Why go back to grad school? Why now? Why a Master's in Data Science/Data Analytics? My statement of purpose for my various applications provides the answers:
"I aspire to be a leader in data science and analytics. To become one, I need to have the necessary training and credentials. While an undergraduate education in mathematics, a masters in philosophy, and a certificate in data science are all extremely valuable, they are not extensive enough in the right ways to advance me in my career. My math degree prepared me for deep analysis, but was not broad enough to encompass the entire data cycle. My philosophy degree taught me critical thinking, analytical skills, and how to write persuasively, but not in a business or data context. My data science certificate provided me with a view of the broad landscape of data science. However, it did not do so with the level of rigor or depth required for most technical and advanced positions. A Master's in Data Science/Data Analytics will offer me a comprehensive range of formal education in data integration, warehousing, analytics, simulation, machine learning, and visualization, while also exposing me to greater depth in each of these areas.
In the short term, this position will allow me to be hired as a data scientist, and not merely as a data analyst. In the Seattle area, a data analyst is confined to tasks focused on gathering and reporting data. The modeling and analysis is reserved for data scientists, who focus on the deeper questions raised by surface level reporting. If I want to be hired as a data scientist, I need to have at least a Master’s degree in Data Science or some other related field. Long term, this degree will enable me to pursue career opportunities that are reserved for individuals with both higher levels of education and the necessary experience in that field. In short, a Master's in Data Science/Data Analytics opens up opportunities for me that would be otherwise be closed with my present education and experience.
While I recognize the benefits of receiving a Master's in Data Science/Data Analytics the decision to pursue one has not been made lightly. I am a full time employee, a husband, and a father of a young child. I am actively involved in my community in service and activities. The prospect of taking on another Master’s degree is daunting given my other commitments. Fortunately, several online and part time programs offer me that opportunity without the fear that earning the degree will be a burden. These programs are flexible in time commitment each term and offered all online. Given the curricula, I am confident that they will have the depth and breadth of analytics education needed for me to succeed as a data science professional at the highest levels in business. Thus, these programs offer me exactly the sort of education I need to advance in my career without placing any personal burdens on me that are too costly to bear.
While such a degree offers me much, what can I offer to the data science field and learning community? I bring with me a passion for knowledge. I desire to make sense of our world and our place within it. I studied several subjects in college and continued on to graduate school. Afterwards, I continued to study (and still do study) computer programming, data modeling, and business methodology on my own while applying my data skills in both my regular work projects and my personal pursuits in order to succeed in this career path.
There is always more to learn in the exploding field of data science and analytics. Since it is hard to keep up, I think many companies are unaware of its potentialities. Even if they are aware, the ability to use the data is often mired in such bureaucracy that it is nearly impossible to leverage the needed data for deep insight. What is needed is the coupling of technological advancement with an agile and open business approach to quickly harness the data for effective use. This vision is what I strive to bring to my projects. I want to help others catch this vision and to get excited about how their data can improve their decision making.
Of course, such power needs to be used in a responsible manner. There is an increasing asymmetry of knowledge between the organization and the individual. We appreciate the ways analytics technology has improved our lives, but we don’t want to be manipulated or to lose our privacy and safety. We want leaders to be socially responsible and to improve the world we live in. This is why I admire companies like Made in a Free World, which uses predictive models to uncover the amount of forced labor in a supply chain, and thereby enables businesses to operate ethically. I am excited in particular by the application of analytics to healthcare, which has proven useful in predicting and diagnosing ailments. Whether it is through blogging and sharing discoveries I have made through the use of data analytics and my experiences in the working world, or by regularly participating in and leading knowledge sharing events inside my consulting firm, I strive to apply my analytics skills in ways that can help improve the professional and personal lives of others.
Altogether, I bring with me an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems, using the wide variety of knowledge and experience I have attained through my formal education and work experience. I am aware of the great possibilities for using analytics to create a better world, but I am also aware of the many dangers that such technological power can pose if used irresponsibly. I desire to help lead the charge in using data-driven decision making to improve our world. And by participating in a Master's in Data Science/Data Analytics program, I will be able to more effectively pursue and make use of data science and analytics opportunities in my career."
And so I go, back to grad school. A little nervous, perhaps, but mostly excited. I love data and the scientific study of it and its uses. I love using data to solve problems and answer questions. Consequently, I can't wait to embark on this next chapter of my educational and professional career.
