Data Science

What is Data Science

Data Science is a field of study that deals with the collection, analysis, and processing various data or information to extract solutions. It deals with the understanding of many structured and unstructured data with specialised knowledge to get the required insights. Only professionals having specialised knowledge in the field of Data Science can carry out these activities.

Data Science can be defined as a mixture of implementing various scientific activities such as mathematics, calculus, graphs, charts, algorithms, computer programs, and a lot more. It is that part of science which also requires knowledge about business or commerce related fields. With the help of data science, professionals can extract very important pieces of information, insights, and other solutions that could have never been found from big raw data. Big companies all over the world require professionals with specialised knowledge in this field to provide valuable insights, decisions, or solutions from the big bulk data of their businesses.

These insights play a very major role in making big business decisions and also helps in implementing improvements in business activities. If you are interested or willing to make a career in the field of data science, this article will provide you with every single detail that you need to know before choosing your career. There are many colleges and universities in India that provide specialised courses and degrees in this field. But, to pursue any course in the field of data science, students should have subjects such as mathematics, computer applications, and programming as their core subject.

As data science is a specialisation of the scientific field, students from science backgrounds have great advantages and have great opportunities in this field. Students can pursue their Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field and then, go for specialised Master’s courses in this field. It is one of the best options for science graduate students to go for pursuing a Master’s in Data Science after completing their graduation.

After completing their graduation and in certain cases Post Graduation, students can get a wide range of career options from which they can choose from to work in either national or international companies, private or government institutions, technical or non-technical posts.

Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Data Science

For Undergraduate level

Eligibility criteria for students willing to pursue a bachelor’s degree in data science are:

• Students need to have completed their higher secondary education from a recognised board.

• Students need to be from the science stream with subjects such as physics, mathematics, and chemistry, as their core subjects.

• Students need to be qualified with clearing the relevant entrance exams to get admitted to their choice of college or university.

• Students must be above 17 years of age.

For Postgraduate level

Following are the eligibility criteria for admission in Master’s Data Science courses are:

• The students must have completed their post-graduation in science with relevant specialisations such as B.Sc. Statistics, B.Sc. Mathematics, B.Sc. Computer Science, or any other equivalent degree from a recognised board or university.

• ·Students should qualify in the relevant entrance exam and should have scored 50% marks in the qualifying examination.

• Students with prior qualifications, specialisation, or experience in Mathematics / Statistics are preferred.

• Students also need to qualify and perform well in the personal interview rounds that may take place depending upon different colleges and universities after the entrance exam.

Entrance Exams for Data Science

For Undergraduate Level

A Bachelor's degree in data science with relevant subjects such as Statistics, Computer Science, and Physical Science will help in pursuing a master's degree courses in the field of data science. Below are some of the entrance exams that students have to give to get admitted to their relevant data science college or university:

SSU CET – This exam is conducted by Sri Sri University. Students need to give this exam to qualify for getting admission into the B.Sc. Data Science course.

AMET CET– This is a common entrance exam conducted by the Academy of Maritime Education and Training University (AMET University).

Jain University Entrance Test – This common entrance exam is conducted by Jain University, Bangalore to admit students who are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in data science.

There are various other entrance exams conducted by various colleges and universities with their guidelines and criteria.

For Postgraduate Level

Many colleges and universities in India provide master’s courses with specialisation in data science. But, to get admitted to these science colleges and universities, students need to qualify through relevant entrance exams. Below are some of the entrance exams that students can opt for to be eligible for pursuing a master’s degree in data science:

CUET – This is the entrance exam for students willing to get admitted to Christ University for a course in Data Science. This exam is conducted by Christ University.

NIMSEE – This is a national level entrance exam and is conducted offline. This exam is conducted by the NIMS University every year to grant admission.

CUCET– The entrance test for admission to various courses offered by the various central universities of the country.

JNUEE – The entrance exam is conducted by the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Required Skillset for Data Science

Calculus and Mathematics – The most important skill that every student must possess and which forms as the base for any course in this field are mathematics and calculus. Students require to be good at calculations as the entire field is based on analysing things and making calculations to find the small improvements to be made.

Students are required to be familiar with calculus, linear algebraic equations, graphs, and other tools of mathematics. Good knowledge of calculus and mathematics will also act as a plus point for students in their recruitment procedures. The interviewer may ask basic concepts or give critical calculations at the time of selection.

Programming Skills – The next important skill that students should possess to pursue a career in this field is the basic knowledge and good understanding of various relevant programming languages.

A programming language such as Python, JAVA, and Machine Learning. is a plus point for students willing to make a career in this field. Data science also involves the use of various tools of the trade, and therefore, students should know these relevant skills.

Statistics – Statistics is a major part of data science and plays a very crucial role in job roles such as a data scientist. Students should be good at numbers, should know about statistical representations, distributions, and other tools.

Statistical skill is a skill that is required in every business and plays a major role in making decisions of the business or to design/evaluate various experiments.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills – After all these skills, students must possess good communication skills. It is of no use if a student has analysed a particular data but is unable to communicate it during the discussion sessions. Students also need to deal with various situations and different types of data in this field so they should possess other skills such as critical thinking, multi-tasking, analysing, and patience. Good interpersonal skills are also important while pursuing a career in this field.