As a current CS grad student at Illinois, I have a few pieces of advice to offer. I'm currently a little disenfranchised with the whole grad school business, so keep that in mind as you read this. My advice may be a little discouraging, and perhaps completely jaded (in which case I'd be happy for someone to set the record straight). But putting my thoughts on the matter into words might even help me as well!

First, I'd make sure you understand what's involved. As far as the fields of graphics and AI, I have no direct specific experience. But in general (at least here at UIUC), any graduate-level computer science is more or less about math. It is not about programming, and it is certainly not about Perl. Even research on compilers and programming languages is based on strict mathematical formalisms. AI may have slightly less math depending on the specific topic, but probably more formal logic to make up for it. As Dijkstra once said, "Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."

Also make sure you understand what CS research entails. The marketing research you mention is not the same beast as research in a hard science, so don't confuse the two. From my observations, CS research means papers & proofs. Writing and reading lots and lots of papers and proofs.

Have a fairly specific goal! Not having one is probably the biggest mistake I've made throughout this grad school affair. I came to grad school because I loved a certain theory class as an undergrad, and that's about it. I had no specific area of interest, other than "theory" in general. I got into a good grad school, never really looking at the theory group here, or the research going on here. None of the group's research has looked appealing to me yet, so I'm in a very tough position, having no thesis topic but needing a thesis advisor by the end of the semester.

So before grad school, you really should have some goal in mind. I'm not saying you need a thesis topic before going in. But look around at professor's websites and see the current research they're doing, and try to narrow down your area of interest as mich as possible. Download the professors' papers and read them (but don't expect to understand them yet). If something sounds remotely interesting, email them and ask to learn more. Finding a professor whose research interest match up with yours is the biggest key to success in my opinion. Even if you're not exactly sure what to study, their knowledge can guide you towards active areas of research, and your mutual interest ensures that you will find something you have passion for.

In giving you advice, it would also help to know if you have had any formal CS education, like a bachelor's degree.. If not, that might be another option to consider as well. At the least, it seems it would be much more applicable to the programming you enjoy. And you can still take some advanced topics courses to figure out if you really like AI or graphics enough for grad school.

I've tried to make this not sound too discouraging. ;) I want to help you avoid the mistakes I've made. I also apologize if any of it sounded condescending -- I have no idea from what academic background you're coming from, but it sounded like you may not have a clear idea of the gap between working as a programmer and a Master's education.

Finally, keep in mind that grad school is supposed to be scary and intimidating. But it is also exciting -- finding new ideas; learning, growing, and exploring. Finding the right research to fuel this excitement is the key to overcoming the scary parts and coming out on the other end with a meaningful education.

Best of luck!

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