Ask HN: Is a master in statistics worth it for Data Science?
I did an internship and some classes related to Data Science and it is a field I've grown to be quite interested in.
Currently I'm debating whether to pursue a Master's degree in statistics for data science or to enroll in a more practically oriented program.
I feel like my technical skills are more than sufficient for working in Data Science, and during my internship I felt like I needed more knowledge in statistics, of which my degree only had one or two classes. I also feel statistics and math are more difficult to self-learn than whatever tools or frameworks you end up needing on the job.
At the same time, I'm not sure if it makes more sense to pursue the practical-oriented master's degree, since I don't know how often you need to apply advanced statistical concepts in real life work, and perhaps I would be best served by having more experience with the current technologies.
What do you recommend?
Some notes for consideration: I live in Europe so arguments regarding the money investment are not so relevant since it would probably end up being free for me.
Also, the time investment would be just 1 year for both master's.