Is an Online Masters Worth It for Software Engineers in 2026 ? (Georgia Tech OMSCS)

Is a $8,000 Online Master's degree actually worth the stress? Or is it just a waste of time for Software Engineers? In this video, I sit down with two friends who took completely different paths with the Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS). One of them (Shivam) is grinding through the degree while working at Google, and the other (Smarth) decided to QUIT the program to focus on his career at Salesforce. 0:00 - Intro 1:15 - Why this course (Masters in CS) ? 2:40 - Why Georgia Tech ? 4:23 - Application process 7:50 - High dropout rate 8:48 - The cost of online masters. 10:22 - The courses offered & the time consumed 13:22 - Courses they picked :D 13:59 - Machine Learning for Trading & Operating Systems 19:47 - The "Self Paced Course" myth 24:40 - Dropped out ! 29:37 - Still continuing ! 32:38 - Key takeaway 33:50 - The impact on social life 35:35 - Who is this course for ? 37:49 - The impact of AI 42:11 - Lightning round ! 43:46 - Thank you for watching :D We break down the REAL ROI of an Online Masters in 2025: Does it actually increase your salary? Is the "15 hours/week" workload a lie? The brutal reality of "Context Switching" after a 9-5 job. Why "Quitting" might actually be the smarter career move. If you are a Software Engineer thinking about applying to Georgia Tech, UT Austin, UIUC or any Master's degree for that matter, watch this honest review first. Welcome to my corner of the internet! I'm Satvik, a software engineer at Google, and on this channel, we explore the intersection of Finance, Tech, and Life. We'll break down complex financial topics, share career insights from the tech world, and discuss how to build a meaningful life. Find me here: LinkedIn: [  / satvik-batra-bb8756195  ] Instagram: [  / satvikbatra29  ]