Master’s in Data Science Programs in Minnesota

Hearing great things about the Twin Cities? You’re in the right place. We’ve put together a short guide to earning an Minnesota data science degree. It has details on everything from research & scholarships to startups & salary numbers. Already have a school in mind? Skip ahead to our list of all the data science programs in Minnesota.

Studying Data Science in Minnesota

The Twin Cities area has been adding tech jobs to its economy, complementing the state’s existing powerhouses (e.g. GM, the Mayo Clinic, Target, Ecolab, Cargill, etc.). The state’s tech sector is supported by a number of organizations, including the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), tech.mn, and MinneAnalytics. MinneAnalytics is a whole world of big data enthusiasts—it organizes regular conferences, funds scholarships, and assists in competitions (e.g. MUDAC).

And it’s not just the big companies that are seeing dividends. Twin Cities has a solid startup scene. Fostered by groups such as Beta.mn, minne*, Matchstick Ventures, and MN-SBIR (run by MHTA), entrepreneurs are creating new data jobs in software, healthcare, retail & more.

Data Science Research & Initiatives at Minnesota Universities

Many Minnesota universities have stepped up their big data game. UMTC has the Carlson School of Management. If you’re interested in linking your data work to business opportunities, you may wish to explore:

• The Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, which provides support for emerging entrepreneurs from UMTC and beyond. The Holmes Center helps organize the MN Cup—a major startup competition.
• The Institute for Research in Marketing, which links the latest research to practical problems facing managers.
• The Medical Industry Leadership Institute (MILI), which focuses on market evaluations, industry problems, and policy issues.

The University of St. Thomas (UST) has a Center of Excellence for Big Data (CoE4BD). The Center is a Cloudera Academic Partner.

Finally, there are the specialists, such as The College of Saint Scholastica (CSS). CSS has a well established Department of Health Information Management (HIM). Bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Online Data Science Programs in Minnesota

Minnesota’s online degree offerings are fairly healthy—UMTC remains focused on campus programs, but other schools are happy to accommodate distance learners. We talk about general things to look for in an online data science program elsewhere, so here we’ve concentrated on what’s available in the North Star State.

Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science

There are a few options for online graduate certificates offered by Minnesota universities:

• Capella offers two online graduate certificates in Analytics Using SAS® (beginner and advanced). These programs include free SAS® certification exam vouchers, virtual internships, and access to SAS® software. Course credits can be applied to the MS in Analytics.
• CSS has concentrated on its strength (i.e. healthcare) and developed an online Healthcare Informatics Certificate. Coursework can be completed in fewer than three semesters, and it’s heavily focused on analytics and systems. Credits can be applied to the online MS in Health Informatics.

Looking for something a little less specialized? We’ve also compiled a directory of programs offered by respected schools throughout the country: Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science.

Online Master’s Degrees in Data Science

Capella has an online option for master’s students:

• The online Master of Science in Analytics was developed in collaboration with SAS® and it focuses on serious “nuts and bolts”—tools such as SAS, R, Python, and Tableau; concepts of data mining; advanced analytics and modeling; and so on.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers an online Accelerated MBA with an emphasis in Data Analytics. This degree focuses on areas such as data visualization, analytics strategy, and ethics, and includes a capstone project.

If you’re in healthcare, be sure to check out the CSS’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics. This two-year program uses real clinical data and patient info in courses such as systems design & software development, usability, and healthcare data analytics. 

Data Science Scholarships in Minnesota

• We’ve highlighted university scholarships that can specifically be applied to the school’s data program. However, the Graduate Studies Office will have more info on general scholarships and alternative financing options. For example, the University of St. Thomas’s Financial Aid section and Saint Mary’s Graduate Financial Aid Scholarships section all have helpful links.

The College of Saint Scholastica

• CSS Discounts for Tuition for Graduate Degree Programs
  • Benedictine Health Care Facility Discount: CSS offers a 15% tuition discount to employees of Benedictine Health Care facilities. Students must be employed at least four-fifths (0.8). The discount applies to any number of credits for fall, spring, or summer semesters.
  • Clinical Agency Discount: CSS works with a variety of healthcare providers in the local area to provide undergraduates with clinical training. If you are an employee of one of these sites, and providing professional guidance to CSS students, you may be eligible for a 50% discount on tuition on your graduate program.
• Meaningful Work Award: Online graduate students are eligible for this award. It offers a 10% tuition discount to employees of a large number of participating organizations—many of these organizations are medical (e.g. Albany Area Hospital, Banner Health, Buffalo Hospital, etc.).

