What does a Data Scientist Do?

As data science progresses from the tasks of doing analytics and statistics to enabling businesses to arrive at effective decision-making, data science has majorly become indispensable in today's era. Data Scientists have grown to be one of the highly sophisticated and popular professions with swelling demands from across industries.

A data scientist, as it has come to evolve, is a professional expert who examines data, extracts valuable insights from the data and interprets the information in a meaningful and comprehensible way to the organization. The data science field is projected to grow even further with demands of data scientists expanding increasingly. A master of science in data science is one of the ideal degrees and professional study programs to acquire in-depth training and prepare for the competitive job market.

Completing a Master of Science in Data Science will prepare you for one of the most relevant, expansive range of job opportunities and duties across today's tech-driven world. In this blog today, we will explore data scientists' roles and responsibilities and also discover the best methods and steps to accumulate the relevant skill sets through an MS in Data Science.

Roles and Duties of a Data Scientist

The roles and duties of a data scientist are exciting and equally challenging. A data scientist leverages his/her expertise by blending computer science, statistics and mathematics and analyses large data sets to draw insightful information from them. They employ a multidisciplinary approach to make sense of the colossal amounts of data and generate forecasting recommendations for the companies. A data scientist will use mathematical, statistical, and computer science expertise to analyse data.

While the relevance of a data scientist's expertise is felt across varied industries, each industry demands different sets of duties, and their general duty mainly revolves around data analysis. Let us list out a few of the general roles and responsibilities that Data Scientists perform across industries.

To work in close collaboration with businesses to discover business issues and leverage insights drawn from data to come to an intelligent and informed decision

Employ Statistical and Machine learning tools to develop efficient solutions to complexities

Proffer excellent communication with team members, collaborators and other stakeholders verbally and in writing to help others comprehend the business issues and needs

Generate compelling stories and clear reports through effective data visualization on business insights

Evaluate data sources and data acquisition techniques, assess their effectiveness and develop enhanced methods of collecting data

To be able to work as a data scientist, undergoing rigorous training and education is mandatory. A Master of science in data science is one of the most appropriate degree programs to break into a data scientist career. Through a well-formulated MS in data science program, aspirants get to learn the fundamental skills and talents to perform the role of a data scientist. Let us explore the core skills that are mandatory for a data scientist position.

Arithmetic and Statistical Skills

Having a mathematical prowess is essential for a data scientist, particularly in the areas of Calculus, Algorithms, and Statistics. Data scientists are expected to be well-versed in statistics and probability. Data Scientists use machine learning which mandates the knowledge of statistical analysis, linear regression, etc. As a data scientist, you are required to gather, organize, interpret and present the data and information in a completely comprehensible manner. Hence, mastery of statistical concepts is essential.

Programming Skills

Having programming skills is essential to perform the tasks of a data scientist like sorting, analyzing, and managing huge amounts of data. Programming languages like R and Python are essential for interacting with machines and harnessing the benefits of highly sophisticated computerized machines.

Critical and Methodological

Data Scientists are required to make intelligent judgements by analyzing facts and data available to them. It is crucial for them to form unbiased and accurate decisions which is why critical analysis and thinking process is a must.

Data Visualization

Data Scientists are required to present the data and information using visualization tools like Tableau, PowerBi, Microsoft Excel, etc. This enables presenting the work of a data scientist in a comprehensible manner to the stakeholders and other collaborators involved in a project.

Data Wrangling

As a data scientist, having mastery over the whole data life cycle is crucial. From the process of gathering data to analyzing to drawing insights, these skills are extensively imparted in an MS in data science degree program.

Those are a few of the major skills that are ideally imparted in a Master of Science in Data Science degree program.