{"id":1558,"date":"2022-10-14T09:33:40","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T13:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?p=1558"},"modified":"2025-01-06T14:22:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T19:22:15","slug":"masters-in-data-science-vs-data-analytics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/masters-in-data-science-vs-data-analytics\/","title":{"rendered":"Master\u2019s in Data Science vs. Data Analytics: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Information is the currency of contemporary businesses. With modern technology, these businesses rely on IT professionals to collect, store, and analyze this information in a meaningful way, in order to improve business models and revenues.<\/p>\n
Data analysts and data scientists work within businesses to effectively analyze data. However, the main difference lies in what they do with it.<\/p>\n
If you are interested in a career that is centered around data analysis, strategy and statistics, then pursuing a Master\u2019s in Data Science or a Master\u2019s in Data Analytics could be for you. The question is, what is the difference between these two degree paths? And which one should you choose to study?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s explore the differences together. We\u2019ll first uncover the responsibilities of data analysts and data scientists, and further the benefits of pursuing each master\u2019s degree path.<\/p>\n
Data analysts examine and organize large data sets to identify trends, develop charts, and create visual presentations to help businesses make more strategic decisions.<\/p>\n
Data analysts spend a large amount of time searching data for useful insights and trends in order to communicate what they\u2019ve learned to company stakeholders and their recommendations for improvement.<\/p>\n
These recommendations aid businesses to address problems in their industry, identify missed opportunities for growth, and develop data-driven business plans.<\/p>\n
Data analysts utilize data to draw meaningful insights and solve problems like:<\/p>\n
Data analysts typically have backgrounds in mathematics and statistics. They often choose to pursue an advanced degree, such as a Data Analytics master\u2019s degree<\/a> in order to advance their careers.<\/p>\n The best data analysts<\/a> have both technical expertise and the ability to communicate quantitative findings to non-technical co-workers or clients.<\/p>\n A data analyst also has the following skills:<\/p>\n In contrast, data scientists design and construct new processes for data modeling and production using prototypes, algorithms, predictive models and custom analysis. A data scientist\u2019s primary job is to collect data. They are often more involved in programming machines and optimizing systems.<\/p>\n Additionally, data scientists spend their time improving the effectiveness and efficiency of programs that collect and analyze data. They estimate the unknown by:<\/p>\n Unlike data analysts, data scientists are heavy coders and can arrange undefined sets of data using multiple tools at the same time while also building their own automation systems and frameworks.<\/p>\n Data scientists have strong backgrounds in computer programming, machine learning, data mining, and deep learning. Individuals who pursue a master\u2019s in data science are often responsible for the machines that store and interpret information.<\/p>\n A data scientist has mathematical and statistical knowledge, hacking skills, and substantive expertise. Like data analysts, many data scientists pursue a master\u2019s degree in Data Science.<\/p>\n They also have knowledge and skills<\/a> in:<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve explored the difference between a data analyst and a data scientist, we can discuss the thriving career paths for each profession.<\/p>\n Data analysts work in a variety of fields and can have many different titles, including:<\/p>\n Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that companies will create over 30,000 new data analyst jobs<\/strong><\/em> by the year 2026. Individuals interested in a Master\u2019s in Data Analytics can also leverage their value and opportunity to achieve the median pay of $81,390 per year.<\/p>\n Like data analysts, data scientists also work in many different fields and titles, such as:<\/p>\n According to the BLS, computer and information research scientists enjoy a median salary of $114,520 and the data scientists career path is in the midst of a growth trend. The BLS anticipates a 19% increase in data science jobs from 2016 to 2026.<\/p>\n No matter which career path you choose, at some point you will likely consider one of two advanced degrees: A Master of Science (MS) in Data Science or a Master\u2019s in Data Analytics.<\/p>\n While both degree programs offer potential paths to working with data in powerful ways, each program presents its own focus and opportunities.<\/p>\n If you want to learn how to take complex datasets and use them to identify trends, share information, make decisions and recommendations, and predict outcomes, then enrolling in a Data Analytics master\u2019s program would be the right choice.<\/p>\n On the other hand, if you want your advanced degree to have strong emphasis on computer programming, coding, cloud computing, and machine learning, then a Master\u2019s in Data Science online, or in person, would be more beneficial.<\/p>\n However, be sure to interview prospective programs for further information. Different institutions offer varying program names, and it\u2019s possible that a Data Analytics degree could effectively position you for a career in Data Science (or vice versa). Talk with your school to understand potential career options<\/a> with either degree in hand.<\/p>\n No matter which master\u2019s program you choose, make sure\u2014along with educational requirements\u2014you also consider your\u2026<\/p>\n Data analyst and data scientist are both highly coveted titles in today\u2019s job market, especially with businesses\u2019 desire to make sense of \u2013 and capitalize on \u2013 their data.<\/p>\n Now that you know the difference between the two, you can identify whether pursuing a Master\u2019s in Data Analytics or a Master\u2019s program in Data Science is the best choice for you based on your interests and goals.<\/p>\n Both the STEM-designated Analytics MS degree<\/a> and our online Analytics MS degree program<\/a> at UB were designed by faculty who are industry professionals and experts in the field. Click here<\/a> to learn more!<\/strong><\/em> Data analysts and data scientists both focus on analyzing data. Find out the difference between a Master\u2019s in Data Science and Master\u2019s in Data Analytics? Continue reading Master\u2019s in Data Science vs. Data Analytics: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":1561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[62,135,93],"class_list":{"0":"post-1558","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-engineering-business-education","8":"tag-data-analytics","9":"tag-ernest-c-trefz-school-of-business","10":"tag-masters-degrees","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"yoast_head":"\n\n
What Does a Data Scientist Do?<\/h2>\n
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Data Scientists\u2019 Characteristics and Skills<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Data Analyst Career Paths<\/h2>\n
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Data Scientist Career Paths<\/h2>\n
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Data Analyst vs. Data Scientist<\/h2>\n
Choosing the Right Career for You<\/h2>\n
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