Articles & Commentary
Articles & Commentary
Making the Leap to Data Science From a Non-Technical Career: Are You Ready?
You are good at your job. You have spent years in marketing, operations, sales, HR, or client services, and you have watched data quietly take over every meeting you sit in. The dashboards get more sophisticated, and the vocabulary around you shifts toward "models" and "predictions." And somewhere in the... More
Is a Master’s in AI Worth It? How to Run the Numbers for Your Own Situation
Whether a master's in artificial intelligence pays off depends on more than tuition. Boston University's Online Master of Science in Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence costs $25,000 in total and typically takes four semesters part-time. Those numbers are easy to find. The harder question is what that investment actually changes for... More
Data Engineer to Data Scientist: Which Skills Transfer and Which You’ll Need to Build
Engineers considering the move from data engineer to data scientist tend to ask a version of the same question: how different is this, really, from what I already do? It's a fair question. After all, you already write production code. You already handle data at volume. You have probably built... More
How Long Does It Take to Get an Online Master’s in Data Science?
When people ask how long it takes to earn a master’s in data science, the answer often focuses on the shortest completion timeline. That can be useful, but it does not reflect every student’s experience. For working professionals, the better question is what pace fits alongside work and other commitments. More
BU’s Online At-Scale Programs Reach Working Professionals Across Industries and Around the World
Boston University’s online at-scale graduate programs bring together working professionals from a wide range of industries, organizations, and geographies. They are software engineers and physicians, financial analysts and public health practitioners, product managers and manufacturing leaders. Most continue working full time while pursuing their degrees, bringing current professional experience into... More
Bootcamp, Certificate, or Master’s in Data Science: How to Choose
The question is usually framed as a ranking: which credential is best. That framing produces bad decisions, because these three formats are not competing versions of the same product. They solve different problems, on different timelines, for people at different starting points. The better question when weighing a data science bootcamp... More
BU Welcomes First Cohort to Its Online MS in Software Engineering for AI
Artificial intelligence is changing both what software engineers build and how they build it. Engineers are incorporating AI into products, using AI-assisted development tools, managing new types of data and models, and making decisions about reliability, security, transparency, and responsible use. These changes are happening quickly and software professionals cannot... More
Can You Get a Data Science Master’s Without a Computer Science Degree?
Can You Get a Data Science Master's Without a Computer Science Degree? The answer is yes. And the assumption that you cannot is one of the common reasons qualified people never apply. Pursuing a data science master's without a computer science degree is a well-established path, and the applicant pools for... More
Data Science Master’s Prerequisites: How to Tell If You’re Ready
One of the hardest questions for prospective data science students is also one of the most basic: am I actually ready for a master’s program? People often answer that question too narrowly. Some rule themselves out because their undergraduate degree was not in computer science, mathematics, or another technical field. Others... More
Data Analyst to Data Scientist: What Actually Changes in the Work
Most professionals who want to move from data analyst to data scientist already know how to work with data. They write SQL. They own recurring dashboards. They are the person leadership asks when a number looks strange. For some, the challenge is not competence but the possibility of reaching a... More
More Than a Virtual Class: How BU Virtual Brings the Classroom to Students Around the World
For a student logging into a live session in one of Boston University's online graduate programs, the experience can look deceptively simple: a faculty member appears on screen, classmates join from around the world, and the class begins. What students don't see is everything happening around that moment. Behind each live online... More
BU Welcomes First Cohort of Online MS in AI in Business Students
From finance and technology to healthcare and retail, organizations are navigating a new era shaped by artificial intelligence. As AI continues to influence how businesses operate and make decisions, professionals across industries are seeking the knowledge and tools to help their organizations adapt. This fall, more than 200 professionals will begin... More
MPH After College or After Working: How to Decide
If you are asking, “Should I get an MPH after college or work first?” focus on what each path will help you accomplish. An MPH after college can provide early professional direction and core public health skills. Working first can give you practical context and a clearer understanding of where... More
From AI Experimentation to Enterprise Transformation: The Leadership Decisions That Matter
Artificial intelligence is prompting organizations to rethink how work gets done. Significant experimentation is already underway across industries, changing how software is developed, how research and analysis are conducted, and how organizations make decisions and deliver value. The larger leadership challenge is not simply adopting new tools. It is understanding how... More
Lifelong Learning Is Now a Career Strategy – Here’s How to Choose Your Next Credential
Not long ago, education followed a fairly predictable path: earn a degree, begin a career, and rely on experience to advance over the next several decades. While professionals have always continued learning on the job, formal education was often viewed as something completed early in life. Today, that model is changing. More
Why Data Science Matters in the Age of AI
Data science matters more in the age of AI, not less. Every AI system rests on choices made long before anyone types a prompt: what data was collected, how it was prepared, what the model learned from it, and whether anyone can tell if the result holds. Those are data science... More
Your Cohort Is Part of the Learning Experience: Inside BU’s Online MS Programs
When prospective students evaluate a graduate program, they often begin with the curriculum, faculty, flexibility, and cost. Those are critically important considerations. But for working professionals, another element shapes the experience: the people you learn alongside. Across Boston University's online AI graduate programs, students learn in cohorts designed to bring together... More
Teaching a Field That’s Still Being Invented: Inside BU’s Online Master’s in Software Engineering for AI
Software engineering has been called a young discipline for almost fifty years. The version now forming around artificial intelligence is younger still, so new, says Mohamad Kassab, that "many of the terms have not been coined yet." Kassab is Program Director of Boston University's online Master of Science in Software... More
Is an Online MPH Worth It? Career Value, Flexibility, and Employer Tuition Support
For working professionals, the return on an MPH includes more than a salary. Career scope, continued employment while studying, and available tuition benefits all affect the calculation. A master's degree is a significant investment of time and money, which is exactly why so many people ask whether an online MPH is... More
The Social Compiler: How BU’s Online MBA Builds Real Bonds in a Virtual Classroom
At a recent commencement for Boston University's Online MBA, around 350 graduates gathered in person after spending much of the program learning together online. By the end of the ceremony, more than 300 were in tears. One graduate spoke about losing family members while completing the program and about what her... More