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

• MBA Scholarships & Fellowships: The Carlson School gives a large number of financial awards to MBA students each year. There are scholarships for women, veterans, diverse candidates, international students—the list goes on. When you’re enrolled in a full-time MBA program, you will automatically be considered for any eligible scholarship.
• MSBA Scholarship: Carlson School offers $20,000 merit-based scholarships to full-time MSBA graduate students. Carlson and UMTC also provide a limited number of merit-based scholarships to international students. As you might imagine, these are quite competitive. If you are eligible and enroll in the MSBA program, you will automatically be considered for the award.

Data Science Events in Minnesota

Data Science Meetups & Communities in Minnesota

The Twin Cities area has a variety of data meetups—many of them focused on specific tools & technologies. We also recommend you check out the website of MinneAnalytics, which has an active data science community and a helpful list of user group meetups on its website.

1. Analyze This! Crowd-sourced Data Science: A fun one! Each quarter, teams work on a data science challenge issued by a business or organization (e.g. Habitat for Humanity). There are also workshops, bootcamps, talks, and monthly meetings to track progress.
2. PyLadies Twin Cities: This is a regional offshoot of an international organization that promotes women’s involvement in the Python open-source community. There are regular study groups for beginners.
3. Social Data Science: This altruistic group is open to anyone who wishes to give back to the community. Meetups focus on applying data science to data provided by non-profit organizations.
4. Twin Cities Spark & Hadoop User Group: As the title suggests, this is another one for the skills-lovers. It has a healthy membership base and plenty of workshops. Past talks have included presentations by Doug Cutting (creator of Hadoop) and Kudu Founder Todd Lipcon.

Data Science Conferences & Workshops in Minnesota

Minnesota may not be the first choice of conferences such as Strata Data Conference, Predictive Analytics World, IEEE Conferences, SIGKDD, The Machine Learning Conference, but Minneapolis & St. Paul still organize plenty of useful events for data scientists and entrepreneurs. (You may also want to look at options in Chicago & Detroit.)

1. MinneAnalytics Conferences: MinneAnalytics organizes a large number of annual conferences, including Data Tech, HALICON (healthcare analytics), and many more. You’re bound to find something in your field!
2. Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science Conference: Organized by UMN’s Center for Nursing Informatics, this conference features the latest big data trends and developments in the nursing field, and highlights the discoveries of virtual workgroups. There is also a skills-driven pre-conference.
3. Twin Cities Startup Week: This jam-packed week takes place every fall in the Twin Cities Metro area (the self-title “Startup Capital of the North”). You have the option to take part in a wide variety of presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and mentor sessions in multiple venues.

Data Science Jobs in Minnesota

As we mentioned, the state plays host to giants such as 3M, Target, Best Buy, GM, Ecolab, Cargill, Xcel Energy, etc. Like so many businesses, these companies are making a strong push into data science and research.

Another key strength is health technology. Minnesota has its own Medical Alley. This is the land of the Mayo Clinic, Boston Scientific, 3M Healthcare, and more. Many Twin Cities companies are involved in creating and monitoring devices (think Internet of Things).

That’s not to neglect the data sector! The North Star State is home to the data mining & analytics startup Centriam; the big data consulting firm phDATA; the headquarters of Data Sciences International and The Nerdery; and a branch of Oracle built from Retek. Plus, there are innumerable software companies (established and startups) that are involved in everything from sports (e.g SportsEngine) to marketing (e.g. LeadPages).

Data Scientist Salaries in Minnesota

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for computer and information research scientists, which includes data scientists, was $129,890 in 2018.

Data Science Programs in Minnesota

We found 4 universities in Minnesota offering Masters of Data Science programs (and/or closely related programs, like MS in Analytics / Masters in Business Analytics).

If you represent a university and would like to contact us about editing any of our listings, or adding new programs, please send an email to info@mastersindatascience.org.