06-03-2022, 06:34 PM
Hi Latesterna,
I graduated from Eastern's Data Science program back in January and had the same concerns as you. In my experience, Eastern falls into the "very liberal" for a Christian School category. One of my instructors mentions that he is a Christian at a time where it was contextually appropriate and that was it. There was NEVER any talk about LGBTQ+ issues or anything negative. Not to stereotype other Christians, but these folks seemed to be more like the Christians who organize anti-war/anti-racism protests and run soup kitchens, rather than those that condemn queer folk, want to control a woman's biology and believe that our prior president was the second coming of Christ.
I was actually considering both Georgia Tech and Eastern. I even had all of my recommendations submitted for Tech. The reason why I chose Eastern was simply due to my ability to quickly finish the program (while still learning what I needed to know). I realized that it would take me at least 2.5 years to finish my degree at Georgia Tech (2 classes in the fall and spring semesters, one class in the summer semester), whereas I could complete the Eastern course in 10 months (it wound up taking a full year).
My thinking was that I would be able to move into a data scientist position a year and a half sooner. Considering that I graduated in December, started applying for data scientist positions in March and just received my offer for a new position yesterday, I think that I made a good call. I am getting a pay increase of over 40% of my current base salary as a senior data analyst with this position. Looking at the current market, I don't think that I could have gotten a job that paid any higher had I gone with the Georgia Tech degree. I am actually planning on going to Georgia Tech anyway, to complete an MS in Computer Science with a Machine Learning concentration next year. It will be mostly for fun, though.
If you don't want to go to Eastern, check out some of the other programs like WGU, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, and Thomas Edison State University.
I graduated from Eastern's Data Science program back in January and had the same concerns as you. In my experience, Eastern falls into the "very liberal" for a Christian School category. One of my instructors mentions that he is a Christian at a time where it was contextually appropriate and that was it. There was NEVER any talk about LGBTQ+ issues or anything negative. Not to stereotype other Christians, but these folks seemed to be more like the Christians who organize anti-war/anti-racism protests and run soup kitchens, rather than those that condemn queer folk, want to control a woman's biology and believe that our prior president was the second coming of Christ.
I was actually considering both Georgia Tech and Eastern. I even had all of my recommendations submitted for Tech. The reason why I chose Eastern was simply due to my ability to quickly finish the program (while still learning what I needed to know). I realized that it would take me at least 2.5 years to finish my degree at Georgia Tech (2 classes in the fall and spring semesters, one class in the summer semester), whereas I could complete the Eastern course in 10 months (it wound up taking a full year).
My thinking was that I would be able to move into a data scientist position a year and a half sooner. Considering that I graduated in December, started applying for data scientist positions in March and just received my offer for a new position yesterday, I think that I made a good call. I am getting a pay increase of over 40% of my current base salary as a senior data analyst with this position. Looking at the current market, I don't think that I could have gotten a job that paid any higher had I gone with the Georgia Tech degree. I am actually planning on going to Georgia Tech anyway, to complete an MS in Computer Science with a Machine Learning concentration next year. It will be mostly for fun, though.
If you don't want to go to Eastern, check out some of the other programs like WGU, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, and Thomas Edison State University.
MS, Data Science, Eastern University
ALM, Information Technology, Harvard University
AB, Government, Georgetown University
In Progress: MS, Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology (Projected Completion 2027)
ALM, Information Technology, Harvard University
AB, Government, Georgetown University
In Progress: MS, Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology (Projected Completion 2027)
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