<p>I'm pretty much set on getting a masters degree in either Bioinformatics or Applied Statistics. My problem is finding a job after I receive that degree.</p>
<p>Let me cut to the chase so I avoid typing fluff:</p>
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<li><p>What are the job prospects for someone with a masters in Bioinformatics or Applied Statistics?</p></li>
<li><p>I've been hearing from a lot of people on these boards that a masters in science is simply not worth it such as Chemistry, Biology, any reiteration of bio or chem etc. Are these fields different?</p></li>
<li><p>I am currently a biology major taking math classes and some comp sci classes to supplement my major. Is research the only experience I can get? It seems very difficult to pinpoint an internship specifically related to informatics or statistics, especially since my gpa is only a 3.01 (it will be at least a 3.2 by the time I graduate hopefully).</p></li>
<li><p>Even if I don't get that much experience in undergrad, will I get a lot more experience when I'm in graduate school. For example, if I get into a Bioinformatics masters program, will I be getting the experience required through TAing and fellowships so that I can directly start applying to jobs and join the work force after I receive my masters?</p></li>
<li><p>Which one has better prospects, Bioinformatics or Applied Statistics (Biostatistics)?</p></li>
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<li><p>A lot of methodologist/data analyst/scientist/consultant type of jobs, in research institutions of all kinds (academia/industry/government). My first student who finished her MSc in Biostat had a job in a health institute a week after handing in her thesis (it’s an anecdote I know, but a decent illustrative example). She didn’t have to move and she had a number of other prospects elsewhere.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, especially in statistics. Chemistry and biology are saturated with PhDs, and labs are expensive to run. However, data is cheap and plentiful, and the need for people who know how to distill all those numbers into meaningful results and explanations is great. That’s why a Master’s degree is sufficient for many jobs: you need to know the advanced methods, and have experience in analysis outside the pre-prepared data undergrads deal with. But you don’t need your own research experience in developping new methods and the advanced mathematics that go with a PhD in stats or computer science.</p></li>
<li><p>Any science internship where you get to do data analysis is useful. As mentioned, undergrad statistics is about relatively basic stuff, with data coming all neat and clean, and methods to be used explicitely given to you most of the time. Real-life problems don’t work that way. You have a scientific question, you get data that does not necessarily follow the assumptions of your stats 101 course, and you get to decide which method is the most appropriate in dealing with the data and answering the question.</p></li>
<li><p>It’s up to you to get some experience as a graduate student. Working as a research assistant for profs in other departments is good. Sociology, psychology, geology, geography, finance, you name it… they need people who can analyze data and write computer programs…</p></li>
<li><p>Applied statistics is probably more applicable in a wide variety of areas. But bioinformatics deals with many modern data issues, thus, while more specialized, it’s a rich enough field that job prospects I wouldn’t worry much about. In any case, as a job seeker you have to be flexible and know what different jobs are open to you and how to present yourself and adapt to each employer. Having a job is a whole new learning experience, no matter what your degree is.</p></li>
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