A well-structured programme
"Data Science at Lancaster is a well-structured programme and gives you a wide range of knowledge and skills, with expertise coming from both the Mathematics and Statistics Department, and the School of Computing and Communications. Moreover, it offers great flexibility because there are four pathways that each focus on a specific area of expertise, which students can choose from to suit their interests and background knowledge.
"Also, the programme offers a placement in industry, which is based around your dissertation. It’s a huge advantage as you can put the theory you’ve studied into practice, solve real-world problems and build a professional network in industry.
Progressing from Economics to Data Science
"I wanted to study data science because statistics, and more specifically data analysis, is a field that has been of great interest to me from the very first year of my university studies. I was familiar with the topic as my Bachelor's degree is in Economics, but it was never explored or discussed in great detail.
"I also felt that my undergraduate degree helped me to develop my soft skills rather than technical skills, such as programming. I felt that by studying a Masters in a different discipline I’d develop a balanced range of soft and technical skills, allowing me to take a well-rounded approach to issues and challenges, and therefore make me more employable.
"For me, the most important reason for studying a different subject is to gain a new perspective and way of thinking, through a new specialism. Each discipline approaches a problem in a different way and it’s interesting to understand the reasons behind why they approach things as they do.
"Moreover, by changing discipline you gain valuable expertise from multiple departments, develop new specialist skills and cultivate a new attitude towards work.
Interests and support
"My favourite module so far has been Data Mining. What I’ve really enjoyed is that I’ve learnt the entire procedure I should apply to analyse data, draw inferences and make predictions that can be helpful to managers when making decisions.
"By studying Data Science at Lancaster, I’ve also developed a working knowledge of specialist software and programming, using Python, R and Java. I think it’s important to have a good grasp of these programming languages, particularly if you want to follow a career in data analysis.
"However, it’s not just the academic and technical skills and knowledge gained that make this course great. The support and community of the Department are also very important to the whole Lancaster experience. I’ve found that both teaching and support staff are friendly and approachable, and always willing to help.
Going forward and advice to prospective students
"My short-term goals include working in the business sector, in a business analysis department. Ideally, I’d like to specialise as a market analyst in a multinational organisation. One of the main reasons I was interested in Lancaster’s Data Science programme was because I believed it would lay the foundations and prepare me for the challenges of the business sector.
"For anyone planning to study data science, I would recommend they gain some familiarity with programming and read about the basics first. The course can be very demanding and tough if you know nothing about it. But I highly recommend the course!
"For people who are generally considering applying to a different department for their Master's, be prepared for a challenge. It isn’t easy and you’ll need perseverance and patience to overcome the obstacles you’ll encounter on your way to success. But it is worth it."