As per online learning platform Coursera’s most emerging courses list this year, data science remains one of the most popular courses that students as well as professionals are willing to take up. While the course is mostly related to computer science, its usage has now expanded to other non-technical professions as well.
Candidates willing to take up this programme come across dilemmas regarding the scope, eligibility and career prospects of this course. Here are answers to all the frequently asked questions about data science:
Ques 1: Can a non-science stream student pursue this programme?
Graduates and professionals with up to three years of experience with a technical background can pursue this programme. It’s good to have mathematics or technical background to become a data scientist.
Ques 2: How can an individual become a data scientist?
One can become a data scientist by pursuing a post graduation in data science program from a recognised institute.
Ques 3: What are the eligibility criteria to pursue a post graduation data science?
To pursue a post graduate degree in data science candidates should fulfill the following criteria:
— Fresh graduates or postgraduates with at least 50 per cent marks in graduation.
— Engineers, computer science/IT graduates, mathematics/statistics/economics graduates, MBA – finance/IT.
— Working professionals with 0-3 years of experience: software developers, testers, QA, networking professionals, system administrators, product and program management professionals, and IT support professionals with a current CTC Of under 4 lacs are eligible.
Ques 4: What is the syllabus of the course and who should pursue it?
The course covers excel, python programming, SQL, data visualisation, machine learning, statistics for data science, data visualisation with tableau and Power BI, and specialisation of either advanced machine la=earning track or data analytics
Ques 5: What are the career prospects after pursuing a data science programme and the starting salary package?
There are a plethora of career prospects after the program. One can take up a career as a data scientist, data analyst, data manager, business analyst, business intelligence specialist, data science consultant, analytics manager and machine learning engineer. The average starting salary for a Data Scientist in India is around Rs 4.5 lakh per year
Ques 6: What’s the difference between a data scientist and a data analyst?
A data analyst examines already-existing data, whereas a data scientist develops novel techniques for gathering and analysing data that analysts can use. A data scientist is someone who can make predictions about the future based on historical trends, as opposed to a data analyst who only gathers insightful data.
Ques 7: Which are the best institutes to pursue data science courses?
There are many institutes that offer data science courses. Before joining you should consider important aspects like your experience level, the curriculum, the faculty and how much time you can give to learning.
Ques 8: Short term data science course vs full time degree. Which is better?
It depends on your experience level. If you are a fresh graduate or someone with under three years of experience then a postgraduate program is a great option. A short-term course might only be useful if you already have experience and you are looking to just upskill.
Ques 9: Is it worthy doing data science course on an online platform? From where can we do this course for free?
Online platforms offer data science courses via live online training or recorded lectures which gives you the flexibility to learn in the best way possible. There is no such platform where you can get qualitative content for free. Hence students should avoid riding in the free boat.
Ques 10: What are the most asked questions on your platform regarding data science?
The questions are mostly related to eligibility, the curriculum that we cover, how to become a data scientist, the mode of learning of the program, the faculty that teaches the course, if there is a certification or job guarantee, what are the career prospects and who are our hiring partners.
(The questions were answered by Joy Parekh, Vice President – Online Business Head, Imarticus Learning)
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