One of my kids is wrestling a bit with mastering the data science required in her graduate school program. There’s clearly a learning curve to “getting” it down–and she is clearly not alone.
That’s why I’m sharing Jeff Selingo’s post from his Next blog. He stresses that “data science is the table-stakes skill for many jobs.
The need for employees with data science skills has proliferated—and well beyond the tech industry, I found in research for a new paper, “Building Data Talent for the Decade Ahead.” Retailers, airlines, government agencies, entertainment companies, and sports teams, among many other sectors of the economy, need employees who can analyze data as part of their job.
Not only were there 50,000-plus job postings for data scientists in the U.S. alone last year, but there were also an additional 1.2 million jobs across 81 occupations requiring skills in data analytics.
Sure, it's great that the University of California at Berkeley created the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society—it’s the first new college at the university in more than 50 years. But what is really needed is the democratization of data analytics education across the curriculum if we hope to instill such skills in those majoring in English or biology or history.
In a seminal report released in 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine said a key goal of a college education should be “to give all students the ability to make good judgments, use tools responsibly and effectively, and ultimately make good decisions using data.”
Students are already voting with their feet. The reason Berkeley created its new college is because of demand: 13% of its undergraduates took an intro to data science course last year.”
The fast-moving job market for analytics and the demand among an increasingly diverse set of learners and employers for data skills has higher education and individual learners alike feeling overwhelmed and struggling to keep up.
Data science is the new foreign language it may be most hepful to learn.
Sharing info from four more enlightening college visits!
Ohio State University, receiving over 76K applications in 2023, remains as popular as ever. Interesting fact: you apply to the college, not to a program.The huge campus is broken down by major: students select where to live on campus with regard to section or 16 themed residential scholars programs. Interdisciplinary between major or interest! Bustling campus features food delivery robots.
University of Dayton offers direct admit engineering. High retention rate; honors program, First year exploratory within engineering. Minimum pre-calc, physics, chemistry. Engineers should graduate with as many as five internships/co-ops and full resumes. Fisher Enterprises is a student-run business worth 2.5 million. D1 sports for a fun atmosphere on the beautiful campus.
Miami University of Oxford’s motto is Love and Honor. Every student is considered for merit based awards; Non-Ohio average award is 5-15K. Scholarships increase every year. Apply by 12/1. Average starting salary $61K across all majors. Long called a “Public Ivy,” the bucolic campus looks like it belongs at an elite private university. Great co-op opportunities for business students and others.
University of Cincinnati is co-op central! UC invented co-ops: students do something different each rotation. City has Fortune 500 companies; top 20 city for new college grads; top 25 for young professionals. Scholarships anywhere from $1500-$6,000 per year. Tuition locked in. Apply by December 1st deadline and get an answer by January 22nd. The Bearcat Promise is “We prepare you for the future.” Honors program focused on experiential learning; professors look for research assistance.
I visited 8 colleges in 4 days on a great trip to Pittsburgh and all over Ohio with my IECA colleagues–and came home with Covid (just like last year). I’m sharing some notes from the first four schools and will share the rest next Sunday. My families--if you want to learn more about each college, just open the Notes in the Less College Stress system.
Carnegie Mellon wants students who impact humankind. Engineering is the largest of the 5 stand alone majors-curriculum designed by companies. Yield has gone up 4%. The ED pool must be very highly qualified and admit rates are daunting: Dietrich College of Arts & Sciences 13-14%; under 1% in drama, 3% CompSci. 70% of students submit scores.
University of Pittsburgh offers a top Honors College with a Living/Learning Community. Its Computing and Information College is one of the oldest CompSci programs in the US. The School of Public Health is community driven, with 120 service learning hours required. A strong undergraduate Neuroscience program is one recipient of top grants from NIH. Big 10 sports and Greek life. Great city campus where everyone is engaged in something!
Duquesne University is a hidden gem for those who want a mid-sized urban college with a green space. High passing rate for future PA’s, PT’s, and nurses; lots of school spirit with D1 sports (football, basketball, and ice hockey are popular) and Greek life. There is a general career center, plus independent academic support from professional tutors and peer tutors, plus career support for each school.
Case Western Reserve features a cool, themed, 7 floor Maker Space called Sears Think(Box); toured each floor! Top STEM programs. Admissions does not calculate 9th grade into the GPA. 60% of students submit scores. Perfect fit for “doers and makers” who want to be busy all the time. Greek life and D3 sports offer a balance. The campus, near the Cleveland Clinic, is a suburban oasis with easy transportation to downtown.