Reddit
reddit.com › r/datascience › can data science be self taught (ie landing a job without a degree)?
Can data science be self taught (ie landing a job without a degree)? : r/datascience
May 4, 2021 - I am 99.9% positive that you can't be a data scientist without at least a Bachelor's degree. You could try to become one and beat the statistics, but instead of applying, waiting and finding out that you won't find a job in this tight job market, I'd HIGHLY suggest that you pursue college education ...
Coursera
coursera.org › coursera articles › data › data science › how to become an data scientist without a degree
How to Become an Data Scientist Without a Degree | Coursera
January 24, 2026 - If you take the proper steps to equip yourself with the skills and experience, you can become a data scientist even without a degree. Here’s how you can do it. Data scientists possess several technical skills.
What education requirements do I need to become a data scientist?
Data science and other related data professions really like to hire math, stats, and cs majors. I’d stick to those or even regular engineering if that’s something that interest you. Many DS roles want masters, I can tell you CS skills are becoming more important and the field and keep more doors open. Pairing that with math/stats is a really strong combo. I would not do that analytics degree and would opt for something like statistics instead. Tech is a tough market right now and always changing, it’s not a great place to be if you just want to get a job and not need to keep learning. More on reddit.com
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January 5, 2026Is it necesary to have a PhD to work in Data Science?
I'm a data scientist for a large contracting firm. I have zero degree. I find that there are significantly more barriers inhuiur way doing it the way I did it, but once I got in there, it's been fairly easy to move around within the company and grow my skills and salary. More on reddit.com
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August 11, 2022Hi Data Scientists! What academic background are you coming from?
Economics bachelor. Statistics and machine learning masters.
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April 30, 2019how is it possible many people are data scientist without PhD degree
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January 2, 2023How can I become a data scientist?
Various paths can prepare students for a data science career. The steps to become a data scientist may include earning a bachelor's degree, gaining work experience, and completing a professional certification. Many data scientists earn a master's degree or attend a bootcamp.
computerscience.org
computerscience.org › careers › data-science › how-to-become
How to Become a Data Scientist
What are the education requirements for a data scientist?
Minimum education requirements for data science professionals usually include a bachelor's degree. Many data scientist positions require or prefer applicants with a master's degree in data science, computer science, or a relevant field.
computerscience.org
computerscience.org › careers › data-science › how-to-become
How to Become a Data Scientist
Is data science a good career?
Yes, data science offers promising career paths. It is a fast-growing and relatively new field with higher-than-average salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects above-average job growth for many data science careers, including operations research analysts and computer and information research scientists.
computerscience.org
computerscience.org › careers › data-science › how-to-become
How to Become a Data Scientist
Videos
How I Became A Data Scientist (No CS Degree, No Bootcamp) - YouTube
What Degree Do You Need to Become a Data Scientist? - YouTube
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How to Become a Data Scientist in 2026 - YouTube
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Harvard SEAS
seas.harvard.edu › news › how-become-data-scientist
How to Become a Data Scientist
February 25, 2025 - ... Build a strong educational foundation – A bachelor's degree in data science, computer science, statistics, or applied math is a solid starting point. Alternatively, online courses and bootcamps can help introduce you to the field.
Masters in Data Science
mastersindatascience.org › home › careers › data scientist
A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Become a Data Scientist
1 week ago - Step 5: Prepare for technical interviews. Step 6: Apply! There are no standardized education requirements to become a data scientist. However, professionals in this field typically need a bachelor’s degree in data science, mathematics, statistics, or a computer-related field, according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
bls.gov › ooh › math › data-scientists.htm
Data Scientists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Common fields of degree include mathematics, statistics, computer science, business, and engineering. Because data science involves the use of algorithms and statistical techniques, students need extensive study in mathematics and statistics.
Medium
medium.com › data-science › do-you-need-a-degree-to-be-a-data-scientist-7fb8ba5ba5f9
Do You Need a Degree to Be a Data Scientist? | by Egor Howell | TDS Archive | Medium
January 3, 2026 - Do You Need a Degree to Be a Data Scientist? No, but it certainly helps. I often get asked, “Do I need a degree to break into data science?” Short answer: no, but it certainly helps. Let me …
University of Southern California
online.usc.edu › home › news › how to become a data scientist (plus the skills you need)
How to Become a Data Scientist (Plus the Skills You Need)
January 29, 2025 - Simply put, data scientists use ... necessary to have a bachelor’s degree to become a data scientist but most roles will still require you to have one....
ComputerScience.org
computerscience.org › careers › data-science › how-to-become
How to Become a Data Scientist
August 21, 2024 - Most data science jobs require at least a four-year bachelor's degree. Consider majoring in data science, computer science, or mathematics. Take classes in computer science, business, and statistics.
University of Miami
news.miami.edu › uonline › stories › 2024 › 09 › how-to-become-a-data-scientist.html
How To Become a Data Scientist
Additional certifications and a master’s degree can extend this timeline. To become a data scientist, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, proficiency in key programming languages, experience with data analysis and visualization tools, and knowledge of machine learning techniques.
Indeed
indeed.com › career guide › finding a job › can i get a data science job without a degree?
Can I Get a Data Science Job Without a Degree? | Indeed.com
Here are five steps you can follow to help prepare yourself for a data science position without earning a degree: Before you begin your training to become a data scientist, first determine your professional goals.
