Finally, I came to a decision. But first, some information on some of the contributing factors to my decision. Last Monday evening, I attended an open house at the DePaul downtown campus for CDM (College of Computing and Digital Media). there were about 10 - 15 potential students in attendance. We listened to a short 30 minute session that ending with Q/A towards the seven panelists from various specializations in CDM, including a current student, a recent graduate and a variety of professors. Michelle Dash was the recent graduate, and I spent time with her and two other potential students when the room broke up into smaller groups. She was very sharp and answered all questions candidly. She was convinced that her Master's Degree in Human-Computer Interaction was crucial for her success and that the field was booming.
On Wednesday, I spoke to Dr. Adam Steele, an Associate Professor in Human-Computer Interaction and he was very helpful, confirming my thoughts on the direction of my studies. My age, the amount of school debt, the number of years left in my career and how to leverage my background were all crucial in my decision. Adam listened to my thoughts during the half hour appointment. Some of the areas we discussed were potential salary ranges, whether I would need to take the prerequisites, and the classes he taught. That evening, I contacted Michelle Dash and asked her about Dr. Steele as a academic advisor, as well as Dr. Craig Miller whom I will speak with on Monday. She wholeheartedly recommend both, stating their strengths.
On Monday, after speaking with Dr. Miller, I have an appointment with Becky Krochmal, an Assistant Director of Advising and I will officially change my focus from Computer Science to Human-Computer Interaction. and determine which prerequisites I need to take.
Why do I feel this is the direction for me?
1. My age - if I were in my late 20's or early 30's, I would definitely enroll in Software Engineering. But at this time of my life with 20 years or less left until retirement, this seems the best fit with the direction I want to go, my personality, the type of company that would hire me, and that my age and experience would be a plus in this field.
2. My expected salary - while I may need to take a pay cut compared to what I was making when I worked at Parametric Technology Corporation, I should be able to exceed that within a very sort time.
3. Potential employers - I prefer working for larger companies. For me, I saw less politics and the professionalism of the employees was markedly different than smaller companies. And my professional growth was also an advantage.
4. Length of time needed to get my degree - While not the shortest time needed, this degree will take at least a year less than Software Engineering or Computer Science where I would have to take all the prerequisite, which would add an additional year. Plus, there may be other prerequisitesneeded for some of the core classes.
5. Loans - Although not cheap, the anticipated mid-$30k tuition bill is something I want to pay off within 5 years of graduating. My wife still has about $40k in loans when she got her teaching certificate and Master's Degree.
Next - Immunizations, registration and IDS... stay tuned
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