Question 1

What is the Master's in Data Science with upGrad?

Accepted Answer

The Master's degree is an engaging yet rigorous 18-month online program designed specifically for working professionals to develop practical knowledge and skills, establish a professional network, and accelerate entry into data science careers. The certification is awarded by LJMU.

Question 2

What should I expect from the Master's Degree in Data Science?

Accepted Answer

Expect to carry out several industry-relevant projects simulated as per the actual workplace, making you a skilled data science professional at par with leading industry standards.

Question 3

What should I NOT expect from the Master's Degree in Data Science?

Accepted Answer

The program is NOT going to be easy. It will be requiring at least 15 hours of time commitment per week, applying new concepts and executing industry relevant projects.

Question 4

Which topics are going to be covered as part of the program?

Accepted Answer

The program is designed for working professionals looking for a transition or growth into the data domain. Considering the requirements of different data roles in the industry, the curriculum is divided into five tracks. These five tracks will have a common curriculum running for approximately 5-6 months that everyone will go through after which they have to do one specialization course and a capstone project in the remaining 6-7 months. The topics that are going to be covered as a part of the common curriculum and each of the five specializations are as follows:Common Curriculum: Basics of SQL, Python, Statistics and EDA, Basic Machine Learning Models Deep Learning Specialization: Advanced Machine Learning, Neural NetworksNatural Language Processing Specialization: Advanced Machine Learning, Natural Language ProcessingBusiness Analytics: Advanced Machine Learning, Storytelling and Advanced Business Problem SolvingBusiness Intelligence/Data Analytics: Advanced SQL and NoSQL Databases, Storytelling with Advanced VisualizationData Engineering: Data Modelling and Data Warehousing, Building Data Pipelines, Data Streaming and Processing

Question 5

What type of learning experience should I expect?

Accepted Answer

The content will be a mix of interactive lectures from industry leaders as well as world-renowned faculty. Additionally, the program comprises live lectures or hangout sessions dedicated to solving your academic queries and reinforcing learning. Offline upGrad BaseCamps will also facilitate peer-to-peer interactions.

Question 6

Is any certification granted at the end of the program?

Accepted Answer

Post successful completion of the program, a certificate in Executive PG Programme in Data Science would be granted from IIIT Bangalore and a Master's degree from LJMU.

Question 7

When will I have to choose my specialisation track?

Accepted Answer

The program has 22 weeks of common curriculum and 22 weeks of the specialization and capstone project. Once you’re through the 21 weeks of curriculum common to all the five tracks, you will be prompted to choose your specialisation.

Question 8

How do I know which specialisation is best for me?

Accepted Answer

When you’re nearing the end of your common curriculum, upGrad will provide you with a recommendation best suited for you based on your background. The following mapping should give you an idea about the specialisation best suited for you although the final upGrad recommendation would come from a much more exhaustive rule engine. Deep Learning: Engineers, Software and IT ProfessionalsNatural Language Processing: Engineers, Software and IT ProfessionalsBusiness Intelligence/ Data Analytics: Engineers, Marketing and Sales Professionals, FreshersBusiness Analytics: Engineers, Managers, Marketing and Sales Professionals, Domain ExpertData Engineering: Software and IT Professionals

Question 9

Do I have to choose the specialisation recommended by upGrad?

Accepted Answer

No. You can choose whatever specialisation you like once you are through the common curriculum. However, we would urge you to take up the recommendation provided by us as this based on a sophisticated rule engine and is meant to give you the best outcome for your background which will, in turn, make it easier for you to switch to a data role.

Question 10

What is the time commitment expected for the program?

Accepted Answer

At least 15 hours per week of time commitment is expected to be able to graduate from the program.

Question 11

Will the five specializations require different time commitments?

Accepted Answer

Each of the five specializations will have a common 29-week curriculum in which the time commitment will be exactly the same.

When you move onto a specialization, it might be that some weeks are heavier in a particular track but lighter for the others. But, overall the total time commitment required will be 15 hours/week on average

Question 12

How will my doubts/questions be addressed in an online program?

Accepted Answer

Peer-to-peer discussion forum where you can post your queries and your peers/faculty/teaching assistants answer your queries within a day. Regular Q&A sessions with faculty to get clarification on conceptual doubts.

Question 13

Will I receive special different career services in each specialization?

Accepted Answer

Each specialization is designed to give you the best outcome based on your background and help you venture into the data domain. The services and support for all the tracks will remain the same. Every student will have live sessions, industry mentorship, preparatory support, and access to relevant opportunities according to the requirements in their specialization track.

Question 14

What online resource does LJMU provide for students to confirm the validation of awards and what information can be found there regarding their collaborative partnerships?

Accepted Answer

Please find the link to the LJMU Collaborative Provision Register, where students can verify validation of the award on the LJMU web pages.

Question 15

Where can one access comprehensive details about the MSDS program at LJMU, including its structure and specific program requirements?

