Peachycheescake Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Hello everyone, I just graduated with a B.Sc mainly studying biology in Canada . I would like to apply to some graduate programs, but I'm looking for programs that would give me a better chance in finding good-paying job options rather than mainstream life science graduate programs. I was thinking management, data science, stats,etc but I'm lost and I don't know which one to choose as I don't want to waste my money or my time. I have very limited computer science and stat background (one course in each) and zero background in management. I would like a job that has at least 70k-80k CAD salary 5-7 years after entry, relatively in high-demand, and lots of opportunities for growth. What do you guys think? What degree would be beneficial to me? If you have specific program suggestions that would be awesome. I would especially love to hear from Canadians as I plan to stay in Canada, but all information is welcome. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyruvate Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Hello, your background sounds kinda similar to mine when I graduated! (Also in Canada and only took a few compsci classes). I did neurobio & biochem for my undergrad and I've been working in a neuroscience lab for the past ~3 years. However after the first 6 months in this lab I sorta transitioned into doing mostly data analysis so I learned a lot of "data science" along the way. For graduate programs you could apply to ones where you can learn more transferable skills (like programming). For example I think you're much more likely to learn programming or data science skills if you go for a neuroscience or bioinformatics programs instead of other fields like developmental biology (where you'll probably just spend 5 years pipetting). See if you can work in a lab where you can learn more of these quantitative skills for a few years. There are also conferences like SciPy (highly recommend) where you can pickup introductory or more advanced skills at their workshops and interact with people & attend talks to get an idea of what's out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachycheescake Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 18 hours ago, pyruvate said: Hello, your background sounds kinda similar to mine when I graduated! (Also in Canada and only took a few compsci classes). I did neurobio & biochem for my undergrad and I've been working in a neuroscience lab for the past ~3 years. However after the first 6 months in this lab I sorta transitioned into doing mostly data analysis so I learned a lot of "data science" along the way. For graduate programs you could apply to ones where you can learn more transferable skills (like programming). For example I think you're much more likely to learn programming or data science skills if you go for a neuroscience or bioinformatics programs instead of other fields like developmental biology (where you'll probably just spend 5 years pipetting). See if you can work in a lab where you can learn more of these quantitative skills for a few years. There are also conferences like SciPy (highly recommend) where you can pickup introductory or more advanced skills at their workshops and interact with people & attend talks to get an idea of what's out there. Thank you! This is exactly what I've been thinking! I love biology but I don't want to waste time pipetting or writing papers with no career in the future. I have been looking at some data science/data analysis master's programs, but I was not sure they would be the most beneficial to me since I have a biology-heavy background. Do you think these kinds of programs would be helpful for someone who needs to start from scratch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyruvate Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 I looked at data science master's programs in Canada some time ago but wasn't too satisfied with the coursework they offer since I had already learned much of it at my current job and I'm not really in a financial state where I can afford to go to school full-time without a stipend. I think the program at UBC takes people even if you only have a biology background, I think Waterloo also has a decent program too. My advice on getting started would be to learn linear algebra (tons of courses online) and then this book https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/data-science-from/9781492041122/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachycheescake Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 7 hours ago, pyruvate said: I looked at data science master's programs in Canada some time ago but wasn't too satisfied with the coursework they offer since I had already learned much of it at my current job and I'm not really in a financial state where I can afford to go to school full-time without a stipend. I think the program at UBC takes people even if you only have a biology background, I think Waterloo also has a decent program too. My advice on getting started would be to learn linear algebra (tons of courses online) and then this book https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/data-science-from/9781492041122/ I will look into them thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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