hiro722

Thanks for the informative reply! I have a couple of questions though. Do you think that this is true even at a top program like Stanford? For example, even if an MBA is a fad, getting one from Harvard Business School still has value. Also, are you saying that a PhD will allow me to better adapt to changing demand in the job market? Since a PhD will take 4-5 years anyways, it seems like if I wanted to go into a data science related fields after a PhD, I would be in an even worse position.

I got accepted into both Stanford's Master's in Data Science and UCLA's PhD program in Statistics and am trying to decide between the two. I would be able to pay my way through Stanford's program (around 50k in tuition) if necessary, but I am trying to weigh the two options. Regardless of which option I choose, I will want to pursue a career in industry afterwards. I'm open to reapplying for a PhD after completing a Masters as well. I know that a lot of this is based on my own personal preferences and goals, but do you guys have any advice regarding how people in industry, academia, etc may perceive the two degrees and how you would approach this decision?