Best 23 Schools With Data Science Master’s Programs in 2021

Looking to freshen your résumé and improve your earning potential? You’re in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. As society places an increased emphasis on technology and the importance of accurate data, universities have been looking to improve their existing degree data and analytical degree programs and to create entirely new degrees offerings, both online and on-campus. We’ve listed 23 of these programs below.

Choose the Best Masters in Data Science Program For You

Does the data science program provide the skills you need?

Some data science programs target fields such as:

How did we choose the list of schools with data science graduate programs?

We interviewed 13 faculty members of universities and schools that offer data science programs. We asked:

• What are some crucial courses that data science graduate programs should have?
• What are some pros and cons to online data science programs?
• Is there value in capstone projects?
• Should students place high value on U.S. News & Reports top schools listings?
• What are some additional resources that your data science program offers to its students?

As a result of their answers, we listed programs that had the following:

• Machine Learning Course
• Database Course
• Capstone Requirement
• Student Organization or Association for Data Science Students
• Career Resources for Data Science Students
• Programs Offering Related Coursework

The List of Master’s in Data Science Programs

Drexel University

Master of Science in Data Science

• School: College of Computing and Informatics
• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Full-Time Program: Yes
• Part-Time Program: Yes
• Online Option: Yes
• Website: Drexel University

Drexel University’s program is housed within the universities College of Computing and Informatics. The program provides three elective tracks: Analytics, Mining and Algorithms, Visualization and Communication, and Management and Accountability. Students cover topics in each track including Machine Learning, Human-Computer Interaction, and Privacy. Students finish their program with a capstone project where they can apply their learning to a practical, real-world project with a total of 45 credits.

Illinois Institute of Technology

Master of Data Science

• School: College of Science
• Location: Chicago, IL
• Full-time Program: Yes – 12 to 16 months
• Part-Time Program: Yes
• Online Option: Yes
• Website: Illinois Institute of Technology

The Master of Data Science program, in keeping with IIT’s status as a leading technical university (it’s nationally ranked by US News & World Report for its Engineering, Computer Science, Math, and Physics programs), prepares students from a variety of backgrounds for data science careers with rigorous theoretical and practical training. In addition to technical material, courses include other important subjects such as communications, project management, and professional ethics.

The curriculum includes a capstone practicum project working with a variety of Chicago-area companies in a variety of industries. The program is available online as well as part-time, making it a good fit for students who need to keep working while they earn the degree.

University of Missouri – Columbia

Data Science and Analytics Master’s Program

• School: Graduate School
• Location: Columbia, MO
• Full-Time Program: Yes – two years
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: Online Only
• Website: University of Missouri – Columbia

The University of Missouri’s Data Science and Analytics Master’s Program is a cohort-based program that emphasizes student community through annual on-campus executive sessions and weekly cooperative tasks. Courses are taken 2 at a time in 8-week online modules designed to build off one another up to 34 credits total. The Industry Advisory Board is a partnership with industry leaders such as Boeing, IBM and The New York Times to provide students with networking opportunities.

Columbia University

Master of Science in Data Science

• School: Data Science Institute
• Location: New York, NY
• Full-Time Program: Yes – 30 credits
• Part-Time Program: Yes
• Online Option: No
• Website: Columbia University

To accommodate professionals, Columbia’s MSDS degree can be completed part-time or full-time. The curriculum includes 21 credits of required/core courses, including a capstone. The required courses cover the usual stomping grounds (e.g. machine learning). The capstone consists of a semester-length data science project sponsored by a faculty member or local organization. Students can choose a track focused on entrepreneurship or explore a subject area in Columbia’s Data Science Institute. This diverse group of research centers is conducting work on everything from health analytics and cybersecurity to smart cities and new media. There are also working groups devoted to frontiers in computing and materials discovery analytics.

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Indiana University, Bloomington

Master of Science in Data Science

• School: School of Informatics & Computing
• Location: Bloomington, IN
• Full-time Program: Yes – 30 credits
• Part-Time Program: Yes – up to 5 years to complete the program
• Online Option: Yes
• Website: Indiana University, Bloomington

This MSDS distinguishes itself partly by offering two distinct paths for students: a technical path and a decision-maker path. The technical curriculum includes courses in topics such as analysis of algorithms, cloud computing, and security for networked systems. The decision-maker track covers project management and driving organizational change using data. The degree is available in a campus, online, or hybrid version. In the blended format, 12 credits are completed online and 18 credits are finished on campus.

