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step by step guide to become a Data Scientist

“Why to become a data scientist?“, we have discussed this question before, and after finalizing, we have to go for data science. With such an excellent opportunity and massive requirement of Data Science professionals, naturally, the question emerges, what are the options and ways to become Data Scientist.

How can I become a data scientist?
Who can become a data scientist?
What qualifications are required?
Whether one has to be an engineer or a computer expert?
What to do to become a data scientist?
One has to be post-graduate in the specific stream?
Are there courses available in India?
What type of education required if one has to enter the field?
What can one do if he/she is a highly talented achiever?
Any specific aptitude, inert qualities required, or anyone can make a career in Data Science?
I am more of computer/techno-savvy, or I am a mathematician, or I have not scored in science physics chemistry, biology I love to study Geography, Sociology, Psychology. Do I fit in?

These and many more queries are cropping up in young and experienced people. Along with the necessary knowledge what one can do to be data scientist, another question naturally crops up

Which college, university, the institution provides these courses
What are their levels in courses
Is the course done from well known private institute helpful and advisable?
What is the duration of these courses
Can one do courses in stages?

skills required to be a data scientist

Any graduate, computer engineer, science graduate, commerce graduate, or social science student can opt for data science if he/she has an interest in handling and analyzing the significant amount of information.

This is an office job, so anyone is having interest and patience to sit in front of computers for hours and analyze; the study could consider this profession.

As we know, a data scientist is utilized by more to understand, decipher existing information from a humongous quantum of data, being generated by multiple online and offline sources.

Data scientist’s role is not unidimensional, who is aware only about one stream of computers, mathematics, or social sciences. It is more of a multi-dimensional. One has to know some of all these and more. As along with organizing data, one also has to understand and explain its impact in specific social, organizational, or market situation. How and what impact it will have from various dimensions, i.e., Emerging populations growth data as it means there is a population explosion in countries like India and China, same time for countries like Japan. It will give different indications about the maturing population and the steps required to increase the birth rate.

Majority of people going for data science have essential degrees like

Many candidates are asking “what to study to become a data scientist” or “what to learn to become a data scientist,” for them

Graduation in Computer science, i.e., BCA, BCS, IT / Computer Engineering, etc
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) or any bachelor’s degree in Statistics
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Physics
Bachelor of Arts in Social science’s, i.e., Sociology, Psychology, Political science, Geography, etc
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) or any bachelor’s degree in Mathematics
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) or any bachelor’s degree in Applied math
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) or a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in Economics
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
Any Engineer

Various options available to study Data Science for a career

Universities/colleges offering professional degrees
Private reputed institutes offering specially designed programs
Companies recruiting fresh candidates and giving on the job customized training
Online courses chargeable according to level and enabling to clear recognized certifications
A self-study by available resources like books, youtube channels, and free online courses

1. Universities/colleges offering full-time degree courses

Many colleges universities in India are offering syllabus courses in data science from IIT’s to local engineering colleges. For people asking “how to become a data scientist in India” with best University Certification

Group A Institutes

Group B Institutes

IIT-IIM tri institute postgraduate program

Symbiosis Institutes MBA program in Data Science

ISB Hyderabad

NMIMS MBA program in Data Science

Undergraduate/postgraduate programs by

Engineering institutes and other undergraduate colleges offering data science courses like

Non-Engineering Colleges

Engineering Colleges / Universities

Fergusson College Pune

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)

St Xaviers College Mumbai

Bharathiar University

Chennai Mathematical Institute- M.Sc. Data Science

Manipal University – M.Sc. Data Science

St Joseph College Bangalore – M.Sc. Big Data Analytics

SRM University – M.Sc. Health Data Science

and many more

These graduations, post-graduation courses are available from Rs 60,000/- to Rs 15 Lac or more depending on institute reputation, course content, placement facilities, etc.

