I just graduated undergrad as well. The biggest factors assisting me in getting a DS position were: 1. Previous internship in data science 2. Experience develo

I just graduated undergrad as well. The biggest factors assisting me in getting a DS position were: 1. Previous internship in data science 2. Experience developing R packages and putting them on GitHub 3. Really having statistical theory down pat You don't need an advanced degree to be a data scientist but you need a strong understanding of stats and how to work with data. Having an advanced degree is a good indicator that you can do that. But it's not a prerequisite for an undergrad: Github, internships, TA-ships can make that up. I think one advantage is that while PhD's are typically very good at the research process and the techniques used in their research, undergrads could be more flexible and adaptive to different situations.