What is a masters in data science degree?
A masters in data science degree prepares professionals with strong mathematical reasoning and statistical computing skills for a career in data analytics, which is necessary in a data-driven business. This multidisciplinary program prepares students for careers in FinTech, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Academics, and Database Management, and for public positions that require strong skills in data analytics. This program provides students the ability to select from various courses offered in related departments across all four colleges of the University of Michigan-Dearborn in order to meet students specific data science career goals. Learn MORE Online Master Degree programs are designed to give students the advanced knowledge and skills needed to be leading experts in data science.
What to expect from a masters in data science?
Students of data science masters programs in data science will receive solid knowledge and hands-on experience applying theory, principles, technical tools, and domain-specific knowledge in predictive analytics to a wide range of problems in science, engineering, and business. With a graduate degree, you will learn analytic tools, data analysis for computation, clean coding, problem-solving, and statistical tools. A degree in Data Science will take you there, but it is expensive — and because most are 4 year programs, it is a considerable time commitment, too. To land a data science job, you will need to have a solid understanding of the skills needed to help your employer solve business problems, as well as an ability to make a compelling case for what you can do, not a specific degree.
Masters In Data Science: Worth it or not?
Remember, you do not always need a college degree to get well-paying jobs in Big Data. Data science masters degrees also require that you learn within a specific timeframe, which may make them more costly, since you will not necessarily have the ability to work and make a living along with studying. While many universities offer a mix of evening, weekend, and online classes, some of these programs still require you to be physically present on-campus in order to earn your masters in data science. For you to pursue a data science-related second degree successfully, you will need to take off from your usual job at least one full year, so that you can focus on studying with an in-person program.
Typically, Masters of Data Science students have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, done a fair amount of serious computer programming, and taken a computer science class or two, along with some rigorous statistics courses. Many are considering new programs that offer degrees like masters degrees in analytics or master’s degrees in data science. Even those with Masters degrees sometimes decide to take certificate courses in order to refresh their skill sets and to get better opportunities. As such, a great demand exists for data scientists, skilled at organizing and analyzing large amounts of data, and data scientists are some of the most sought-after positions these days, with almost 40% of the positions for data scientists and advanced business analysts needing either a masters degree or PhD.
Finally, investing in an online data science masters degree is not only about a degree — it is about pairing rigorous coursework with an opportunity to directly apply your learnings in practice, and, along with it, accelerating your career.