline and Twitter feed and see what sort of information is hanging around. Rants about your employer, hating work, drug or drink references and pictures of you in compromising situations can all give an employer a bad impression about you and your ability to be an effective employee. Check Your Settings Check to see who your information is shared with. I suggest only allowing people who are friends with you to see your content. Exercise Caution Before posting or tweeting, ask yourself whether you would be happy for an employer, your mum or a journalist to get hold of this information. If the answer is no, step away from the keyboard! Use Social Media to Your Advantage See your social media presence as an extension of your CV. Think about how you can use social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to show you are passionate about the industry you are in or want to be in. Blogging can be a great way to show your expertise. Just remember to keep it clean and ensure that you only write content that you would happy for an employer to see. Do you suspect that your online presence has messed up your chances of a dream position? Have you recently noticed that your online presence doesn’t show you in the best possible light? Get involved and share your stories. 13

Edinburgh a City of Culture or Financial Hub

Edinburgh a City of Culture or Financial Hub With so many cultural attractions around the city, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Edinburgh’s main industry was tourism. But it is also the second largest centre for financial services after London, and can now boast the world’s first Green Investment Bank. Established in 2012, the bank was the result of a government-funded initiative aimed at encouraging investment in low-carbon projects around the UK. Friends of the Earth originally helped to get the campaign for a ‘green’ bank off the ground, with planned investments including offshore wind, biomass heating systems, and other alternative sources of energy. Green deals totalling £2.1 billion Glasgow benefited from one such loan, reportedly for £6.3 million, to replace street lighting in the city with low-energy bulbs. An investment of £50 million was also made for an energy-related project that used heat from waste water and turned it into power for Scottish buildings. Of course, projects from around the whole of the UK have been funded by the bank, but the fact that its headquarters are located in Edinburgh demonstrates the city’s status as a leading global financial centre. A prominent financial services sector The financial services sector in Edinburgh employs thousands of people in the area, who enjoy lower costs of living when compared with London. On the other side of the coin, asset management and insurance organisations, as well as banks, have developed in the city, taking advantage of cheaper rents and costs of employment. Newer banks setting up their offices or headquarters in the city have an enviable choice of traditional and modern buildings to reflect their brand. Virgin Money, Sainsbury’s Bank and Tesco Bank all now have a presence, further boosting jobs and the city’s economy. Unsurprisingly though, tourism remains one of the largest industries here. Second most visited city in the UK In 2013, Edinburgh was the second most popular city in the UK for tourism. Its reputation for being a clean, unspoilt city in addition to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status, brings around 3.5 million visitors each year. As a gateway to Scotland, the city attracts thousands of Americans and other international tourists keen to take advantage of Edinburgh’s numerous cultural, shopping, eating and music destinations. In fact, in recent years the overseas tourist market rose in comparison with domestic visits from within the UK. The Scotsman reports that visitors to Edinburgh Castle increased by 26% during the summer of 2013, with November bringing the highest ever hotel occupancy levels. Combining business and tourism Edinburgh’s strong reputation as an event destination results in a meeting of the two industries. The many international delegates attending corporate events in the city can enjoy all that Edinburgh has to offer, and take advantage of Edinburgh as a major transport hub. For the people of Edinburgh, a rich economy and the vast number of cultural attractions on the doorstep, provides a high quality of life both in terms of work and leisure. Author: John Baird is a personal finance and insolvency expert from www.scotlanddebt.co.uk. He specialises in advising people on how to manage their money and deal with their personal debt problems.