Bloomington has a sturdy reputation in quantitative analysis and computer science, and there are plenty of research opportunities open to students. The School of Informatics & Computing runs 15 research centers, including those that deal with bioinformatics, cybersecurity, social informatics, and much more.

Johns Hopkins University

Master of Data Science

• School: Whiting School of Engineering
• Location: Baltimore, MD
• Full-Time Program: Yes – 18 months
• Part-Time Program: Yes – two to three years
• Online Option: Yes
• Website: Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins data science master’s degree is a rigorous program that provides students with an education that covers topics in both mathematics and computer science. The majority of the 10 total courses are available online, allowing students to complete the degree entirely off-site.  Students will come out of this program with an understanding of both the theory and application of data science tools and techniques.

Northeastern University

Master of Data Science

• School: Khoury College of Computer Sciences
• Location: Boston, MA
• Full-Time Program: Yes – two to three years
• Part-Time Program: Yes
• Online Option: No
• Website: Northeastern University

Northeastern University’s data science master’s degree is comprised of 32 semester hours and  provides the skills needed to work in data science or begin a doctoral degree. Their core curriculum is supplemented by a large number of elective courses from various Northeastern departments as well as partner colleges. Master’s students at Northeastern have the opportunity to participate in the co-op program. This program gives students with up to 12 months of professional experience to apply their learning outside the classroom.

University of California, San Diego

Master of Advanced Study in Data Science and Engineering

• School: Departments of Computer Science and Engineering
• Location: San Diego, CA
• Full-Time Program: No
• Part-Time Program: Yes – two years
• Online Option: No
• Website: University of California, San Diego

The MAS is aimed at early- to mid-career data professionals working with massive data sets. That might mean folks who are currently on a technical leadership track or those who are looking at a career shift to data science. Courses are delivered on alternating weekends, on a Friday/Saturday schedule, with instructional materials available online. Most students are experienced engineers with 2+ years of experience.

As you would expect from a career-focused degree, the core curriculum is built on data science fundamentals—areas like programming, analysis, systems, and machine learning. In the second year, students are expected to work in teams to design a data science project, write a final report, and explain their findings in an oral presentation. There might even be a demo of the working prototype.

University of California – Santa Barbara

Master of Arts in Statistics – Data Science Track

• School: Department of Statistics and Applied Probability
• Location: Santa Barbara, CA
• Full-Time Program: Yes – two years
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: University of California – Santa Barbara

UCSB’s Data Science 42 credit master’s degree is a track within the Master of Arts in Statistics. This degree can be a initial step towards pursuing a doctorate, or to a career in data science. Students are required to complete a Data Science Project, either assigned or selected by the student. This program provides a strong foundation in statistics paired with the computational tools needed to apply these statistic to real-world data.

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University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Master’s in Data Science

• School: College of Literature, Science and the Arts
• Location: Ann Arbor, MI
• Full-Time Program: Yes – two years
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan’s master’s in data science prepares students to identify relevant datasets and apply statistical and computational methods to answer questions and derive insight. Students will take 43 credits in topics including machine learning, database management, and applied regression. At the end of the program students will select a capstone course in one of 8 practical topics from epidemiology to statistical consulting.

University of Virginia

Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS)

• School: Data Science Institute
• Location: Charlottesville, VA
• Full-time Program: 11 months
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: University of Virginia

This professional master’s program emphasizes an integrated, team-based curriculum. Initial semesters begin with courses in languages, computation, and linear modeling. Once students have the basics, they can proceed to practice, application and the all-important capstone project.

UVA’s Data Science Institute has opportunities for graduate students to work on interdisciplinary big data projects, take advantage of training programs and high-speed computational resources, get involved with research related to data integration, systems biology, ethics, law and more. Every year, UVA also hosts Datapalooza, a University-wide showcase of data-driven research, resources and outreach.

University of Wisconsin

Master of Science in Statistics: Data Science

• School: Department of Statistics
• Location: Madison, WI
• Full-time Program: Yes – one year
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: UW – MS in Statistics

UW’s accelerated MS in Statistics is targeted at the working Wisconsin professional—especially folks who want to move up the leadership/career ladder. The curriculum covers stats courses, complex data analysis, models, data visualization and communication skills. In the summer semester, students tackle a practicum focused on change management in a complex organization. This kind of degree packs a lot into a short span.

