Get Your Gears Turning
How many engineering disciplines can you name?
UCSB educates students in five key areas: chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science. However, there are over 50 other engineering disciplines to discover including aerospace, automotive, biochemical, civil, environmental, geotechnical, industrial, manufacturing, nanotechnology, nuclear, petroleum, security, telecommunications, and traffic engineering. All areas overlap with basic engineering knowledge and skills.
Learn how you can pursue your discipline or pivot your UCSB education into the area of your choice through a career path in Engineering + Technology.
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Engineering + Technology Bookshelf
Overview of
Engineering for Non-EngineersGain Experience: Data Science
For complete information on internships, student jobs, research opportunities, extracurriculars, and more, review our starter tips to Gain Experience in all careers as well as the specialized tips on this page.
Overview
Because data science encompasses many different disciplines, we typically recommend that you take initiative outside of the classroom to gain experience and enhance your skills in this field. It is important to demonstrate to employers that you understand the world of data and how you fit into it.
Types of Experience
Given the recent demand for data science work, there are a number of ways to gain experience. Click below to explore initial tips.
There are a few data science related campus organizations that are open to all students that want to learn more about the world of data. Oftentimes, they are project-based and teach students the basic concepts of data science focusing on using specific languages such as R, Python, and SQL. They also host events with data science professionals to discuss various careers within the field and showcase projects completed by members of the organization.
Review the campus organizations below to see which might be a best fit for you:
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For full access to campus organizations at UCSB, explore our Extracurriculars page.
Campus organizations and academic courses may be able to offer you structure to complete specific projects, however, experiencing the data science world outside of prescribed structure truly shows you how chaotic the field can be. There are data science events at most universities and major cities, and often there is a discount for students.
Taking on a personal project will provide you with valuable skills and knowledge to utilize in your career. It is a great way to discover what you do and do not like within the field, and deepen the knowledge you are gaining. Projects are also beneficial to incorporate into your resume and cover letter. Kaggle provides the opportunity to work on data science projects with others around the world. This is a great environment to start a project, join a competition, and meet others in the data science community.
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If you have enough curiosity and stamina, learn how to create your own project through this Advice on Building Data Portfolio Projects.
The UCSB Data Science Initiative highlights a wide variety of research projects and campus-affiliated projects and centers. Reach out to the affiliated project leaders and centers to see how you can get involved. This is a great way to put your skills into practice, especially if you are interested in pursuing graduate school in the future.
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Wondering how to reach out to professors about research experiences? Review our Research page for strategies and guidance.
Internships provide hands-on industry experience and make you very competitive when looking for full-time positions after graduation. Use the keywords of data science job families to seek out internships on Handshake and additional job boards that are related to your interests and skills.
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Take advantage of on-campus internships through UCSB’s Information Technology Internship Program.
Remember, a data science intern may have very different requirements than a data analyst intern. Pay close attention to job titles, but even more importantly, pay close attention to job descriptions.
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