In a previous post, I told you the plan was to go back for a Data Science Master's. So, let's chat about this a bit.

As I told you, I'm fairly amateur in the AI space. I've tinkered with it a bit, but I don't have a deep understanding of it. And to complicate things even more, beyond the fact that I'm a noob in this space, there's also the problem that world of AI is very new and still developing and being defined. This means that degrees fields, job titles and career paths are being blazed as we speak.

So anyway, in my research in late 2023, prior to applying to grad school, I had to figure out the difference between two different degrees: an MS in Data Science and an MS in Artificial Intelligence.

I think the following two paragraphs are a pretty good overview as I understand it today:

MSDS:

Data science is a broader field that encompasses various techniques and methods for extracting insights and knowledge from data. Students in an MSDS program may learn a wide range of tools and techniques applicable to various domains such as business, healthcare, finance, and social sciences.

MSAI:

Artificial intelligence is a subset of computer science focused on creating systems that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. MSAI programs may delve deeper into the theoretical foundations of AI algorithms and models, as well as their practical applications in fields like autonomous systems, computer vision, and natural language processing.

Fun Fact: The explanation above came verbatim from ChatGPT. 😋

OK, so I'm not really sure at this point which of those two most aligns with where I want to end up. But, umm, that's made a little tougher since I don't really have a clue where it I want to end up to anyway. So then, how the fuck do I select between the two? Well, my decision to go for the Data Science degree was reached based on a few thoughts:

First, if the MSAI is a subset of the MSDS. I'd expect that with the Data Science degree I could apply for AI jobs, while the reverse may not necessarily be true. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my guess.

Second, since I'm still not sure where I want to fit within the world of AI, I figured getting the broader degree will hopefully give me more options.

Lastly, I don't think it really matters. From my understanding of the current state of the industry, everything is too new and there's too much growth in too many directions for it to matter that much. In fact, when I was looking into things last year, I got a reasonable amount of feedback telling me I didn't even need a degree since I'm already in tech (not getting a degree at all may be worth its own post actually).

So, although I'm genuinely not sure, it feels like going for the Master's in Data Science is the right answer. But WTF do I know, right? I guess we'll find out together...