A master鈥檚 in data analytics can prepare you for a new career or make you a more competitive candidate in one you鈥檝e already started. Learn more about this potentially impactful degree today.
A master鈥檚 in data analytics prepares degree holders for a career within the field of data analytics, whether they're an established professional or someone looking to start a new career. As a result, a Master's of Science (MS) in Data Analytics programme can cover introductory to advanced courses, providing an opportunity for course takers to learn new skills or deepen old ones.
Read on to learn more about master鈥檚 degrees in data analytics, whether you should consider pursuing one, and the different types of degrees available to you.听
A master's degree in data analytics is typically designed either for individuals who are looking to enter the field through a career shift or who want to advance their current career by attaining a higher educational qualification. In effect, a master's degree in data analytics can either supplement undergraduate work in the field or provide groundwork for a career shift for those who have studied another discipline.
A master鈥檚 degree shares many similarities with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in data analytics. But, some key differences exist that degree seekers should keep in mind.
Generally, both a master鈥檚 degree and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in data analytics will cover much of the same material, such as data analysis, computer science, and statistics. However, some master's programmes may cover these topics in greater depth than what you would encounter in an undergraduate course of study.
But, while the programmes might cover much of the same material, they usually do so within very different timelines. For example, while a bachelor's degree usually takes four or more years to complete, a master's degree can take two years to complete, depending on the programme, your course load, and whether you're a full- or part-time student. In order to enrol in a master's programme, though, you'll already need to have a bachelor's degree.
The exact curriculum that you鈥檒l follow as a graduate student in data analytics will vary from programme to programme, but you can expect to take courses in common topics such as data analysis, statistics, computer science, and machine learning.听
To help you better understand what you can expect from a master鈥檚 programme, this example curriculum is from the Christ University programme []:
Courses on topics such as computer science, statistics, and statistics electives. Required courses include:
Principles of Data Analytics
Statistical Methods using R
Python for Data Analytics
Mathematical Foundation for Data Analytics
Database Technologies
Data mining
Machine Learning
Natural Language Processing
Data visualisation
Depending on your own goals, resources, and background, an MS in data analytics could be well worth the effort. Or, it could be an unnecessary detour. Typically, a master鈥檚 is well-suited to individuals who don鈥檛 already possess a bachelor鈥檚 degree in data analytics or who wish to continue studying data analytics from an academic perspective. Individuals who previously received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a related field like statistics or computer science, might consider obtaining a master鈥檚 in data analytics in order to gain a deeper understanding of the field and to market their skill set to potential employers.听
According to research conducted by 365 Data Science, the percentages of data scientists with a bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, or doctoral degree are as follows []:
Bachelor鈥檚 degree: 34 percent
Master鈥檚 degree: 50 percent聽
Doctoral or professional degree: 6 percent
This educational breakdown suggests that a bachelor鈥檚 degree could be sufficient for job seekers to land a role. However, a master鈥檚 could positively highlight your skills and abilities to employers, making you a more competitive applicant overall. In some cases, an employer may even explicitly require a master鈥檚 degree for senior positions.听
Data scientists make above the average salary, with an average of 鈧13,00,000 annually []. A master鈥檚 degree in data analytics or a related profession could have a positive impact on your earning potential.
A variety of jobs exist that a degree in data analytics can prepare you for. While some of these jobs can be attained with a data analytics bachelor鈥檚 degree, more senior roles may require an advanced degree, such as a master鈥檚 degree.听
Some of the positions you might consider pursuing with a master鈥檚 in data analytics, along with annual salary averages from Glassdoor, include:聽
Data analyst: 鈧6,50,000听
Business analyst: 鈧8,00,000听
Data scientist: 鈧14,00,000听
Statistician: 鈧4,13,000听
Business systems analyst: 鈧10,00,000
Business intelligence analyst: 鈧7,45,000
Just as you may have numerous reasons to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in data analytics, you also have a wide range of different types of master's degrees that you can pursue. If you鈥檙e considering a future as a graduate student, you鈥檒l want to consider these three types of programmes before applying:
An in-person master鈥檚 degree is a programme in which you attend classes alongside your peers in a real-world classroom. As a result, this option provides a more traditional university experience, which includes more face-to-face time with your peers and instructors, often allowing you to have more direct guidance and networking opportunities. However, in-person degrees often cost more and are more rigidly structured than other programme types.听
Online master鈥檚 programmes are becoming increasingly popular due to the flexibility they provide course takers and their often lower cost of attendance. While some programmes may follow traditional application timelines, others might have more relaxed admissions requirements that allow applicants to apply on a rolling basis. However, while these programmes usually provide more flexible schedules and cost less, there may be less opportunity for networking and mentorship than more traditional options.听
A hybrid graduate programme pairs elements of in-person and online programmes to provide a greater degree of flexibility in completing course material while also allowing for more networking opportunities. Depending on your circumstances and personal objectives, a programme of this nature could either offer the best of both worlds, or be a more compromised version of your ideal programme that doesn鈥檛 fit your needs.听
A master鈥檚 degree in data analytics is an effective way to further develop your skills and position yourself for more advanced roles in the data analytics field. If you're considering a career in data analytics, you might consider taking an online specialisation through 糖心vlog官网观看 to learn more.听
The University of Michigan鈥檚 Data Analytics in the Public Sector with R Specialization equips learners with fundamental technical skills using the R programming language to gather, manipulate, analyse, visualise, and interpret data to inform public policy and public administrative functions.
Macquarie University's Excel Skills for Data Analytics and Visualization Specialization teaches course takers how to bring data to life using advanced Excel functions, creative visualisations, and powerful automation features.听
Christ University. 鈥, https://christuniversity.in/m/computer-science/msc-data-analytics.鈥 Accessed 23 May 2025.听
365 Data Science. 鈥, https://365datascience.com/career-advice/career-guides/data-scientist-india/.鈥 Accessed 23 May 2025.
Naukri. 鈥, https://www.naukri.com/blog/how-to-become-a-data-scientist/.鈥 Accessed 23 May 2025.听
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.