After 20 years working in software engineering across a variety of industries and government departments, Darragh Sherwin, a development team lead at Overstock Ireland, and a current student at IT Sligo, noticed that he had a skills gap compared to his colleagues, following a move to a different department within Overstock.
“My team recently moved into the algorithms department of Overstock which employs a lot of data scientists, machine learning (ML) scientists and ML engineers. The move highlighted a skills deficit that I had in Data Science, I had always had it in the back of my head to continue further education and studying the part-time, online Master’s in Data Science at IT Sligo felt like a natural alignment. I was moving into a department where data is crucial and there are moves across all industries is to be more data driven,” says Sherwin.
Data Science is now the backbone of any industry and current trends indicate that it will accumulate even more importance in the coming years. If businesses want to succeed, it is critical that they bank on data science to make data-informed decisions based on insights and trends.
Due to the ever-growing importance of data, data scientists are now in high demand and IT Sligo are helping to close the current skills deficit in data science with their part-time, online Master’s in Data Science.
The course includes a combination of statistical analysis, modelling, machine learning and data visualisation. Applicable to any industry, it combines techniques from mathematics, statistics, information theory, computer science and artificial intelligence. Automated driving, consumer buying habits, medical imaging, business intelligence, fraud/risk detection and speech recognition are just a few applications. Master’s students will design data analytic techniques, interpret, and manage big data using software as well as machine learning, and probabilistic and statistical methods.
On why he chose the course from IT Sligo, Sherwin says; “Overstock has worked closely with IT Sligo, we hire graduates from IT Sligo and they are always of impressively high calibre. The course modules aligned with my understanding of the area and gives a good foundation to students.”
Choosing to study a part-time, online course allows students to upskill for their career while also working full-time
Relevant to engineers who require upskilling in data science or those have already qualified with a Level 8 honours degree in Computer Science (or related disciplines), this master’s is offered part-time and online with live lectures in the evening. You can study anywhere and in your own time.
“It is great to have the flexibility of studying online. I have a young child so if I need to miss a lecture, I can come back and watch it later. There are great online resources for learning and college seems to have paid particular attention to ensuring online studying is very smooth with their tools like Moodle and Microsoft Teams,” says Sherwin. Choosing to study a part-time, online course allows students to upskill for their career while also working full-time.
A qualification in Data Science skills can lead to an exciting career in an array of industries including IT, financial services, retail, and manufacturing. These roles are not confined to IT based positions but can lead to roles in business intelligence, analysts, or data warehouse consultants. The rewards for such positions are also inviting, starting salaries range from €40,000 with senior data scientists commanding annual salaries of more than €100,000.
Online Learning at IT Sligo is ranked number one for Most Flexible Learning Students in the Good University Guide 2021. With more than 150 online courses available, IT Sligo is Ireland’s leading online provider. Through innovative online teaching methods, students anywhere in the world can study and graduate with fully accredited online qualifications matched to industry demand.