Accepted Answer

Please find the link to the Program Specifications of the MSDS program on the LJMU website.

Question 16

What is the program fee for the Master's Degree in Data Science?

Accepted Answer

Without immersion: Rs. 5,50,000 (including taxes)

With immersion: Rs. 7,50,000 (including taxes)

Question 17

Is there any deferral or refund policy for this Program?

Accepted Answer

Refund Policy: (Programs with prep-session component)

The Student needs to successfully complete the Executive PG Programme in Data Science from IIIT Bangalore, to be eligible to continue with the M.Sc. in Data Science by LJMU. In case if a student fails to achieve the minimum required passing criteria as specified in this offer letter, such student shall not be eligible for any refund.
There shall be no refund under any circumstances for the student who has successfully completed the Executive PG Programme in Data Science with IIIT Bangalore but is not willing to continue with M.Sc. in Data Science by LJMU.
You can claim a refund for the amount paid towards the Program at any time, before the Program Start Date, by visiting www.upgrad.com and submitting your refund form via the "My Application" section under your profile. You can request your Admissions Counselor to help you in applying and withdrawing for a refund by sending them an email with reasons listed. Processing fee of Rs. 10,000/- will be levied. If less than Rs. 10,000/- have been paid in total, student shall not be eligible for any refund in such case.
Student shall not be eligible for any refund under any circumstances if any such refund requests are raised post Cohort Commencement Date and student will continue to pay the EMI for loan (if applicable) and such loan cannot be cancelled. This is also applicable for those students who could not complete their payment and could not be enrolled in the cohort opted for. However, the student can raise a request for Pre-Program deferral as per the policy defined below for the same.
In case of a refund, student will be solely responsible for any cancellation of loan, including but not limited to applicable loan cancellation charges levied on the total cancelled loan amount.
Student must pay the full fee within 7 days of payment of Caution Money or Cohort Commencement Date, whichever is earlier, otherwise the admission letter will be rescinded.
Request for refund must be sent via e-mail in the prescribed Refund Request Form. The refund will be processed within 30 working days of commencement of the program after being duly approved by the Academic Committee.

Deferral Policy: (Pre- Program Commencement)

If a student, due to unavoidable circumstances is unable to commence with the cohort and requests for a deferral before the cohort starts, we provide the opportunity for the student to defer to another batch.
However, the student will be required to pay 50% of the total course fee amount (inclusive of taxes) before the deferral can be approved. Till this is completed, the student will be assumed to be continuing in the same cohort.
A student can request for deferral only once and to either of the scheduled cohorts to start in the next 1 year from the batch start date of initial batch the student enrolled for.
The student has time till the current cohort launch date to make the payment of the 50% program fee, post which the deferral request will expire. Once the deferral window expires and the student now asks for a refund, the above-mentioned applicable refund policy will apply.
The fee applicable to the deferred student will be as per prevailing fee for the batch student as opted to defer to (No additional deferral fee is required to be paid).

Deferral Policy: (Post Program Commencement)

If a student is facing severe issues in dedicating time to the course, we provide the opportunity for the student to defer to another batch.
A student can request for deferral only once and to either of the scheduled cohorts to start in the next 1 year from the batch start date of initial batch the student enrolled for.
The student will be required to pay a deferral fees of 10% of the total course amount fee + Taxes if any along with the differential program fees between the two cohorts
The deferral request will be approved once the deferral fee is paid.
Till this is completed, the student will be assumed to be continuing in the same cohort.
The student has 7 days (including holidays and weekends) from the date of deferral request to make the payment of the deferral fee post which the deferral request will expire, and the student will continue as part of the current cohort.
If the student completes the deferral payment, the student’s login will be disabled, the student will leave the deferred cohort and the student will start learning on the new cohort from the point of the last assignment that was graded in the deferred cohort. All grades and progress till that point will be carried forward as it is to the new cohort. For clarification, the grades of the graded assignments will be carried forward, whether the student had submitted these grading during the initial stage.
The deferral can only be requested during the batch for which the student has enrolled is ongoing. Once the batch has completed, deferral requests shall not be entertained. For clarification, the batch completion here shall mean the “last grace deadline” as communicated by upGrad.

Question 18

No Cost Credit Card EMI FAQ's

Accepted Answer

0% EMI with Finance partners /Credit card option availability will vary program wise.

1. Which banks allow using 0% Credit card EMI or Credit card EMI?
No cost EMI is available on credit cards from all major banks (American Express, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank, Standard Chartered, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, State Bank of India, CITIBANK and HSBC).

2. Is there any minimum transaction limit ?
Yes. 50000 is the minimum.

3. Standard Chartered Bank offers 18 or 24 months No Cost EMI ?
No. ONLY 12 months is available irrespective of the Program enrolled.

4. Will I have to pay any extra amount for EMI transaction?
If you are availing 0% credit card EMI, upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions. Your bank may levy GST or other taxes on the interest component of the EMI.