Published April 18, 2024
Springboard
springboard.com › blog › data science › becoming a data scientist without a degree: an 8-step guide
Becoming a Data Scientist Without a Degree: An 8-Step Guide
May 14, 2024 - It’s not impossible to become a data scientist without a degree. But it takes work! You can still launch a career as a data scientist and get a great data science job, even if you don’t have a data science degree. You enter the data science field by learning the programming language skills you need, gaining practical data science skills, and completing a data analytics bootcamp or two.
Drexel Online
online.drexel.edu › industry › become-a-data-scientist.aspx
How to Become a Data Scientist
How to become a data scientist step by step There are different paths you can take to become a data scientist. Getting an education in data science, whether that is a master’s degree, a doctorate or a certificate, is a great way to build a strong knowledge foundation and signal to potential employers that you have experience.
edX
edx.org › become › how-to-become-a-data-scientist
How to become a data scientist with expert-led courses | edX
To become a data scientist, you need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, math, or statistics, plus skills in Python or R, data analysis, and machine learning.
Southern New Hampshire University
snhu.edu › about-us › newsroom › stem › how-to-become-a-data-scientist
How to Become a Data Scientist | SNHU
On the other hand, if you already ... firm, you may have to learn more about accounting to successfully analyze data in that field. To become a data scientist, job candidates typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — though some positions may be looking for candidates with a master’s or doctoral ...
365 Data Science
365datascience.com › blog › career advice › career guides › how to find a data science job if you don’t have a data science degree? (2025)
How to Find a Data Science Job without a Degree 2025 – 365 Data Science
February 7, 2025 - Employers are looking for data scientists with a degree in a field relevant to the line of work. While it’s not necessary to have a data science degree specifically, you would need to hold a Bachelor’s or a Master’s in, for example, computer science, statistics, economics, finance, physics, or other fields that will be easy to pivot toward data science after.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/careerguidance › what education requirements do i need to become a data scientist?
r/careerguidance on Reddit: What education requirements do I need to become a data scientist?
January 5, 2026 -
I’m about to graduate high school in May and start college in the summer. I had my major set to animal biology to become a vet, but I changed my mind and I’m looking into data science and other related fields. The college that I chose doesn’t have a computer science major because it’s a smaller campus part of a system. The closest major that they have is Business Analytics & Information Systems. Can I become a data scientist with this major? If not, what are related jobs that day decently well? What are some other qualifications you would need on the job, entry level pay, things that you actually do at work, stress levels, how easy it is to find a job?
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Data science and other related data professions really like to hire math, stats, and cs majors. I’d stick to those or even regular engineering if that’s something that interest you. Many DS roles want masters, I can tell you CS skills are becoming more important and the field and keep more doors open. Pairing that with math/stats is a really strong combo. I would not do that analytics degree and would opt for something like statistics instead. Tech is a tough market right now and always changing, it’s not a great place to be if you just want to get a job and not need to keep learning.
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This is just me speculating, but I think that the era of "general purpose data scientist" is coming to an end. 10-15 years ago, when these kinds of quant skills were niche, you had leverage, but now it seems like everyone and their mother can do "from sklearn import [model]." Tools have become so accessible, and so many people have FOMO'd into "data science", that it doesn't stand out any more. And don't even get me started on AIs - chatGPT can code up a PCA/UMAP/regression pipeline instantly using off-the-shelf tools. Instead, I think you need domain expertise in whatever your chosen field is. Sell yourself as an expert in computational methods in [chosen field]. Don't just say "I can compute a p-value." You need to be able to say "I can compute a p-value and tell you want it means in the context of the problems you care about." That could be anything from healthcare to geology to business. But you need to have something else in addition to your computational skills.
Towards Data Science
towardsdatascience.com › home › latest › do you need a degree to be a data scientist?
Do You Need a Degree to Be a Data Scientist? | Towards Data Science
July 23, 2025 - We have just seen that the majority ... science, and physics. So, from a pure data and statistical perspective, you need a degree to become a data scientist, and it should be in a STEM subject if you want to boost your chan...
CareerVillage
careervillage.org › questions › 819255 › what-education-do-you-need-to-be-a-data-scientist
what education do you need to be a Data scientist?
December 5, 2023 - Most of the data scientists I ... finance, or a STEM subject. Even though it's not a strict requirement to have one of these degrees, I would strongly suggest considering it....
TechGuide
techguide.org › home › careers › how to become a data scientist
How to Become a Data Scientist - TechGuide
April 29, 2026 - Most people do not become data scientists overnight. Common entry routes include earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, business, or engineering; moving over from analyst roles; or building a practical foundation through courses, bootcamps, and portfolio projects before targeting junior analytics or data science positions. BLS says data scientists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, but TechGuide’s data science bootcamp and course guides also reflect a more skills-first route for career changers who need structured, applied training.
Coursera
coursera.org › coursera articles › data › data science › what is a data scientist? salary, duties + how to become one
What Is a Data Scientist? Salary, Duties + How to Become One | Coursera
About 51 percent of data scientists have a bachelor's, while 34 percent have a master's [2]. If you're considering a degree, majors like computer science, statistics, or data science (if available as a specific program) are great foundations.
Published 1 month ago Views 423