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New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

ischool.berkeley.edu

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Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#31

Post by stfu »

frozenport wrote: post #7
bsg75 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Professional" degrees seem to be the new thing in Uni-marketing. The assumption appears to be it would be corporate sponsored, thus "cost does not matter". They may need better data science behind their marketing.

Perhaps if I am the CEO of some wealthy company, claiming I got a masters from Berkeley in a hip field might be worth 60,000.

Then you would most likely try emphasizing your managerial side with a more business type degree. They would need to slap at least some "data driven leadership" label on it. The name (and mode of delivery) makes it sound like a fairly poor choice for rubbing shoulders with other c-level types - something that is certainly a main decision point for executive masters.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#32

Post by mililani »

lynchdt wrote: post #6

>> The program will cost $60,000, which school officials >> said compares favorably with other professional degree >> programs. Entry-level data scientists in the San >> Francisco area can command salaries in the $110,000 to >> $130,000 range. $60,000 is laughable. The justification based on salaries in California is laughable. Unless a relocation package to California from anywhere there is internet is included in t…

Nurses in the SF Bay Area make that much out of a 2 yr college that costs less than $3k. Hell, a LOT of people make that in the SF Bay Area without pursuing $60k educations. Not everyone should or want to be a nurse, but when you put things like that into perspective, it makes one wonder if the costs justifies the pursuit.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#33

Post by JPKab »

geebee wrote: post #23
pvnick wrote: post #2

While this program seems interesting, valuable, and a step in the right direction, the minute I read the $60,000 price tag I nearly choked on my gum and quickly pressed the back button. Coursera classes for me at least in the near future, hopefully within the next few years these degree programs will scale a little better and costs will plummet.

It sounds like a great degree program, and I'm encouraged to see it go on-line, but the $60K price tag seems over the top to me. Didn't Georgia Tech just announce an online MS for $7,000? I'm just not sure this makes sense. While tuition has gone way up at Berkeley, most science and engineering degrees are considered academic, rather than professional degrees, so the fees are considerably lower. http://registrar.berk…

You are being incredibly nice and understanding, and you shouldn't be. $60k for an online class is just plain robbery. I'm sick and tired of this bullshit that higher education has been ramming down our collective throats courtesy of a system in which easily available, seemingly infinite credit on the part of the students allows colleges to continuously seek out new revenue by burdening students with ever increasing debt.

Its funny to me that state schools, including Berkeley, used to have reasonable tuition up until the early 1980's, until the baby boomer voters in each respective state demanded lower taxes and the politicians obliged by cutting state tuition assistance year after year. When the state paid 90% of a student's tuition, the colleges didn't have the option of constantly jacking their price up. Suddenly, when it was student debt paying the bills, the colleges stopped doing anything to cut the bloat.

Thank you Berkeley for again reminding me what a scam the academic institutions have become.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#34

Post by rayiner »

geebee wrote: post #23
pvnick wrote: post #2

While this program seems interesting, valuable, and a step in the right direction, the minute I read the $60,000 price tag I nearly choked on my gum and quickly pressed the back button. Coursera classes for me at least in the near future, hopefully within the next few years these degree programs will scale a little better and costs will plummet.

It sounds like a great degree program, and I'm encouraged to see it go on-line, but the $60K price tag seems over the top to me. Didn't Georgia Tech just announce an online MS for $7,000? I'm just not sure this makes sense. While tuition has gone way up at Berkeley, most science and engineering degrees are considered academic, rather than professional degrees, so the fees are considerably lower. http://registrar.berk…

> How much would it be worth it to get to say your degree was officially from Harvard and now qualify for the bar, even if all you did was quietly watch the videos and do the homework?

I think you make a crucial point. Even if you were eligible in both situations to sit for the bar (say by virtue of California's looser education requirements), the Harvard name would be worth a heck of a lot more than $60k, at least assuming you were curved against other Harvard students in your examinations. The value of a law degree, at least in many circles of the legal profession, is 50% name brand, 40% sorting within the class, and maybe 10% education.

A few fields take this trait of education to a counterproductive extent (banking, consulting, law), but I think the unfortunate truth is that for most fields, the value of a degree is more than 50% in branding and sorting, rather than education. Even in engineering, outside some progressive places, I wouldn't put it much below 50%.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#35

Post by geebee »

geebee wrote: post #23
pvnick wrote: post #2

While this program seems interesting, valuable, and a step in the right direction, the minute I read the $60,000 price tag I nearly choked on my gum and quickly pressed the back button. Coursera classes for me at least in the near future, hopefully within the next few years these degree programs will scale a little better and costs will plummet.

