Data Science & Data Analytics

Roles and Work Environment

Data Science and Data Analytics are often used interchangeably, however there are some key differences. You can read more here.

Data Scientists
- Data Scientists use algorithms, systems, and mathematics to gain data and insights from structured and unstructured data. They typically work with large data sets and within a wider scope than data analysts. Their work involves statistics, data visualization, and machine learning. The goal of their work is to find and define new business problems that lead to innovation.
- Common Languages: Python, R, SQL, Java, Julia, Scala, MATLAB, TensorFlow
Data Analysts
- Data Analysts focuses on specific goals while analyzing structured data. They work within a narrow scope to organize and process data in order to solve business problems. They might collect data from multiple sources to clean and organize in a way that they can use it to visualize and study to help organizations meet their goals. This role is becoming more important in many industries including but not limited to technology, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and finance.
- Common Languages: SQL, Python, Microsoft Excel, Tableau

Skills Training

You can find a huge variety of free individual courses by searching in Coursera for UVA or LinkedIn Learning to learn languages like SQL and Python as well as other programs like Tableau and Microsoft Excel. The few courses below are just a small sample, so you are encouraged to search Coursera and other resources on your own!

Industry Timeline

Many companies typically hire for full-time and internship data analyst roles in the early fall and during the fall semester. You will have the opportunity to connect with these companies during workshops and information sessions that can be found in the Events tab in Handshake. Additionally, many of these companies will attend our hiring events as they recruit for their open roles.
Both Data Science and Data Analysis roles will be heavily sought after during the fall recruitment season, but opportunities with smaller organizations may exist after this timeframe.
Pro Tip: Create a LinkedIn and GitHub account and get in the habit of regularly using these platforms well before you start applying for jobs so that you have an active digital presence.

Join the Business Community on Slack

Click here to join the Business Community workspace on Slack where you can engage with other students and career counselors and stay up to date with all of the opportunities for students interested in business careers.