Robert Daniel

My previous educational background is mainly about mathematical/computational finance, however, I would like to apply for a CS Ph.D. in the future. I decided to first apply for a master degree related to computer science and then prepare for the Ph.D. during this master program. One option is a master degree in CS, however, I found my relevant experience is more about data science (like applications of data science in finance) instead of pure computer science research. Will a data science master program make more sense? My major concern is most master programs in data science seem to prepare students for a "professional path" instead of an "academic path" (it's like a terminal program), will this fact be disadvantageous when I apply for the Ph.D. in CS in the future? FYI: There are very few Ph.D. programs in data science, CS Ph.D. is the only choice I guess for me. Also, for some reason, I cannot look for a job right after the master program and have to get a Ph.D. degree.