It sounds like a great degree program, and I'm encouraged to see it go on-line, but the $60K price tag seems over the top to me. Didn't Georgia Tech just announce an online MS for $7,000? I'm just not sure this makes sense. While tuition has gone way up at Berkeley, most science and engineering degrees are considered academic, rather than professional degrees, so the fees are considerably lower. http://registrar.berk…

Looks like I can't edit... but I shouldn't have said that academic fees are "less than half" the professional fees. That's true, but doesn't indicate just how much lower academic fees are. Total in-state tuition and fees for an academic graduate program is just under $16,000.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#36

Post by achompas »

727374 wrote: post #11

Alternatively: 1. Take Coursera's excellent Intro to Data Science for free 2. Spend time doing Kaggle competitions and learning along the way 3. Profit

This is a recipe to get very good at basic analysis. It won't prepare you for the day-to-day responsibilities of a data scientist, though.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#37

Post by joncooper »

achompas wrote: post #27
djvv wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You would be surprised how many people in the field have never heard of Kaggle.

Or how many in the field are extremely skeptical of any lessons an aspiring analyst could learn from it.

It seems that you know something about the field.

Perhaps rather than offering snappy responses with negative tones, you could offer something constructive to the discussion?

Say, what you think the skills required for day-to-day work as a data scientist are, and how you'd suggest someone develop them.

Perhaps also what you think the best approach is to credentialing your learning--grooming a pedigree--if neither Kaggle nor a degree program are good approaches.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#38

Post by swalsh »

rayiner wrote: post #34
geebee wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like a great degree program, and I'm encouraged to see it go on-line, but the $60K price tag seems over the top to me. Didn't Georgia Tech just announce an online MS for $7,000? I'm just not sure this makes sense. While tuition has gone way up at Berkeley, most science and engineering degrees are considered academic, rather than professional degrees, so the fees are considerably lower. http://registrar.berk…

> How much would it be worth it to get to say your degree was officially from Harvard and now qualify for the bar, even if all you did was quietly watch the videos and do the homework? I think you make a crucial point. Even if you were eligible in both situations to sit for the bar (say by virtue of California's looser education requirements), the Harvard name would be worth a heck of a lot more than $60k, at least a…

Still less than 60k. Unless it has the same bar the Harvard of today has, its not the same brand.

Part of the thing with Harvard, is getting in is so hard that if i'm interviewing a candidate half the job is already done. But if anyone is allowed into the program (and why not?) then that filter is gone... so the name while still having value as a great program loses the value as a filter.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#39

Post by anigbrowl »

bsg75 wrote: post #3
pvnick wrote: post #2

While this program seems interesting, valuable, and a step in the right direction, the minute I read the $60,000 price tag I nearly choked on my gum and quickly pressed the back button. Coursera classes for me at least in the near future, hopefully within the next few years these degree programs will scale a little better and costs will plummet.

"Professional" degrees seem to be the new thing in Uni-marketing. The assumption appears to be it would be corporate sponsored, thus "cost does not matter". They may need better data science behind their marketing.

Narenl's comment is invisible due to a hellban. I don't agree with the comment, but it bears scrutiny.

narenl 5 hours ago | link [dead]

IMO This is not targeted towards individuals applying on their own.

I went to a walkabout of a similar online education company's office and asked them about the high cost for an online degree. The answer I received was

1. there is demand for this and

2. Most of the demand comes from people in the military serving in remote locations or people working inside other large organizations which foot the cost. and

3. They provide online infrastructure to courses of schools like UC-B, UNC etc and the colleges set the price so as not to dilute their "brand" because the online degree does not mention the fact that the degree was obtained online (this could have changed).

All in all, my initial shock was a bit tempered after hearing the realities involving all 3 parties : the school, the student and the online enabler.

Re: New online master's degree to train the data scientists of tomorrow

#40

Post by rayiner »

swalsh wrote: post #38
rayiner wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How much would it be worth it to get to say your degree was officially from Harvard and now qualify for the bar, even if all you did was quietly watch the videos and do the homework? I think you make a crucial point. Even if you were eligible in both situations to sit for the bar (say by virtue of California's looser education requirements), the Harvard name would be worth a heck of a lot more than $60k, at least a…

Still less than 60k. Unless it has the same bar the Harvard of today has, its not the same brand. Part of the thing with Harvard, is getting in is so hard that if i'm interviewing a candidate half the job is already done. But if anyone is allowed into the program (and why not?) then that filter is gone... so the name while still having value as a great program loses the value as a filter.

I'm assuming the online nature doesn't change the admissions standards. That's 90% of the point of going to Harvard.
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