Is UT Austin’s Master’s in AI worth doing if I already have a CS degree (and a CS Master’s)?

Hey all,

I’m a software engineer with ~3 years of full-time experience. I’ve got a Bachelor’s in CS and Applied Mathematics, and I also completed a Master’s in CS through an accelerated program at my university. Since then, I’ve been working full-time in dev tooling and AI-adjacent infrastructure (static analysis, agentic workflows, etc), but I want to make a more direct pivot into ML/AI engineering.

I’m considering applying to UT Austin’s online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, and I’d really appreciate any insight from folks who’ve gone through similar transitions or looked into this program.

Here’s the situation:

The degree costs about $10k total, and my employer would fully reimburse it, so financially it’s a no-brainer. The content seems structured, with courses in ML theory, deep learning, NLP, reinforcement learning, etc., I’m confident I could self-study most of this via textbooks, open courses, and side projects, especially since I did mathematics in undergrad. Realistically though, I benefit a lot from structure, deadlines, and the accountability of formal programs. The credential could help me tell a stronger story when applying to ML-focused roles, since my current degrees didn’t focus much on ML. There’s also a small thought in the back of my mind about potentially pursuing a PhD someday, so I’m curious if this program would help or hurt that path.

That said, I’m wondering:

Is UT Austin’s program actually respected by industry? Or is it seen as a checkbox degree that won’t really move the needle? Would I be better off just grinding side projects and building a portfolio instead (struggle with unstructured learning be damned)? Should I wait and apply to Georgia Tech’s OMSCS program with an ML concentration instead since their course catalog seems bigger, or is that weird given I already have an MS in CS?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s done one of these programs, pivoted into ML from SWE, or has thoughts on UT Austin’s reputation specifically. Thanks!

TL;DR – I’ve got a free ticket to UT Austin’s Master’s in AI, and I’m wondering if it’s a smart use of my time and energy, or if I’d be better off focusing that effort somewhere else.