Graduate

The Data Science program, offered jointly by the Department of Computer & Information Science in the College of Engineering and the Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts & Sciences, provides advanced education to prepare students for professional positions in data analysis, informatics, data-driven decision-making, and related fields.

You'll gain a strong foundation in information theory, mathematics and computer science with current methodologies and tools to enable data-driven discovery, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Our program has been ranked amongst the best MS programs nationwide (16th Best degree program, 7th best value MS program)

Many of our students are involved with projects, hackathons, and other extracurricular events through our BigDataClub.

Prospective students can learn more about the admission process and application requirements here.

Program goals

  1. Meet the growing regional and national demand for high-level information systems/science skills;
  2. Provide a path for individuals from diverse fields to rapidly transition to data science career paths;
  3. Enable established information technology and computing professionals to upgrade their technical management and development skills;
  4. Prepare graduates to apply data science techniques for knowledge discovery and dissemination to assist researchers or decision makers in achieving organizational objectives;
  5. Establish stronger ties to alumni to enhance opportunities for continued learning and leadership;
  6. Create innovators, entrepreneurs, business professionals who will lead the development of next generation information systems.

Learning outcomes

At the time of graduation, students will:

  • be able apply contemporary techniques for managing, mining, and analyzing big data across multiple disciplines;
  • be able to use computation and computational thinking to gain new knowledge and to solve real-world problems of high complexity;
  • have the ability to communicate their ideas and findings persuasively in written, oral and visual form and to work in a diverse team environment;
  • apply advanced knowledge of computing and information systems applications to areas such as networking, database, security and privacy, and Web technologies;
  • be better prepared for career advancement in all areas of information science and technology;
  • be committed to continuous learning about emerging and innovative methods, technologies, and new ideas, and be able to bring them to bear to help others; 
  • have an appreciation for the professional, societal and ethical considerations of data collection and use