Heather Fettke

Meet Heather Fettke: An online Coursera MS in Data Science student taking their Bachelors in mechanical engineering and atmospheric and oceanic sciences to the next level with an MS in Data Science

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

I am pivoting my career a bit. I studied mechanical engineering and atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Maryland. I am currently trying to break into the tech field by working as a software engineer. A part of my undergraduate studies that I really enjoyed was computer vision and ML/AI. 

What initially drew you to this program? 

I liked the versatility that data science can offer and the focus on machine learning. 

Can you tell us how the MS-DS program fits into your life? 

The flexibility of this program is perfect. There are no weekly deadlines, which is really helpful. Some weeks I spend 20 hours studying, but others I spend less than 5 if it's a busy week or I have to travel for work. 

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

I hope to pivot my career to get a machine learning role and get promoted. 

Would you recommend this program to others? Why or why not? 

Yes, I would. It's a very flexible program. 

What do you wish you’d known before starting the MS-DS? 

The online version does not offer a lot of help with career counseling and other resources that residential students have access to.