Moe Obeidat knows the data. He is located in the Chicago area and works as a data analyst at Fortune 500, reporting, visualization and SQL are part of his everyday toolkit. But like many working professionals in the field, Moe is eager to take the next step: moving from analytics to advanced roles in data science and machine learning.
That’s what led to him taking the University of Pittsburgh Online Data Science Degree Program (MDS).
“I’ve been searching online for programs that match my own pace of time as a full-time employee, and I want a school that is well known,” Moe shared. “Peter is an R1 school. The program is great with my experience and the knowledge I want to learn and get out of it.”
From theory to real world application
Moe found the MDS courses both familiar and refreshing with his background in economics in mathematics, statistics and econometrics and previous coursework.
“In undergraduates, there are a lot of theories you can study. My appreciation for this program is that you apply it more deeply using new methods. The project is related to the industry, which makes it feel instantly relevant.”
His first course was through the Performance-Based Admission (PBA) pathway. “PBA is very interesting. From my experience so far, it’s one of the hardest classes. But I understand why. It brings all the theory into a course. It’s challenging, but it gives you the achievement for success.”
Courses that trigger growth at work
When considering the program, certain courses not only serve their academic challenges, but also directly affect his work.
- The art of data visualization: “I’ve been creating a lot of reports in my day-to-day work, so the courses have really helped me. I’ve learned new technologies and methods that are now used in both work and in future projects.”
- LLM (Large Language Model) and its Applications: “It’s basically like learning AI. How AI tools are made and how they work. I’ve been looking forward to this course and I’ve only recently started to launch it. It’s exciting because it’s directly related to the kind of machine learning work I wanted to do in my career.”
For Moe, MD has become a certain level. This is the bridge to his next career. “I want to be able to be a more consistent role as being a complete data scientist or machine learning engineer. That’s why I chose the program.”
Flexibility for busy life
Moe’s balanced performance isn’t a small feat: he works full-time and is completing MDS full-time. He believes the online way and support structure that makes it possible.
“It takes a lot of tools to balance! I usually devote my weekends to classes.
The on-site office hours and the accessibility of the professors are also prominent: “Professors and TAS run office hours, and you can meet them directly and email them. This flexibility is really helpful and appreciated because I know they are in-person classes as well.”
The application process itself is simply refreshing. “Almost every school needs GRE, high GPA and more intense applications. In Pitt’s case, I completed my PBA program, got grades, verified my degree, and I got in. It was a smooth experience.”
Looking to the future: “The future is data”
Moe has seen the benefits of his coursework in his current position and he is confident that he will open the door to the next stage of his career. He also sees MDS as a plan to access learners from a variety of contexts, not just plans that already work in the data.
As Moe said:
“Even without the background in technology or data, you can succeed in this program. I encourage everyone to explore it. The future is data, AI, and machine learning. It will last here for a while; it won’t go anywhere; if you can jump anywhere now.
Interested in joining learners like MoE who are using a data science degree to improve their careers? Explore the MDS program here.
