[venture_lol]

With data science, do you mean data science as in learning the tools, the software behind data science? That's like learning any technologies or tools.

Along this line, you would just be a "tech", not a "scientist" That's not to say you won't be real well compensated.

Data Science as in you are someone able to make sense of the myriads of conflicting data, derive pattern, synthesize bits and bytes into action plans, there is no degree in that :)

As an example on this line of thought, people may win the Nobel prize in Economics even though they may have no idea on how to use Excel :)