In schools, have you ever done the statistics questions in your Mathematics examinations where you have to use various data sets to find out the solution to a mathematical problem? Data science is exactly like this but at an immensely bigger scale. Data science is a field of study that leads to a career path. You are supposed to work with very large data sets and filter the data through various parameters and conditions to identify patterns and other solutions.

As easy as it sounds, it is one of the most difficult technical careers because there are multiple entry barriers before being a successful data scientist or data science engineer. So, what is it you have to do to become a data science professional, and what are the career prospects of a data science engineer? Let’s find out in this beginner’s guide to data science.

How to become a data science engineer/scientist?

The process of becoming a data science professional is long and requires you to master various subjects to different degrees so let’s get into the details of the process.

School Level

At the school level, it is crucial for students to have a very keen interest in mathematics and a good understanding of computers. At the higher secondary level, it is crucial for students to study maths, physics, chemistry, and computer subjects in order to be eligible for a career in data science.

College Level

You can approach data science from two directions based on your interests, either as an engineer or a pure mathematics student. Let’s examine the two paths.

Engineering Path

If you want to tackle data science as an engineer, you have to start with either.

• Joining a computer science engineering course or

• A dedicated data science engineering course that is built on top of a computer science engineering course.

These are your two options. If you choose to study a general CS course, you have to then, on your own, learn and practice mathematics and statistics to ensure you are eligible for the master’s programs in data science at the top institutes in India or around the world. To make the most of your education, you should really focus on learning some of the crucial coding languages such as Python, and on making sure you are well-equipped to be successful in your career.

If you choose to study a specialized data science-specific engineering course, you are in luck because you will be able to learn all the necessary subjects of data science, including the core concepts in your college curriculum itself. This will help you get a heads up over students that have to study the data science subjects separately beyond their college course. So, it is in your best interest to go for the integrated course because it can help you get a better understanding of the subject from the beginning itself.

After you complete your bachelor’s degree in either your general CS course or the dedicated data science bachelor’s degree, you should absolutely go for a master’s education because, in the field of data science, it pays better to be more qualified. In the process of pursuing education, do not forget to get some practical experience as well in the form of internships or industrial training. That will help you get the best offers from the top companies when you complete your master’s education.

Scientist Path

If you do not want to go for the engineering path, you can still pursue data science by studying pure mathematics as your bachelor’s degree. In this path, you have to focus on coding and programming languages beyond your college curriculum in order to be eligible for the data science-specific master’s programs. Given that general bachelor’s degree courses are three years instead of 4 years, you should surely dedicate and focus on the 4th year to learn to code very well because that is a necessary skill for your career in data science.

After your bachelor’s degree completion, go for a master’s degree in data science at some of the top colleges in India while also focusing on getting some practical experience from internships and training, and voila, soon you will be a professional data scientist eligible for getting placed in some of the top companies around the world with a handsome paycheck.

Conclusion

So, that is all you need to know about how to become a successful data science professional. The two paths of you to become a professional are explained in detail. The main thing that you should focus on, either in the engineering path or scientific path, is to go for a top college that can provide you with the right platform that will help you scale your career forward. So, if you are an aspirant trying to find the perfect college to get your data science career started, be sure to check out JIET DAT Rajasthan’s first technical college that offers dedicated courses for data science in both bachelor’s and master’s education. For more information about their course curriculum, be sure to look at the college website.