The Metropolitan State University of Denver

Date: Aug 23 2007
Major: Computer Science (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm a 37-year old xfer student who has taken courses in several other universities, and has been working for 9 years in software development. I am very "book-smart" (around 1500 on the SAT in high school), but I have not been successful academically due to certain other personal characteristics. I would not be considered at all "ambitious." Based on this you may want to take my comments with a grain of salt. I came to MSCD as a senior and have only been here a short time. From what I can tell, MSCD is not a "competitive" university from the point of view of academics. They will accept you quickly. However, in Computer Science, I have been pleasantly surprised by the knowledge and investment of the professors, who are mostly PhD level with impressive CVs (most have worked in the "real world," and in CS, real-world experience has tremendous value). The classes I have taken are not filled with busy-work. They are presented in an engaging manner… at other universities, I have had classes where professors show Powerpoint presentations and read off them! How ridiculous. MSCD has surprisingly good resources. This is a better CS program than the ones offered at my previous private & public universities in South Florida. One criticism I have is that getting good grades is fairly easy. The work you are doing is interesting and relevant, but the classes seem designed to get everyone through with decent grades. In my present situation, this suits me just fine. You may feel differently. The university is very organized and they treat you well, despite the usual bureaucracy. You will find this refreshing if you have ever been at a disorganized university. The campus is really nice with lots of brick & greenery. The student body is decently diverse, in particular with foreign students. As an older student, I am not involved in "campus life" so it is hard for me to comment on this area, though it looks like many extra-curricular activities are offered. Coming from South Florida, Denver does seem a little small. Everything closes by 2 am. But the city has a good heart… good sports & a dedication to encouraging the arts. People are nicer here. And the outdoor life… it's fantastic. The city is also growing rapidly with transplants from Florida and California. Overall, I would highly recommend the city and I would recommend the CS program at Metro as being surprisingly good for a fledgling program, not too challenging, but offering solid, interesting coursework.