
Is Udacity's AI Nanodegree Worth It? - interdrift
I want to get into professional ML&#x2F;AI. I&#x27;m working as full time software engineer for 3 years now and I&#x27;m looking to pick up some high-end skills in AI&#x2F;ML after going through the basics in Coursera, Edx. I&#x27;m looking for a review of the past term in the program since it is VERY costly for someone from eastern Europe so I want to make sure I&#x27;m not making a stupid move by paying for the AI nanodegree in which I have been offered a place.
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AndrewKemendo
As someone who recruits and interviews ML engineers, specifically for computer
vision applications, I only barely look at your educational background.

I look for actual projects you have contributed to, published research, OSS
contrib etc... that shows you can actually build something deployable and
robust (mod your experience). Why? Most ML researchers are terrible at
actually deploying products using ML.

School work can be relevant if it is part of a thesis, or research effort but
in that case it's really still just [goto contributions].

At the application/implementation level you won't be making a new version of
eg. gradient descent (and if you are you shouldn't be in industry as that's
probably* a waste of resources), you'll be implementing existing ML systems
and optimizing parameters. The most important thing you should be able to do
is identify sources of data, structure data inputs flow and manage variability
for the data you are using for both training and classification.

This doesn't answer your question directly, but it answers the implied
question: What skills should I have to be a professional ML engineer?

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mempko
I can validate this. As someone who built a production CV system and
interviewed graduates. Finding the magical ML graduate who can also code and
make a production system is almost impossible.

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lefnire
I don't have anything certain, nor have I seen anyone answer this certainly -
though this question has come up often. Obviously MOOCs will eventually be the
way - huge companies are getting behind the movement; courses taught by best-
of-best (eg Thrun, Ng); sustainability, etc. But I don't think we're quite
there yet - I'd give it 3yrs. A recurring answer by hiring managers and
recruiters is that they don't (yet) respect nanodegrees, at the various
companies they recruit for. A Masters is much more respected (and looks like
the majority minimum required degree for a decent ML job; no need for PhD,
good luck with a BS). One option I'm very seriously considering is Georgia
Tech's online MS "OMSCS"
[https://www.omscs.gatech.edu](https://www.omscs.gatech.edu). It's a
legitimate accredited MS at $7k (more expensive than Udacity, but _much_ less
expensive than most MS programs). TMK it actually uses some Udacity courses in
lieu of actual courses - they're partnered (hey, it might actually just be a
nanodegree disguised as a university MS). I think it's sort of a transition
from academia-proper to MOOCs, and it's respected by employers. So that would
be my personal recommendation.

I'm going to be doing a lot more research in coming weeks. I'm going to
publish my findings to my podcast [http://ocdevel.com/podcasts/machine-
learning](http://ocdevel.com/podcasts/machine-learning) and maybe drop what I
find here too. Hopefully there will be some more answers here to pool from.

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interdrift
I'm mainly looking to acquire the knowledge and less the academic 'prestige'
part of things at the moment altho I definitely agree that a Msc would be much
more appealing to a recruiter as you said they are in a somewhat
'transitioning' stage or rather they are starting to have some faith in MOOCs

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Dim25
I've done Udacity's ML and doing the SDC in free time.

Short answer: Yes - I would do it again.

ML (Mid 2016): Cost-wise you may be able to gather the similar quality of
materials for free, nothing are too unique and in many cases additional
intensive research are still required. But, the Udacity provides nice
structure and helps you to keep motivated.

SDC (2016): Much better experience for students, the quality of materials are
higher, and amount of support from the peer group are extraordinary. Just one
of the five projects in the first term are more complex than the whole ML
nanodegree.

Haven't tried the AI nanodegree myself, but because it's a part of the new
batch of programs I believe the experience would be quite positive (closer to
SDC).

If you will decide to proceed with self-learning path, here is a nice multi-
month study plan: [https://github.com/ZuzooVn/machine-learning-for-software-
eng...](https://github.com/ZuzooVn/machine-learning-for-software-engineers)

In any case I strongly advice to take a look into Andrew Ng's coursera courses
and Andrew Karpathy's CS231n on CNN
([http://cs231n.stanford.edu/](http://cs231n.stanford.edu/)) as a supportive
materials.

Also, if money is the main concern, you may want to apply to sponsorship, or
maybe discuss this with your current employer.

Feel free to PM me on twitter (same nick) if you have any other questions,
would be glad to assist.

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lefnire
How has it fared for you so far in the job market, have you started seeking
yet / talking to recruiters or employers?

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Dim25
I'm not looking for the job, so hard to tell. Everything depends on your
unique situation, but most likely the nanodegree alone will not be enough to
get a senior technical position. The good experience with algorithms is still
important. Some books which I usually suggest: "Gayle Laakmann McDowell -
Cracking the Coding Interview - 2016" and "The Algorithm Design Manual Second
Edition 2008".

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canyon289
I'm in the AI Nanodegree now and I have a Udacity Data Analyst nanodegree.

I also hold a traditional Engineering Masters and Engineering bachelors from
colleges so I have that perspective as well.

You can read my take on the AI Nanodegree and other programs here.

[http://canyon289.github.io/DSGuide.html#DSGuide](http://canyon289.github.io/DSGuide.html#DSGuide)

In summary I think Udacity is the best value per dollar for education but you
can't rely on a Nanodegree, or even a regular degree, to get you a job. Like
mentioned below most people care about your practical work. Udacity helps you
get there but it doesn't get you all the way. But I think it's still worth it.
Plus Udacity is pretty cool and offers scholarships which is relatively
unheard of in this MOOC space as far as I know

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WheelsAtLarge
Thanks for the detailed post on your experience. I've also wondered about the
value to the different online courses. Seems to be that the bottom line is
getting thru the material. Motivation is the key. Any advice on that?

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canyon289
Pretty much, the main differentiator I think is, do you just want to learn the
topic, or do you want to get a job in the topic. One requires a lot more work
than the other

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lunaticneko
I'd say only marginally. Even actual degrees are worth less than your
portfolio of your actual works. "Non-accredited" certificates like nanodegrees
(as opposed to "real" certs like CCIE that companies take seriously) can give
you an edge when you say you have a certified coursework if you're pitted
against someone who is similar to you. However, it won't be much of a leverage
against someone more matched for a job or more experienced than you.

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source99
Does anyone that has taken the Udacity self driving course have comments on
the 2nd and 3rd modules?

There isn't as much information available on those.

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rallycarre
no

