Studying the science of data at University of British Columbia

My professor asked me to apply here because it is one of the top 50 universities in the world and among the top ten in Canada. After his recommendation, I did some research on my own and came to know about its state of the art facilities and also interdisciplinary learning programs and decided to submit my application. The fee was $168.

The Master in data science program is quite well-curated by combined computer science and statistics experts with input from local industry. As such the curriculum enabled me to learn in detail about descriptive and prescriptive techniques. I also acquired the skills to extract and analyze data from both unstructured and structured forms, uncover insights, and learn to effectively communicate their results with stakeholders.

To apply for this program, I had to submit my TOEFL score of 100 and my overall aggregate score at the undergraduate level was around 95%, which when converted to GPA is around 3.89. I also did my bachelors in computer science. I have always had a knack for problem-solving and looking for creative solutions for the same. So I applied for this program to learn how to collect and analyse data in a more efficient manner.

Around 70% of my seniors received and accepted job offers within three months of graduation whereas the rest chose to pursue further research. Some of the top financial firms where they are currently working are Bank of America, Merill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Google, Blackstone Group, etc. Their starting salary is in the range of $65,000 - $75,000.

We had a very engaging campus life at UBC mostly because of the array of events conducted throughout the year. This included everything from festivals, intramurals, concerts, exhibitions, networking events, guest lecture series, poetry events and so on. The UBC short film festival hosted by the students of the film production program was my personal favourite. I also like to attend a lot of intramural sports.

The total tuition fee for my program was around $44,000. I was required to pay the tuition amount in three instalments which came down to around $15,000. Along with this, I also had to pay around $3,000 as a continuing fee. I also had to pay around $1000 as a student services fee and around $270 for health plan charges.

Faculty members of our Data Science department are extremely well qualified but also very friendly. Their teaching methods involve a combination of lectures and practical sessions so that we are able to gain an overall understanding of the topics. My professors also encourage us to come to them when we are facing any difficulties.

I paid around $900 per month for my on-campus residence. I decided to opt for on-campus residence as I wanted to live in a study-oriented atmosphere and also be part of a community and meet new people. I applied for residence along with my application for my program because I was aware that the housing demand is quite high. I was assigned my own private room at a six bedroom apartment with two shared bathroom. The rooms are large enough, well-furnished and quite comfortable. Other facilities like laundry, housekeeping, common room, tennis area court area and other sports grounds are also available.