Online Master of Science in Data Science

• School: UW Extension
• Location: Online
• Full-time Program: Yes – 36 credits
• Part-Time Program: Yes
• Online Option: Yes
• Website: UW – MS in Data Science

Alternatively, you can explore the more flexible online MSDS. Tuition is held to a flat fee, whether you live in Wisconsin or out of state, and courses have no set meeting times. The program targets all the usual data science hot points – statistical methods, data mining, prescriptive analytics, etc. What’s really nice is that its Virtual Lab offers free access to software tools and programming languages such as R, Python, SQL Server and Tableau.

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Bay Path University

Master of Science in Applied Data Science

• School: Graduate School
• Location: Longmeadow, MA
• Full-Time Program: Yes
• Part-Time Program: Yes – one to two years
• Online Option: Online Only
• Website: Bay Path University

Bay Path University’s program provides two tracks to fill the needs of all students. The generalist track provides a well-rounded education in data science that provides you with all the tools you need to be a valuable member of an applied data science team. The specialist track dives deep into theory and the applications of specific algorithms. Both tracks provide a comprehensive curriculum including a capstone project where students apply what they have learned, earning 36 credit hours.

Cabrini University

Master of Science in Data Science

• School: Graduate School
• Location: Radnor, PA
• Full-Time Program: Yes
• Part-Time Program: Yes – two years
• Online Option: Online Only
• Website: Cabrini University

Cabrini University’s program covers the four essential areas of data science. Software and programming, business and management, data warehousing and data visualization. Required courses include diverse topics such as natural language processing, machine learning, project management and data visualization. The program finishes with a internship or capstone project giving students an opportunity to apply their experience. 36 credit hours.

Carleton College

Collaborative Master’s in Data Science

• School: Collaborative
• Location: Ottawa, ON
• Full-Time Program: Yes – two years or 16 months for MBA path
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: Carleton University

Carleton College’s Data Science Master’s program allows graduate students to add a data science focus to one of the 13 participating master’s programs. This multi-department collaboration provides data science training to students in many disciplines. This competitive program accepts 40 students each fall from various departments. Students accepted into this specialization will complete a thesis, coursework or a final project depending upon their Master’s program. Internships are also required for the Business Analytics MBA program.

Carnegie Mellon University

Master of Computational Data Science (MCDS)

• School: School of Computer Science
• Location: Pittsburgh, PA
• Full-time Program: Yes – 16 months
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: Carnegie Mellon University

The MCDS has been around for over 10 years and its program explores the design, engineering and deployment of very large information systems. Hands-on experience is important here. CMU has scores of research projects on the boil, and students are expected to contribute. For the capstone project, folks can choose to work alone or as a team. There’s also a summer internship with opportunities from companies like Apple, Amazon, eBay, Google, UBS and more. Job experience is not required for admission, but relevant work is highly valued.

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Cornell University

Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Statistics (Option II: Data Science)

• School: Department of Statistical Science
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Full-time Program: Yes – two to four semesters
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: Cornell University

Built on a solid base of statistics, Cornell’s MPS is a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) – an accreditation awarded to programs that combine advanced training in science or math with highly-valued business skills. Everyone is required to take common core courses (e.g. applied stats), but Option II students focus much more on data science.

A big pillar of Cornell’s program is the two-semester-long MPS project with an industry partner. Past large-scale data analytics projects have included collaborating with a health company to create a system that offered personalized article recommendations for anonymous users and

Working with comScore to analyze browsing activities in order to infer users’ age and gender. This is the kind of degree meant to prepare graduates for stats careers in government or industry.

Duke University

Master of Science in Data Science

• School: Graduate School
• Location: Durham, NC
• Full-Time Program: Yes – two years
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: Duke University

Duke’s program provides students with an interdisciplinary education in data science in 42 credits. The core courses such as machine learning and data visualization are paired with electives from Duke’s many graduate programs. The degree also includes a practical, year-long capstone where students work with a non-academic stakeholder and a Duke professor to complete a project.

Harvard University

Master of Science in Data Science

• School: John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Location: Cambridge, MA
• Full-Time Program: Yes – three semesters
• Part-Time Program: No
• Online Option: No
• Website: Harvard University

Harvard’s three semester, 12 course program provides all the skills needed to apply data science to any field. Students learn the essential skills including building and understanding statistical models, visualizing and communicating data, designing computational pipelines using common tools, and collaborating with a team. The degree includes a minimum of one research project or semester long independent study, allowing students to apply their learning.

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