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Data analysis is a broad discipline that has a home in organisations of almost all types. Whether in the public or private sector, a start-up business or international charity, the work of data analysts is crucial to success. It’s a highly valued role that offers good career growth and salary potential, making it appealing to graduates. Not only that, but pathways to entering the field are highly diverse and allow students or professionals to transfer in from a range of backgrounds.
With so many options when it comes to entering this field, it can be difficult to know where to start or what the best choices are. This guide has been developed to help you answer any questions you might have about how to become a data analyst, allowing you to complete your studies and start your career.
Covering everything from the skills required for data analysts to the most useful qualifications to get, you’ll find everything you need on launching your career in this field on this page.
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A career as a data analyst is an increasingly good choice as more organisations come to appreciate the incredible value of effectively collecting, managing and analysing data. In a world driven by digital systems, businesses can achieve new growth, risk management or operational efficiency by leveraging the potential of their data. To do this, talented and driven data analysts are essential. As a result, graduates who are able to demonstrate their data analysis skills and industry knowledge can explore a huge range of interesting roles across many sectors, developing their career prospects and achieving great salaries.
Graduates of various backgrounds are aiming to become data analysts, as students of any discipline with an analytical or technical focus can adapt their experience and skills to this career path. Not only that, but professional in this field are able to move between various industries throughout their career, opening up opportunities in everything from industrial processes to market research, social studies, public services or more.
Fundamentally, working as a data analyst is a chance to earn a living investigating data, solving problems and making discoveries that will benefit your organisation, business or society as a whole.
There are several different routes into working as a data analyst, making it a promising option for students and graduates of various backgrounds and career experiences.
Relevant qualifications for data analysts include undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, along with an apprenticeship, college course or graduate training scheme.
Studying a degree in a relevant area is the most typical way to qualify in this field and become eligible for a range of data analyst jobs. While data science is the most directly relevant subject to study to enhance your data analyst prospects, you could also study in areas such as statistics, mathematics, economics, psychology or life sciences to achieve the same end – the study of statistical methods is the core part of qualifying as a data analyst.
Beyond academic qualifications, gaining relevant professional experience and showing that you can deploy your knowledge and skills in real world environments will help you stand out against other graduates and progress in the field. Academic research projects, internships and placements, or graduate roles are all good ways to do this.
There are also a number of professional accreditations available for you to work towards, from organisations like RSS, ICAEW, or BCS. This is a good way of evidencing your abilities if you’ve already graduated, or want to develop as a data analyst during your career.
Admissions criteria for data analyst courses will differ from programme to programme, and university to university. However, for a taught master’s like an MSc, you can typically expect to need an undergraduate honours degree at 2:1 or higher level, in a relevant subject with a mathematical and/or computational focus. Applicants from other disciplines will be considered if they can evidence sufficient statistical, mathematical or programming learning.
Doctoral applicants will need a good grade at undergraduate honours level along with a relevant master’s degree, usually at merit level or above. A good research proposal is also required in most cases.
Applicants with lower academic grades and relevant professional experience or qualifications will also be considered.
Working as a data analyst is possible from a range of academic backgrounds, as success in this type of role comes from having the key data analysis skills needed to collect, manage, analyse and report on different types of data.
Thinking analytically, understanding data, solving problems and working with a keen eye for detail are all core skills that will help you succeed as a data analyst. You’ll need to be able to use specialist software to achieve your objectives, including database, business intelligence and dedicated statistical programs.
Being able to communicate effectively, both in written and verbal terms, will be essential in conveying your findings and suggestions to other parts of the business. Being able to write technical reports, summarise data, and explain complex processes in a clear and concise way is a valued trait.
For advanced roles involving specialist techniques or the manipulation of industry-specific data, knowledge of data science principles and processes will often be required. Relevant expertise relating to a particular sector or business activity, such as marketing or civil engineering, for example, may also be required in order to help you convert data into meaningful insights and recommendations.
You can choose from more than 210 postgraduate data analyst courses across UK higher education institutions, with almost 100 universities offering programmes in this subject area. The PGS course search tool is a great way to explore and shortlist such a wide range of options, allowing you to get key info on course content and entry requirements easily before making your decision.
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