Add up the points that apply to you, and if the total is greater than 6, then the answer is “probably a Master’s will be helpful.”You have a “hard” STEM background (physics/math/CS undergrad or other degree/diploma): 0 pointsYou have a “soft” STEM background (biology/biochemistry/economics undergrad or other degree/diploma): 2 pointsYou have a non-STEM background: 5 pointsYou have less than 1 year of experience working with Python: 3 pointsYou’ve never had a job that involves coding: 3 pointsYou don’t think you’re good at independent learning: 4 pointsYou don’t understand what I mean when I say that this scorecard is basically a logistic regression algorithm: 1 pointCaveats:→ Something to think about is whether you need a full Master’s in data science, or a bootcamp..If you choose to do a bootcamp, keep their incentives in mind: are you being asked to pay upfront without the guarantee of getting hired afterwards?.Is there a careers service associated with the bootcamp?→ Most people are skeptical of bootcamps..Rightly so..But what most people miss is that they should be equally skeptical of any university Master’s degree that doesn’t provide a guarantee of placement..Master’s degrees are bootcamps..Treat them that way..If you do one don’t focus on your grades, focus on what you’re learning..Ask what the postgraduate employment rates look like for your program..Universities have a funny way of convincing their students that an easy program is a good program, or that they’re doing you a favor just by letting you in..This is a psychological game, and one that’s reinforced by the outdated “conventional wisdom” that university degrees have independent value..But your goal is to get hired, not to “put in your time” and get a piece of paper.→ Even if you complete a Master’s, you’ll have a lot of skills polishing to do.. More details