Why M.Sc. in Data Science?

The world is invested in data like never before. Each day petabytes of data gets generated, starting from Google's search engine to ISRO's weather satellite and Facebook posts to CCTV surveillance videos. All this data calls for analysis so that observations can be made and insights can be derived.

A regular M.Sc. in Statistics program does not teach the students to process large data sets with Python on Hadoop or Spark cluster. Nor does it prepare students to take advantage of the MapReduce programming paradigm to process large chunks of data.

On the other hand, a typical computer science program does not include statistical modeling as a significant part of their curriculum. Python modules like 'scikit learn' or different R-packages may enable a computer scientist to implement an ML algorithm but fine tuning the algorithm requires a deeper understanding of probability and statistics.

With growing demands for analysing data, the need for an interdisciplinary program that bridges these gaps has risen. The M.Sc. Data Science program aims to fulfil this need by training students in mathematics, statistics and computer science with a view towards building data analysis skills.

Objectives of the program

The main objective of this program is to prepare the students for intensive data analytics jobs in the industry, both in India and abroad. Our graduates have a deep understanding of mathematical and statistical concepts which enables them to read, understand and implement state-of-the-art methods.

Why is internship an integral part of the program?
The summer internship helps students get a real-life experience of working in a data analytics job. We have observed that seeing the theory at work helps students become more focused. It helps them identify what kind of industry they may want to work in and what to expect from such a job. We have also seen that it increases students' level of maturity and brings perspective. These are things that cannot happen in a classroom setting. Such an industry experience also helps students choose electives in the third and fourth semesters that are more aligned to their interests. CMI's placement committee actively helps the students acquire an industrial internship.
Going beyond Business Analytics

A typical postgraduate diploma program on Business Analytics (BA) focuses on how to solve business problems using data and standard statistical tools and techniques. On the other hand, data science focuses on the science and technology required to work with data. It is two different approaches. A young professional aspiring for the management ladder will find BA programs more suitable. However, if someone aspiring for the technical ladder will find our data science program more suitable.

Why should recruiters be interested?

CMI's all-India admission test ensures a group of talented pan Indian students. The placement activity offers recruiters access to a pool of very smart and well-trained human resource.

Our graduates have a solid grounding in mathematics, probability and statistics. They are comfortable with programming in Python and R as well as using various machine learning tools. They are well aware of architectures required to handle big data and the related programming paradigms. These are specialized skills and are becoming increasingly important for industries wanting to stay updated with emerging technologies.