The adoption of data science across industries has seen a boom in the last couple of years. Closer to home, Indian companies are seeing increasing adoption of data and analytics to cater to the market worth $45.4 billion. The analytics industry in India has seen a whopping 26.5 per cent growth over the last year when it stood only at $35.9 billion.
Further, according to Analytics India Magazine Research, the overall adoption of analytics and data science at large Indian firms is around 74.5 per cent, up from 70 per cent in 2019 – which indicates substantial growth. However, despite the rise in demand for data scientists, most HR teams have reported a severe shortage of data science professionals.
But what does it actually take to succeed in this rapidly evolving field? In our conversations with large Data Science employers, we have increasingly found that the highest quality candidates come with a mixture of on-the-job exposure, relevant academic and theoretical knowledge and guidance from industry-leading mentors. Upskilling is also a must in today’s market, given the rapid pace of change in the field.
In line with these challenges and the needs of prestigious Data Science employers, Great Learning has collaborated with Northwestern School of Professional Studies to offer a Master of Science in Data Science Programme. To great advantage to Indians willing to acquire a US degree from the safety and comfort of their homes, the programme is offered online over a period of 18 months, through live sessions.
About the course
The 18-months long data science course is divided into two portions — the first four terms or initial 12-months are spent brushing up and learning about the foundation, while the fifth term or last six months are spent specialising in either Analytics and Modeling or Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The foundation course covers the following topics:
- Math for Data Science
- Applied Statistics with R
- Introduction to Data Science
- Database Systems and Data Preparation
- Practical Machine Learning
- Decision Analytics
- Business Leadership and Communications
- Python for Data Science
Students opting for Analytics and Modeling will specialise in:
- Data modelling for supervised learning
- Data modelling for unsupervised learning
- Time series analysis and forecasting
Students opting for the Artificial Intelligence module will be specialising in:
- Computer Vision
- Natural Language Processing
- Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning
At the end of the foundational and specialisation terms, students will be able to take up a Capstone Project to showcase their acquired skills and finally receive their MS degree from Northwestern University. Additionally, the course covers languages and tools that are presently trending and are in the highest demand– Python, R, SQL and Pandas.
Why should you apply?
There is a multitude of Data Science courses, varying in duration and intensity, and anyone with even a passing interest in the field can find themselves overwhelmed with options. However, the Master’s degree in Data Science from Northwestern University offers Data Science professionals a significant advantage compared to those who opt for other programmes.
These advantages include:
- An outstanding and industry relevant curriculum, designed by leading experts in the space
- A leading luminary in the field – Thomas Miller – serves as faculty director. Dr. Miller is a published author, and has conducted cutting-edge research in the space. He has designed the entire online learning experience
- Other outstanding lead instructors – such as Dr Abhinanda Sarkar, who holds a PhD from Stanford, and who comes with vast experience as an industry practitioner and academician in the field
Additionally, the programme offers two in-person learning sessions in India – where students are able to meet and network with peers and faculty. Besides the interactive live sessions offered by the faculty, the course includes hands-on exposure through quizzes, assignments, projects and a rigorous capstone project at the very end.
Jason Okui, Product Manager at Adobe and a former student of the programme, said, “The biggest benefit of studying data science at Northwestern School of Professional Studies was that it gave me a deeper understanding of how predictive models work and how they can be applied. Just as important, it allowed me to communicate what predictive analysis means.”
Post-programme Opportunities
Data science is a thriving field of study, research and career opportunities. Post the completion of this course, learners will get to either kick-start their fledgling data science career, or move into more senior roles with the holistic exposure gained through the programme. Opportunities include profiles of data scientists, product managers, data engineers, business intelligence developers, data analysts and others.
The MS in Data Science programme offers a comprehensive career support, CV review, and one-on-one career services. Alumni of the School of Professional Studies work at marquee companies, including Texas Instruments, Google, Amazon, Citibank, Facebook, GE Healthcare, Boeing, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and CISCO, among others.
The last batch of the programme came from a diverse background and with varied work experience distribution. Students came with varied experience from organisations including AWS, Facebook, Accenture, VMWare, The Indian Army and Tata Consultancy Services.
Alumnus Scott Sobel, presently the Principal at Management Consultancy firm Oliver Wyman, said, “Studying data science at Northwestern School of Professional Studies allowed me to branch off from specialised knowledge developed on the job by providing a broad, formal analytics education needed to help me move on to better opportunities.”
How to apply?
In order to apply for the MS in Data Science Programme, students have to apply online through the application portal, post which the application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. This step usually takes four to six weeks, within which the application form is carefully scrutinised. Shortlisted candidates will then be sent an admission offer which they can secure by paying the admission fee. Aspiring candidates of the course must have completed a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
The online/part-time course costs $22,000 or Rs 15.84 lakh (approximately). Students can opt to pay the course fees through six quarterly instalments worth $3,667 each.
The deadline for applying for the MS in Data Science Programme offered by Northwestern School of Professional Studies, in collaboration with Great Learning, is December 16, 2021. The course commencement date is yet to be announced.
