A Student’s Perspective: Why Data Science at NYU?
Fortune Education recently released an article asking the question, “Who should pursue a master’s degree in data science?” The article featured Arthur Spirling, CDS Deputy Director, and my professor for the undergraduate introductory data science course here at NYU.
In the article, he talked about the essence of data science and how NYU has handled its approach to teaching it. Specifically, what stood out to me most was when he introduced the program: “At NYU, we have a very rigorous approach to data science, and so you have to be ready to work hard in your master’s… it’s a serious, graduate-level undertaking, and in that sense, many of our courses are closer to PhD level than they are to undergraduate level.”
For the last two years, I’ve worked closely with the Center for Data Science, and I can attest to the level of rigor and support that the center offers. Although the undergraduate program started recently, my experience has been amazing. Coming into data science, I didn’t have a strong technical background. However, with CDS’ faculty and advisor support, I’ve had the opportunity to grow into the most successful version of myself.
I appreciate that CDS offers a wide variety of classes that cover industry-standard topics such as natural language processing and computational cognitive modeling. Even the first few courses in the major/minor sequence of the undergrad program cover a highly comprehensive understanding of data science; several students successfully passed technical interviews and received job offers as data scientists having only taken the introductory courses (myself included).
The graduate program is renowned for its incredibly accomplished students, faculty, and alumni. Several of our previous posts detail the fantastic work of our community, including Sreyas Mohan and his work on video denoising and Mustafa Yildirim with his work with social media. The research under CDS has a tremendous global impact, which feels rare to find in academia.
I think what’s most unique about CDS is that the courses go beyond teaching theory — they also focus on applying the knowledge learned. Classes are focused on building your portfolio, which helps you gain valuable feedback and build your resume as a data scientist.
Ultimately, data science at NYU is an incredible experience, and if you’re interested in pursuing a degree or seeing what CDS has to offer, take a look at the following resources:
- Center for Data Science Website
- Undergraduate Program
- Masters Program, Fortune Education Article with Arthur Spirling
- PhD Program
Written by Keerthana Manivasakan
