Students in data science at USC come from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Many students who join our interdisciplinary data science programs have no experience in programming or computer science. Other students pursue disciplinary degrees and collaborate with data science students on important research questions.
Below are some interviews with some of our students who are involved in data science through different programs and schools at USC.
Donna Kim, Ph.D. student in Communication
“If you believe what you are interested in involves data science, being able to catch that one additional clue may be crucial to deepening your insights. Even if you do not aspire to be directly working in related occupations, perhaps it is what we should all be interested in, considering that our everyday lives are increasingly interacting with data science, from social media uses to credit scores”.
Check the full interview here!
Huy Tran Nghiem, M.Sc. student in Computer Science
“I cannot stress enough the importance of working on practical projects, especially applying your skills on fun problems to expand your repertoire”
Check the full interview here!
Eunhye Ahn, Ph.D. student in Social Work
“I would like to say that yes, it is possible to learn data science without having a background, and no, it is never too late”
Check the full interview here!
Yibo Ma, M.Sc. in Communication Data Science
“Stay curious and eager about the knowledge that you don’t have”
Check the full interview here!
Zhaoyang Song, M.Sc. student in Communication Data Science
“Give yourself a real project and start solving this project. If you have any questions, search the web and ask people, then it will be the time to read more books and take more classes”
Check the full interview here!
Ian Myungsu Choi, M.Sc. student in Applied Data Science
“Most importantly, finish the project and get tangible results. We should not leave the product unfinished. If it is hard to finish, then narrow down the scope of the project.”