2. Private reputed institutes offering specially designed programs

Many reputed in multiple metros, and locally known institutes have sprung up Data Science Training for people asking “how to become a data scientist in India,” like

3RI Technologies
Jigsaw Academy
Analytixlabs
Simplilearn
IMS ProSchool
Edvancer
And many more

These private courses are available from Rs 30,000/- to Rs 1.5 Lac or more depending on institute reputation, course content, placement facilities, course duration, etc.

3. Multinational companies recruiting fresh candidates and giving on the job customized training

Due to limited talent, specialists available in the market that too with general information and not precisely meeting exact job profile many multinational IT groups have started their in-house on the job training centers. Where fresh graduates get training according to projects available with the organization enables them to give specific skillsets resulting in better timely output. Companies like Accenture, IBM, Cognizant, etc. are recruiting candidates this way

There are no fees charged by these companies, whereas there could be handsome Rs 3-8 Lac salary offered to selected candidates from day one. But there will be terms of the contract not to quite job in 3-5 years or paying hefty penalties in Rs 20-30 lacs in case of defaults.

4. Online courses For Data Science

Chargeable according to level and enabling to clear recognized certifications of prestigious universities or reputed Certification agencies. Various National and International Universities are offering online courses, explicitly designed for fresher’s, company executives. These are weekdays or weekend online training programs provide with interactive online sessions and printed and online study material. These courses range from 4 Months to 2 Years—single or dual certification. Many times alumnae status are provided so the student can print on visiting card or mention on social media.

These courses are available from Rs 60,000/- in some local brands to Rs 45 Lac or more depending on University/ institute reputation, course content, placement facilities, course duration, etc. American Universities like Harvard Business School, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Purdue University, and many more big brands from the US, Australia, UK, and across the globe are providing such courses.

5. Self-study

by available resources like books, youtube channels, and free online courses

Some many students/candidates ask the following questions

how to become a data scientist for free
how to become a data scientist from scratch
how to become a data scientist without a degree

There are many free online courses available on the net on youtube on free subscription sites. There, students can study at his / her time convenience and speed. One can get basic and advanced knowledge as many experts from fields are now creating their own Youtube channels and are posting training videos, thereby generating income for self. These videos are of good quality and informative. The only thing one has to go through hours of videos to understand what is right and what is not.

Also, this type of training is use full for people already on job, self-employed who do not need to show certificates. For people looking for certification, this program though use full in practice, will not be useful to show on a resume without certification.

Specialization fields and technical, mathematical knowledge requirements

As we have read above, data is available and getting generated in all known and unknown fields at speed, never known in history. And same as other professions, the data is also required to be analyzed for different requirements and with different objectives.

A multinational company may choose to analyze data from

the human resource point of view for its employees in lacs,
The product development department may want to understand emerging trends and requirements of customers to design and produce the product for exact specifications and maximum profits.
The marketing department will like to know the specific traits of prospective customers to create targeted promotional schemes and reach the customer with the least possible expenses and best results.
Insurance companies analyzing various existing and emerging threats, their impact on the insurance product, percentages, etc. and designing suitable products
The company operating in tourism field may study data for analyzing the latest fads and desired packages, benefiting from the timely launch

Universities might like to generate, analyze study data from the research perspective. They might collect data from various satellites, and research has done, events happening across the globe, analyzing future developments in various fields of science, geography, economics, social, cultural developments.

An economist would like to understand from data how Artificial Intelligence and new technical developments impacting growth and disturbance in various aspects of human life, how they can be better managed and beneficially utilized.

Governments across the globe who were constrained even to know who are beneficiary of Government schemes, now want to analyze all data available about every citizen. Understanding it from the perspective of social benefit transfers, law and order situations, crime control, population control/management, Defence

When we read this, we also understand there could be hundreds of thousands of multiple specializations, requiring specialized persons handling that specialized field.

It explains to us candidates can choose field according to their knowledge, intellect, and field of interest. And not necessarily only mathematical or coding field. Of course, solving problems with quantitative methods, experimenting with the analysis arrived at will be a necessary part.

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