5. Are there any fees or down payment?
Certain banks charge nominal processing fees between INR 99 - 500 on 0% Credit Card EMI transaction. If charged, will be billed in the first repayment installment.

6. Can I use my International credit card for 0% credit EMI or Credit Card EMI?
Only the Indian bank credit cards can be used. But you can pay the amount using the Credit card option in one shot / part payments, and later you can convert into EMI from your respective bank. The tenures and interest charged will depend on your bank. upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions, this will be purely between you and your bank.

7. Are there any charges in case I opt for cancellation/refund from the course after paying balance with no cost EMI ?
Yes, there will be additional charges to the extent of interest paid by the upGrad to the bank, you will be refunded only Principal amount, i.e. the amount actually deducted/blocked from your card. This deduction will be in addition to the amount mentioned in the refund policy shared with your offer letter.

8. Can I Pay Using Multiple Credit Cards ?
Multiple cards can be used to complete the payments using Part payment option make sure to inform the learner, minimum transaction is INR 50000 to opt for 0% CC EMI E.g. Amount to be paid: 150000. I can pay using 2 Credit cards. Yes, Example :
HDFC Card – Part payment – INR 100000
ICICI Card – Part payment – INR 50000

9. How can I opt for Credit card EMI if my bank is not listed in the 0% Credit card EMI or Credit card EMI?
You can pay the amount using the Credit card option in one shot / part payments, and later you can convert into EMI from your respective bank. The tenures and interest charged will depend on your bank. upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions.

10. Why is the entire amount blocked on my credit card?
Initially your bank will block the entire amount from your available purchase limit and from your next billing cycle, you will be charged the EMI amount. As you start paying your EMI, your credit limit will be released accordingly. For example, if you have made a payment of ₹100000 on 6-months EMI and your credit limit is ₹200,000 then initially your bank will block your credit limit by ₹100000. After payment of your first month EMI of Rs.15000, the blocked amount will come down to ₹85000.

11. Why is interest getting charged on No Cost EMI?
Your bank will charge you interest. However, this interest charge has been provided to you as an upfront discount at the time of your payment, effectively giving you the benefit of a No cost EMI. The total amount paid during the entire EMI tenure to the bank will be equal to the amount to be paid to upGrad.

Eg. Amount payable to upGrad: INR 405000
Let's say Amount deducted at the time of transaction: INR 379850 (Principal amount) Bank charges interest of 12-15% per annum on INR 379850
[Note: Interest factor is reducing rate and not Flat rate]
EMI AMOUNT = INR 33750 x 12 = INR 405000
Effectively, you have taken loan on 379,850 instead of 405,000

Question 19

How do I know if the program is right for me?

Accepted Answer

If you like finding meaningful insights from data and if you get excited by the prospect of informing business decisions through analysis and have an analytical bend of mind, then this program is meant for you. As long as you are able to clear the selection test (or are exempt) and are excited about the transition to Data Science, this program is meant for you.

Question 20

My current role does not include exposure to data. Does it make sense for me to opt for this program?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Data Science is becoming a necessity for all industries and is no more a choice. Hence, there is a critical demand for quality data professionals and because the supply is constrained, this is one of the most lucrative career options across industries.

Question 21

What is the application process for the program and what are the timelines?

Accepted Answer

There are 4 simple steps in the Admission Process which is detailed below:

Fill the Application form: Fill out an application giving your basic profile details
Selection Test: Give a short 17 minutes test which has 11 reasoning, apptitude & HSC level questions out of which it is important to get atleast 6 right in order to get shortlisted.Test Exemption Criteria - GRE score is greater than 300 GMAT score is greater than 650 CAT score is greater than 90 percentile GATE score is greater than 500
Shortlisting & Block Payment to reserve seat: University will shortlist basis profile & test scores. Receive offer letter and proceed with block amount INR 25,000/-
Payment: Balance to be closed within 7 days or batch start date whichever is sooner

Question 22

What is the selection process for this program?

Accepted Answer

upGrad, IIITB, LJMU, world-renowned faculty, and many industry leaders have committed a lot of time in conceptualising and creating this program to make sure that the learners can receive the best possible learning experience in data analytics. Hence, we want to make sure that the participants of this program also show a very high level of commitment and passion for Data Science.The applicants will have to take a selection test designed to check their aptitude and quantitative abilities. The applicants can skip the test if they meet one of the following criteria:

GRE score is greater than 300
GMAT score is greater than 650
CAT score is greater than 90 percentile
GATE score is greater than 500

Question 23

Is there any minimum educational qualification required to take this program?

Accepted Answer

Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50% or equivalent passing marks, and successful completion of the Executive PG Program in Data Science from IIITB. No coding experience required.

Master of Science in Data Science

About LJMU's Masters in Data Science Program

Key Highlights of LJMU's MS in Data Science

Key Highlights

5 Unique Specialisations

Dedicated Career Assistance

Student Support

upGrad Learner Support

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