Workers Compensation Does Your Company Have Your Back

Workers’ Compensation Does Your Company Have Your Back Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comDoes your job have your best interests at heart, or does your employer care more about earning money from your labor than about your safety? It’s sadly common for companies to treat their workers like replaceable parts, valuable only for their productivity at the end of the day.One way you tell whether your company has your back is whether or not it offers workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation allows workers to receive a fair wage after being injured in the line of duty. As a laborer, you risk your health for a regular paycheck. Doesn’t your boss owe you something in return?Why is Workers’ Compensation Important?Workers’ compensation allows you, the worker, the peace of mind in knowing that you’ll still be able to support yourself and your family if you become injured on the job. It also demonstrates your company’s dedication to care for its workers. If you find out you are not covered, it’s time to make some big decisions about you r career path immediately.So How Do You Know Whether You’ll Be Covered?evalWorker’s compensation is always as standard as you might think. It’s the law, right? Well, yes, but there are ways around these requirements. One trick that companies occasionally play is to call workers independent contractors as opposed to employees.In the age of the gig economy, independent contractors are everywhere. Ride-share companies, advertisers, graphic design firms, and many other different types of companies would prefer contractors with fixed, short-term obligations as a bypass of carrying workers’ compensation. The law requires less of these companies when they utilize contractor services. If you’re a contractor, ask your human resources rep if you qualify for workers’ compensation. Do this before you need it.If I’m Not Covered, What Should I Do?If your company does not include you in its workers compensation plan and you feel you could be at risk for injury, you have three options :Get a new job. Your best option is to move to a different company. A job that cuts corners on this essential service is not worth your time, and they’ll likely cut important corners elsewhere.Petition to get coverage. If you have some leverage, use it. Maybe you can convince your boss to include you in a plan. Not only will you be helping yourself, you’ll be helping every other person in your position by providing a fair system.Worst case scenario: be careful. If you’re not covered under workers’ compensation, and you can’t get out or get coverage, you’re left with one option: to be extra careful and pray that no accidents leave you injured and incapable of work. Unemployment can devastate your career and life. Follow all proper safety protocols and keep your fingers crossed that your co-workers behave responsibly.Workers’ Compensation: An All-Too-Rare NecessityWorkers’ compensation is an essential benefit, but not all employers do their best to ensure you’re cove red. On the contrary, some companies go to great lengths to avoid covering their workers. Find your status, immediately. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, do something about it.

A Strategically Focused Resume

A Strategically Focused Resume I wish I had written the following.   Smith-Proulx hits the nail on the head.   She is even using the same language I dogreat minds.  (For the full peice, see ExecutiveAgent link on my blog).  While the exerpt below is about focus on the resume, it all starts with you, the job seeker, being clear about what you want and what you are great at doing. Here, I’ve offered 5 key reasons why focus should be your #1 priority in a leadership job hunt and how to get it: 1 Communicating your personal brand is the best way to get employers to take notice. 2 No one has time to connect the dots; do it for them! 3 Being all things to all people isnt good enough anymore. 4 Automated systems have made the general resume obsolete. 5 Adding excess information for employers to read only confuses them. Laura Smith-Proulx, Certified Career Management Coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Certified Interview Coach, is the Executive Director of An Expert Resume, a career services firm that caters to organizational leaders.

Resume Writing Service Durham NC

Resume Writing Service Durham NCProfessional resume writing service Durham NC provides a quick, effective and high quality service. Most job applicants dread writing resumes and most employers would much rather deal with the professionals than the low end ones. This is the reason for the increasing popularity of resumes nowadays and for various companies or business establishments.Resume writing services offer different options for all types of applications. They make the job easier and faster. These services can customize any types of CV according to the applicant's requirement. The applicant can also select the type of CV, they want to use and how many pages they want to write.Resumes are what get employers interested and they can easily be sent to employers that you think will be interested in hiring you. The most important thing is that your resume should be of an excellent quality to convince them that they need you and hire you. Your employer needs to be impressed by your skill s, experience and work ethics if he is to employ you.With resumes, people can avoid using as many different hand written copies as possible and can save a lot of time. So, they have the option of creating their own online resumes. A resume can be customized according to the work experience of the candidate, educational background and even religion. All these factors can be added after the customization process.In case of job application, some candidate may not get an interview call because he has more qualifications than other candidates. In this case, the resume writing service Durham NC can provide the cover letter that can be used instead of a resume. It is an example of the way the candidate may want to present him or herself to the employer. After the cover letter, the resume is ready to go.Some jobs and businesses will require the use of a cover letter for their entire job application process. Some employers will accept an application form only and reject other applications. T he resume services Durham NC can offer a job application in this scenario too. The job application can be customized by the employer and should include all the basic information. The resume services Durham NC can help the applicant obtain the job and other applications that will be needed.For any job, the resume writing service Durham NC can create a well written CV that is understandable and professional. It will also make the application process easier for the applicant. The applicant will also be able to review the CV in a few days time and may improve the CV. He will also have the confidence to present the CV in front of a potential employer. The applicant may get one or more interviews and this will improve his chances of getting hired.A resume may look good in front of a human resource officer or the employer but it will be useless when it is presented in front of the employer. Thus, the resume service Durham NC is required for all types of job applications. The results can be seen in a few days time and the applicant can easily get hired. The only thing he will have to do is to be confident of himself and present a resume with the right information.