Choosing the Right Data Science Program

There are many good reasons to get into Data Science; the work is interesting, projects are engaging, and the demand is booming.  If you’ve made the decision to pursue a career in Data Science, you’re probably asking yourself, “how do I go about finding the right program for me?”   Certainly, there are many different options available and it may seem overwhelming to have to choose a program to help you get started.  So, in an effort to help you through the process of selecting an educational program, I’ve identified some key factors to consider:

1. Quality of instruction
2. Topics Covered
3. Cost
4. Job Placement

Quality of Instruction

In order to offer quality instruction, an educational program must have quality instructors able to dedicate the necessary time to its students.  Too many big-name institutions are hopping onto the online-instruction-bandwagon with the goal of turning education into an assembly line, with little or no regard for the one-on-one interaction between students and teachers.   However, if we want students to truly flourish, and not just muddle through a program, one-on-one interaction is critical.  In my 17 years of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level, I can assure you that many programs may be quick to tout completion/graduation rates while conveniently glossing over the quality of students’ experiences and the genuine impact of the program on their personal and professional development (or lack thereof).  For example, it’s pretty common for Data Science programs to boil down to a collection of pre-recorded videos coupled with quizzes that hundreds or even thousands of students are completing.  With so many students admitted, these programs can offer very limited opportunity for live interactions or individual attention.  

Be sure to consider the ratio between students and faculty to ensure that the program that interests you will also take an interest in you.  Based on my experience in the field, I would recommend looking for a program with a student to faculty ratio of no more than 20 to 1.  

DataHammer School’s bootcamps boast an unparalleled 10:1 student to faculty ratio and even offer weekly check-ins to ensure that students stay on-track with their program.  The faculty all have industry experience, have received numerous accolades and have taught at top universities.  In fact, over 75% of classes are taught by faculty with a PhD in Data Science or a closely-related field.    

Topics Covered

Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous institutions that are trying to repackage their lessons in computer programming languages to seem like Data Science education, when in reality, what they are teaching has very little to do with Data Science.  Unsuspecting enrollees are often led to believe that they will complete the program with the skills a Data Scientist needs, only to face the reality that they really haven’t built up meaningful competencies to be competitive in the Data Science job market.  How do you avoid this?  Start by making sure that the program you apply to centers around Python.  Python is by far the most popular programming language for Data Scientists and is continuing to rise in popularity as more R and SAS programmers transition to Python.  In addition to Python, it is critical for emerging Data Scientists to learn SQL, which is used to query information from databases.  Like Python, SQL will continue to be a requirement for Data Scientists well into the future.

Aside from ensuring that your selected program will offer instruction on Python and SQL, it is also important to seek out programs that build conceptual knowledge, particularly in Statistics, Machine Learning and Deep Learning.  Statistics represents the fundamental concepts of predictive analytics and provides the tools necessary to understand and interpret data.  Machine Learning can also help to interpret data, but is primarily focused on making good predictions.  Deep Learning is a specific type of Machine Learning that is especially useful when working with images or sound data.  A reputable Data Science program will cover all three of these conceptual knowledge bases.  DataHammer bootcamps offer immersive instruction in all of these areas and more, distinguishing themselves from many other online programs by offering a capstone project course in which students apply the skills they’ve learned to solving real-world business problems.

Cost

Naturally, everyone wants to minimize their educational costs.  On the one hand, there are universities charging hundreds of thousands of dollars for a degree, and on the other hand, there are plenty of online courses available, often free of charge.  Although universities offer degrees and certificates that warrant the respect of employers, the reality is that a piece of paper (however meaningful) is not necessarily more valuable than other types of learning experiences.  In my opinion, the two most significant benefits of a university education are quality mentorship from professors and the power of a degree in opening doors in your profession, but both mentorship and career development can be achieved through other means. Turning our attention to online courses, we know that they can offer neither the valuable mentoring nor the respected degree, but as many are offered for free or at low-cost, the price is appealing.  The challenge with these online courses is that although some learners might walk away with an increased (albeit superficial) understanding of the material, free online classes don’t offer an immersive experience nor do they offer accountability, which ultimately results in demotivating and demoralizing students.  So, do you break the bank to get the mentorship and coveted degree?  Or do you cut corners and try to get the skills on your own without the individual attention most of us need to succeed?

Most would agree the answer lies somewhere between free courses and the often cost-prohibitive university degree programs.  To maximize your return on investment, a bootcamp may be the right answer as the cost of the entire program is typically around $20,000.  While $20,000 is no small sum, if your goal is making the next leap in your career, the overwhelming majority of bootcamp graduates say it’s worth the money.  You’ll want to consider what this sort of investment can get you, and if it’s a good alternative to costly degree programs.  After all, 20K is just a fraction of the average cost of a four year degree program in Data Science or Data Analytics and this one-time investment usually means a significant increase in salary.  According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a full-time Data Scientist is $100,560.

As you're shopping around, consider programs that offer incentives and promotions such as waiving application fees or offering discounts.  For example, after pursuing various scholarship and discount opportunities, the cost of DataHammer School’s bootcamp program may be as low as $10,000.

Job Placement

But of course, spending any amount of money is never a good idea when job placement is uncertain.  This is why more and more people are becoming inclined to choose a bootcamp over traditional universities.  The job market for Data Scientists is hot right now and will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future.  Towards Data Science Inc. recently published an article with a resounding claim that “Data Scientists are a must in 2021,” going on to remind readers that the “supply of Data Scientists is low, and it’s because the field of Data Science is still relatively new even in 2021.”  This means it’s a great time to become a data scientist!  Indeed, Glassdoor has continued to rank Data Scientist among the top three best jobs for the past several years.  

You can also hedge your bets by choosing a bootcamp that provides a job placement guarantee.  At DataHammer School, the administration is able to rely heavily on the instructors’ strong connections to and background in industry in ensuring that students graduate with the in-demand skills necessary for success in Data Science professions.  The DataHammer School administration is so confident in its graduates that they are currently offering a job placement guarantee. 

If you’d like more information about the DataHammer bootcamps, visit https://DataHammerSchool.com or contact [email protected] wit your questions.