Question 1

What is the Post Graduate Programme in Data Science with upGrad?

Accepted Answer

The Post Graduate Programme is an engaging yet rigorous 12 months online programme 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 IIIT Bangalore. This PG Diploma in Data Science program is considered among the top course for accelerated career growth.

Question 2

What should I expect from the Post Graduate Programme 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. The skills taught in the course of PG in Data Science facilitate in building a strong portfolio thus increasing your employability. And this is why it is considered among the top data science course online.

Question 3

What should I NOT expect from the Post Graduate Programme in Data Science?

Accepted Answer

The Post Graduate Programme in Data Science is one of the best data science courses and is rich in the learning level and it is not just any other online data analytics course in the market. The programme is NOT going to be easy. This course will be requiring at least 12-15 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 Data Science Course?

Accepted Answer

The programme 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. The course will have a common curriculum running for approximately the first 5-6 months that everyone will go through after which they have to do any of the 5 specializations and a capstone project, in the remaining 6-7 months. This data science course will allow you to cover the industry-relevant topics which will help you in becoming industry ready. This course is a one-stop solution for you if you are someone who is looking for a data analyst course, data scientist course, or data engineer course.

Question 5

What type of learning experience should I expect to be a Data Scientist or Data Analyst?

Accepted Answer

This online data analytics or data science course is aimed at giving the luxury of enriched and experiential learning to its learners. The content provided in this data analytics course will be a mix of interactive lectures from industry leaders as well as world-renowned faculty. Additionally, the programme 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 Data Science course?

Accepted Answer

This is a data science certification course post successful completion of the program, an Post Graduate Programme in Data Science would be granted from IIIT Bangalore.

Question 7

When will I have to choose my specialization track?

Accepted Answer

The data science and data analysis course becomes a much powerful asset if the learners hone their skills and possess relevant specialisations. The programme has ~22 weeks of common curriculum and ~29 weeks of the specialization and capstone project. Once you’re through the 23 weeks of curriculum common to all the five tracks, you will be prompted to choose your specialization.

Question 8

How do I know which specialization is the 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 specialization best suited for you although the final upGrad recommendation would come from a much more exhaustive rule engine.

Deep Learning: Engineers, Software and IT Professionals
Natural Language Processing: Engineers, Software and IT Professionals
Business Intelligence/ Data Analytics: Engineers, Marketing and Sales Professionals, Freshers
Business Analytics: Engineers, Managers, Marketing and Sales Professionals, Domain Expert
Data Engineering: Software and IT Professionals

Question 9

Do I have to choose the specialization recommended by upGrad?

Accepted Answer

No. You can choose whatever specialization 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 programme?

Accepted Answer

At least 12-15 hours per week of time commitment is expected to be able to graduate from the programme. The best data science and data analytics courses have an extensive quality curriculum but this course is designed to suit the needs of the working professionals as well which makes it manageable to learn.

Question 11

Will each specialization require different time commitments?

Accepted Answer

Each of the five specializations covered in this course will have a common ~23-week curriculum in which the time commitment will be exactly the same. When you move onto a specialization in this course , it might be that some weeks are heavier in a particular track but lighter for others. But, overall the total time commitment required will be 12-15 hours/week on average.

Question 12

Why should I pursue any certification course?

Accepted Answer

The IIIT Bangalore Data Science certification and the likes of data analytics certificate courses helps in the skill development and enhancing their career prospects. Another benefits is the ever-evolving field of data that it becomes imperative to constantly upskill oneself.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

In this there is a 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. The imparted data science learning is aimed at giving a quality experience to the students where they can engage in a dialogue with their peers, faculty or TAs whenever they come across any doubt.

Question 14

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 15

What is the programme fee for the Post Graduate Programme in Data Science?

Accepted Answer

The programme fee for this data science course is priced at INR 3,25,000 (incl. taxes).

Question 16

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 17

Is there any deferral or refund policy for this program?

Accepted Answer

Refund Policy: (Programmes with prep-session component)

Student must pay an applicable caution money for the enrolment to the Programme. This caution amount will be adjustable against the total Programme fee payable by the student.
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-Programme 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.

1st Deferral (pre or post programme commencement) is free for all enrolled students with the following conditions:

The Post Graduate Program learners should complete the course in a maximum duration of 3 years from the initial batch start date.
The Advanced Certificate Program learners should complete the course in a maximum duration of 2 years from the initial batch start date.

2nd deferral will be charged as explained below.

2nd Deferral Policy: (Pre- Programme 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).

2nd Deferral Policy: (Post Programme 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

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

Accepted Answer

To determine if this course aligns with your career needs and aspirations you need to consider the curriculum, imparted skill and the learning outcomes. And 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 programme 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 programme is meant for you.

Question 19

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

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. The data science courses are a gateway to a bright future as the demand for data professionals is on a surge. Moreover, the technical soundness allows the candidates to become employable.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

There are four simple steps in the admission process which is detailed below:

STEP-1 - Fill out the Application Form

Fill out an application giving your basic profile details.

STEP-2 - Selection Test

Give a short 17 minutes test which has 11 reasoning, aptitude & HSC level questions out of which it is important to get at least 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 the 90 percentile. GATE score is greater than 500.

STEP-3 - Shortlisting & Block Payment to Reserve Seat

University will shortlist the basis profile & test scores. Receive offer letter and proceed with block amount INR 25,000/-

STEP-4 - Payment

Balance to be closed within 7 days or batch start date whichever is sooner.

Question 21

What is the selection process for this programme?

Accepted Answer

upGrad, IIITB, world-renowned faculty, and many industry leaders have committed a lot of time in conceptualising and creating this programme 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 programme 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 22

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

Accepted Answer

Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50% or equivalent passing marks. No coding experience is required.

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