Top Reasons to study M.Sc. Data Science

Introduction - What is Data Science?

An emerging field in the information technology sector, Data Science is the study of information that examines its source, what it represents and how to convert and implement strategies. Data Science is a great tool for corporations that are looking to make big decisions, solve complex problems and devise strategies to enhance their productivity and performance. An interdisciplinary field with a blend of technical ability and business insights, Data Science facilitates change based on intelligence.

A Data Scientist is capable of performing numerous tasks from accumulating extensive data from different sources to cleaning or validating data to ensure the accuracy or analysing techniques to gain insights. Moreover, a professional data scientist also examines the data to identify patterns, and trends and generate solutions. Top organizations across the globe have been implementing Data Science to boost their performance. One of the most common examples of such companies is Netflix, which used data science techniques to learn about the subscribers’ interests and target them accordingly. 

Why you should pursue a career in Data Science?

Beyond the employment opportunities or earning potential, the Data Science field has a lot to offer to young graduates. A couple of years ago, the World Economic Forum's Future of Work Report 2020 predicted that the Data Science profession will see the biggest growth and highest demand in the industry by 2025.

Along with promising opportunities, here are some other reasons why you should study Data Science:

Earning Potential & Employment Opportunities: Data science is one of the top paid IT jobs. The average salary for a Data Scientist is comparatively higher than any other IT and management role. Also, the field has a lot of jobs on offer. As per a report published by The Hindu, about 97000 posts were vacant in India for Data Scientists or Analysts because of a lack of skilled workforce. In the upcoming years, a sharp increase in the demand for data scientists can be witnessed across the world. 

Global Demand: Just like India, the rest of the world also doesn’t have a huge number of qualified data scientists. A report by prominent job platform Indeed highlighted the huge difference between the supply and demand of Data Scientists across the world. It highlighted the 344% increase in demand since 2013, while the supply grew slowly by 14%. Hence, it is evident that the staggering demand for qualified professionals has widened the scope of this field.  

Diversity: Data Science isn’t limited to a few trades but spans different industries. Being a data scientist doesn’t mean that you’re going to work in an IT company but there is a range of industries and sectors that require their services. The Finance industry, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Automotive, and Telecommunications industry, etc are some of the many industries where data scientists can work and make an impact by examining the performance of key areas of a business. 

Data Science at Chandigarh University 

The University Institute of Sciences at Chandigarh University imparts a postgraduate M.Sc. degree in Data Science. UIS, ranked among the top colleges in North India, facilitates learning with a rich academic curriculum, hands-on training, dynamic faculty, leveraged technology and much more. The two-year postgraduate degree programme at Chandigarh University emphasises pure and applied mathematics paired with computational applications. 

The program promotes opportunities for interdisciplinary research in collaboration with other key departments. Furthermore, the regular extra-curricular events like industrial visits, international conferences, workshops, competitions, etc. promote hands-on learning experiences. The department also has various research groups, where like-minded individuals can get together and research their ideas.

Under this program, a student also has the option to choose CU’s Advanced Credit Program, which offers 3-level career-oriented certifications. The Advanced Credit Program allows the student to earn university credits before beginning their course, while also helping them get deep insights into the most demanding skill sets. 

Who can apply for M.Sc. Data Science at Chandigarh University?

Candidate with Bachelor's degree in Arts, Computer Applications or Science (with Statistics or Mathematics or Computer Science) /B.E/B.Tech OR equivalent undergraduate degree with any one of the following subjects Computer Science/ Mathematics/ Statistics with at least 50% marks in aggregate.