u/Playful-Rice-4063

Hello, I was recently admitted to the MCS program at UCI, and I had a few questions about the program. I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your insights, especially if you are currently enrolled in or have previously completed the MCS program.

For context, I am an international student and do not have prior work experience.

1. I understand that the program is a 15-month track. Are there any disadvantages when it comes to job searching due to this shorter duration?
2. Is it generally difficult for MCS students to secure summer internships?
3. I’ve heard that the program is quite fast-paced. How rigorous is it in practice?
4. Is it possible to extend the program to two years, or is that not allowed?

Thank you very much for your time and help!

Hi everyone,

I was admitted to several CS master’s programs for Fall 2026 and would really appreciate some advice on choosing between them.

Here are my options:

1. NEU – MS in Computer Science
2. CU Boulder – Professional MS in Computer Science
3. UCI – MCS
4. UCSC – MS in CSE
5. ASU – MS in Computer Science
6. OSU – MSE in CSE

All of these are non-thesis programs, and my ultimate goal is to get a job in the industry after graduation.

Originally, I was leaning toward UCI, but I found out that the program is only 15 months long. Since I don’t have much prior work experience, I’m a bit concerned that it might be too short for me to build strong experience (e.g., networking, leetcode).

Given my goal and situation, which program would you recommend and why?

Any insights on job placement, internship opportunities, or overall reputation would be really helpful. Thanks!