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After studying Biology and Computer Science, Coursera student Alexey Sokolov decided he wanted to advance his career and pursue his Master’s in Data Science. The convenience and flexibility of the program allows him to balance work, life, and school. Below, he shares his experience and advice for prospective students. 

When did you first enroll in the MS-DS program on the Coursera platform?

I started in Summer 2022 term (May 3 - June 24)

Can you tell us about your educational and work experience background before you enrolled in this program?

I have a degree in biology from Yaroslavl State University (Russia) and bachelor degree in computer science from University of the People (USA). My computer science degree was also completely online so it’s not the first time I’m studying completely online but it’s the first time when I do it through Coursera platform. I’ve always been passionate about applying computer science to biology so that’s why I’ve decided to have a career in the bioinformatics field. I have more than 10 years of experience in this field and I had the opportunity to work in both academic and startup environments. Currently I’m working as Project Lead in the Agricultural and Biodiversity Coordination team in EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI).

What initially drew you to this program?

I think this program will give me a third circle in a famous Venn diagram for data science unicorn - I already have circles in a domain knowledge (Biology), computer science, and this program will be math/statistics knowledge.

Can you tell me how the MS-DS on Coursera program fits into your life?

I would say it’s really perfect for those who have full time jobs and other commitments (family, bills, etc…). With this program I can study completely online when it’s convenient for me and Coursera itself on top of that offers quite handy service that gives a perfect user experience.

What are your favorite parts of the program?

So far I really love the approach that this program has. First of all performance-based admission - I don’t need to spend my time on this and can dive deep directly into the program from the beginning as admission courses will count towards a degree. Regarding courses itself, so far everything is really good - lots of hands-on labs and what is really important, there is a focus on building soft and presentation skills as well.

Is there a specific project you have worked on that stands out to you?

In the “Introduction to Data Science” course I had an opportunity to explore, visualize and build a model for COVID-19 data. That shows how important it is to have data science skills in the modern world, as data scientists can have a huge impact on making our world a better place to be.

What do you hope to do with your MS-DS degree?

Currently me and my team are involved in agricultural and biodiversity projects in the Europe that are really crucial for food security and bio-preservation for future generations and I hope to apply my new skills to move these projects forward and hopefully help to build a better world for a future.

Would you recommend this program to others?

Definitely yes. Program was designed for working professionals, so students are getting really necessary skills that will definitely help in career change or promotion within the current role.

What’s one tip you have for students who are starting this program?

It’s much much better to study a little every day than to save all learning activities for a weekend.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think online affordable education is really important for our society as it’s the only way to make our world a better place to be.