studentstory

Albert Diaz

CU Data Science — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:01:48 +0000

Albert Diaz CU Data Science Tue, 04/29/2025 - 15:01

Can you tell us about your educational and work experience background before you enrolled in this program?
Before enrolling in this program, I had approximately 8 years of overall experience, with 6 of those years spent as an analytics translator in the financial sector. In this role, I acted as an intermediary between business areas and technical areas such as data science and machine learning. My primary objective was to ensure that analytical projects were implemented effectively and generated value for the organization.

What initially drew you to this program?

What initially drew me to this program was my desire to deepen my technical knowledge. Although I already had an MBA and considerable experience in project management, I felt that enhancing my technical skills would enable me to become a better analytics translator. This would allow me to provide more informed technical recommendations to my team on how to solve problems effectively.

Can you tell us how the MS-DS program fits into your life?

The MS-DS program fits into my life seamlessly due to its flexibility. This allows me to balance work, studies, and personal life effectively. It's my first time studying with this online methodology, and I have found it to be excellent.

What are your favorite parts of the program?

Without a doubt, my favorite parts of the program were the three courses in the statistics pathway. These were the first courses I took, and right from the start, I found them to be excellent. Although they were technically complex, the practical examples and exercises made everything much easier to understand.

What do you hope to do with your MS-DS degree?

With this new knowledge, I hope to have more opportunities to conduct comprehensive end-to-end consulting projects. Not only will I be able to define the problem and propose a solution, but I can now develop a model based on machine learning algorithms to solve the identified problem.

Would you recommend this program to others? Why or why not?

I would definitely recommend this program, but I believe it isn't for everyone. You need to be consistent to meet deadlines for all assignments and exams. Some people might find this a bit challenging, so other type of programs might be a better fit for their learning style.

What is one tip you have for students who are starting this program?

I have two tips for students starting this program. First, be fair in peer reviews give what you would like to receive. Second, take full advantage of all the resources provided by the program and the university, such as attending office hours, being part of Slack groups, using the Handshake platform, and more.

Is there a specific project you have worked on that stands out to you?

An interesting project I am currently working on involves developing an image classification model for Peruvian ceramics to determine the specific culture they belong to. This type of model can help archaeologists identify such discoveries much more quickly.

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:52:22 +0000

Garima Vardhan Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/09/2022 - 13:52

After receiving her Bachelors in Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering, current MS-DS Coursera student Garima Vardhan spent 11 years working in Product Lifecycle Management, before deciding to enroll in the program in May of 2021. Due to visa constraints, she has been unable to work in the US, but the program has allowed her to utilize this time to further her studies while balancing being a mom. Below, she shares insights into her experience and advice for prospective students.

Can you tell me how the MS-DS on Coursera program fits into your life?
Well, it fits perfectly in my life! I have the flexibility of time as there is no strict deadline for the courses. In some sessions I am fine doing not a single course at all. I can do things according to my pace, which is the best part. Idea is to gain knowledge rather than doing assignments just for grades. I have a 5-year-old at home, so it's definitely not easy to follow deadlines. Also, there is No one-time fees, we can pay as we go. I am sure a lot of students who are currently not working, must be having great relief with this option.

What are your favorite parts of the program?
As I already mentioned about the flexibility of time and payment of fees, on top of that, we all get to learn from our fellow students. We have separate channels on Slack for each course in MSDS and many discussion forums on Coursera which cover a wide range of technical topics, that helps a lot. In fact, I have not attended a single Office hour session in this program till date. Every time I posted my doubts on slack it was answered by some of our fellow students. Nonetheless, we all have to abide by the honor code so we can just give hints and not clearly state the answers. As a part of this program, we also get access to many other courses which are relevant to Data Science, which are available on “CU on Coursera”. That way we can brush up on many other topics side by side. I did some extra courses in R Programming and Python.

What do you hope to do with your MS-DS degree?
I hope to enter the vast field of Data Science after earning this MS degree. The knowledge and skills learned during this Master’s degree will be incredibly valuable in the upcoming job market. I am more interested in areas related to Deep Learning like Natural Language Processing and Speech Recognition.

Would you recommend this program to others?
Absolutely! I vouch for this all the time. Because I have seen many media reports on women being under-represented in the tech field. I think while striking a balance between the personal and professional life, they are busy representing themselves more somewhere else. They have more commitments so can hardly think of committing to a program which has strict deadlines. This will fit perfectly in their lives as well. Even people from non-science backgrounds can undertake this program. There are some basic courses on Linear Algebra and Calculus, once they finish them, they can start working on the core courses related to the Statistics and Data Structures pathway of this program.

What’s one tip you have for students who are starting this program?
This is an online program so the responsibility to do this genuinely lies with us, we must be 100% honest as far as honor code is concerned. Otherwise, we are not going to land anywhere with only a degree on paper and nothing in our head.

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Justin Goff

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:48:17 +0000

Justin Goff Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/09/2022 - 13:48

With a background in programming and data analytics, current Coursera student Justin Goff found himself wanting to learn more. He began looking into different programs, and was drawn to the CU MS-DS on Coursera program because not only would his company cover the majority of the cost, but the flexibility of the program allows him to balance work, his family, and getting his degree. Below, he shares insights into his experience and advice for prospective students.

When did you first enroll in the MS-DS program on the Coursera platform?
I first enrolled on 08/22/2022 for the Fall 1 session this year. I am taking the computer science pathway. I am currently in the Fall 2 session, taking the second course, Trees and Graphs.

