CS Master's Degree Debate

Why not do a master's instead? :)

Is a masters degree ok? Why or why not?

Not OP, but I'm applying to some graduate programs this year that lead to a Ph.D. in CS, and some institutes have a hard requirement of a Masters degree for getting into their Ph.D. programs, while some (like most top US universities, including GATech) allow you to enroll with a Bachelor's Degree, provided you'll do the required coursework before the dissertation phase. It's really cool that one can earn a Master's Degree while working full-time, before applying to a Ph.

That is consistent with my experienceMasters is just for degree

Unless a Master's is required for your profession, only do it if you are intellectually curious and have the cash to burn.

Having a masters will definitely unlock more opportunities for you (both academia and industry) but there are other ways of achieving it. You can take courses online and see how you like the courses (don't have to go full throttle just check if you find it interesting enough). If you find it right fit you can go for full-fledged masters program. You can also earn certificates and try for a position in a startup which is willing to bet on you solving hard problems for them.I have a maste

Was your undergrad in computer science or did you 'hop' into the masters?

Why is a Master's not seen as at least marginally better than a Bachelor's?

yes but it's a master's, does that affect the decision making process is my question.

Not sure where you're at, but in the US a masters is generally only available to someone that already has a bachelor's. I'm not saying it isn't worth it, but the traditional bachelor's path is 4 years of full time work.