Can you tell us about your educational and work experience background before you enrolled in this program?
I graduated from Appalachian State University in 2007 with dual BSBA degrees in Business Management & Computer Information Systems. Since then, I have owned and operated two different businesses for over ten years, worked at Lowes Corporate as a programmer, and am currently at Aeroflow Healthcare as a Senior eCommerce Solutions Architect and Senior Data Scientist.

What initially drew you to this program?
Throughout the last 15 years of experience, I have often found myself heavily involved with various Data Analytics, Engineering, and Architect related tasks. This all came to a head while I was architecting and coding for a massive data migration at Aeroflow Healthcare a few years ago. It was so successful that Aeroflow promoted me to focus more exclusively on Data Science related Architecture and coding projects at Aeroflow.

However, it quickly became apparent how much I needed to learn. While there are many areas of data science I have a lot of experience with, there are many other areas I have little to no experience.
I initially looked to remedy this with select certificate courses on Coursera. However, as my interest in learning more subjects grew, I estimated that the list I organized for myself would take 3 to 4 years. At this point, I wondered if an official Master's in Data Science would cover the same areas for a similar period. In most programs I looked into, I found that was the case.

The more I researched the master's programs, the more I felt that it would be a more significant benefit to get official graduate credit for my courses instead of stacking a long list of certificates that don't carry as much official weight. I narrowed my search to the MADS program at the University of Michigan and the MS-DS program at ��ϳԹ�. The more manageable cost and elective flexibility of the MS-DS at ��ϳԹ� were the catalysts that made me ultimately choose it. I am interested in learning more about the Data Engineer, Architect, and Machine Learning side of the field. So I loved that there were so many options to specialize in these areas with core and elective classes. I took the recommendation to take some Python and Math refresher prerequisites courses before starting. I did those courses for about six months on Coursera, then started the MS-DS program officially during the Fall 1 session this year, 2022.

Can you tell me how the MS-DS on Coursera program fits into your life?
In a nutshell, the flexibility, affordability, and organization are my favorite parts of the program. I love how easy and manageable it is to mold the experience to my busy schedule. While at the same time, it's challenging enough to push me to learn effectively. The way the courses are organized, where you can accomplish daily bite-sized goals, helps with motivation and the ability to stay on track. Adding this extra work to my already busy schedule is hard, but not having to worry about the overall direction of my learning like I would if self-taught is enormously helpful. I am interested in learning more about the Data Engineer, Architect, and Machine Learning side of the field. So I loved that there were so many options to specialize in these areas with core and elective classes. Finally, the total degree cost of 20k was reasonable. It will likely take me about four years to complete, and my employer has agreed to pay up to 5k a year, which would cover almost the whole degree.

Is there a specific project you have worked on that stands out to you?
I have a love-hate relationship with the end-of-week python assignments. In many cases, they have been very hard for me and have taken me longer than I would like. However, this extra pressure helps me retain the information and learn different ways to solve problems that will help me later in my degree and career. This pressure reminds me of how it is at my job and past jobs. The pressure is often where you learn the most and grow. No pain, no gain, as they say!

What do you hope to do with your MS-DS degree?
I hope to fill in the gaps in data science knowledge I cannot get in my daily work. Data Science is a large field, and it's impossible to work in all areas. This degree will help me be fresh and exposed to those topics I lack exposure to at work.

Would you recommend this program to others?
Yes!

What’s one tip you have for students who are starting this program?
If you think you need the prerequisite courses, then you probably do. Don't rush things. You can take your time with the prerequisite refreshers before starting. It will pay off in the long run!

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John McKay

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:44:47 +0000

John McKay Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/09/2022 - 13:44

Whether he’s living off-grid, running a tugboat, or traveling the world, current Coursera student John McKay chose the ��ϳԹ� MS-DS On Coursera program because it allowed him to earn his degree from anywhere. Whether he is analyzing forecasted surf conditions to learning about the environment through data, the program allows him to combine a variety of his interests. Most recently, he has been working on a data mining project looking at the movement of the front lines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Below, he shares his experience and advice for prospective students.

When did you first enroll in the MS-DS program on the Coursera platform?
I enrolled in the first session available, I believe May 2021.

Can you tell us about your educational and work experience background before you enrolled in this program?
I studied physics and astronomy at a Canadian university. I worked with several nuclear physics research groups, where I did both computational modeling (theory) and experimental nuclear physics.

What initially drew you to this program?
I moved to a very remote community during the pandemic, far from any university where I could study. I wanted to be able to pursue a master's degree while still living in an environment where I could take advantage of the access to the wild parts of the country I love so much. The ��ϳԹ� MSDS program allows me to study anywhere, whether I'm at an off-grid cabin, a ship at sea or traveling the world.

Can you tell me how the MS-DS on Coursera program fits into your life?
It's the same answer as the previous question, really. I work part-time as the skipper of a tugboat in very remote parts of the country. The MS-DS program lets me work on the boat during the day, and then do my studies in the evening.

What are your favorite parts of the program?
I really have enjoyed the project-based parts of the courses, like the tool I developed in DTSA 5304 which visualized the forecast surf conditions for a business in my town.

What do you hope to do with your MS-DS degree?
I would like to collaborate with non-profits and research organizations. I have wide ranging interests, including environmental projects here on the west coast of Canada; data journalism, especially conflict journalism (e.g. Ukraine, Afghanistan, etc); and motorsport (race strategy, etc).

Would you recommend this program to others?
I think that the program is great for people that are highly self-disciplined and independent.

What’s one tip you have for students who are starting this program?
Get involved in the Slack group! It's nice to get to know some students in your cohort and they will almost certainly have similar questions to you!

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