Master’s in Data Science Programs in Delaware

Wondering if the First State should come first in your education? Check out this quick guide to earning a Delaware data science degree. Here you’ll find information on research groups, online degrees, scholarships, events, meetups, and jobs. Already loyal to the Blue Hens? Skip ahead to our list of all the data science programs in Delaware.

Studying Data Science in Delaware

In the land of big data, Delaware is often overshadowed by its neighbors. Demand certainly exists – in 2017, the map of CompTIA’s Cyberstates noted that 4.3% of the workforce was employed in tech industries – but Wilmington and Newark don’t have as much of a reputation for data science as, say, Philadelphia and D.C.

This could change. The Delaware Technology Park is swarming with promising companies, financial tech continues to be a huge economic driver, and First State Innovation (FSI) is eager to help new businesses find angel and seed capital. Both the public and private sectors are supportive of entrepreneurship.

Data Science Research & Initiatives at Delaware Universities

Another major asset? The University of Delaware (UD). UD is the only school you’ll see in our list of data science programs for Delaware. Depending on your degree, you might work with academics in:

• The Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB) and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI). UD is well-known for its strength in bioscience and the CBCB is collaborating with regional biotech companies on some heady research. Meanwhile, DBI is working on tech solutions in agriculture, energy & environment, and human health.
• The Lerner College of Business and Economics. Lerner has the Center for Applied Business & Economics Research, the Institute for Financial Services Analytics, and all kinds of graduate programs with a data-focused agenda. It also runs the Geltzeiler Trading Center and the JPMorgan Chase Innovation Center – experiential programs that give students hands-on experiences in financial tech projects.
• The College of Engineering – Computer and Information Sciences and its many core research areas. In the AI labs, for example, you’ll find projects in human language, vision, text mining, and statistical information retrieval.
• The Department of Applied Economics and Statistics with its research centers in economic and consumer behavior, decision analysis, agriculture, and the environment.

Online Data Science Programs in Delaware

The University of Delaware has a couple of distance learning options, which you can assess by glancing at our tips on what to look for in an online data science program.

Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science

Offered by the Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (CBCB), UD’s online Graduate Certificate in Applied Bioinformatics is designed for working professionals.

In addition to being drilled in core competencies, you’ll gain exposure to real-world applications in fields such as genomic medicine, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and agriculture. And you can earn graduate-level college credits for an MS or PhD.

Online Master’s Degrees in Data Science

UD’s online Master of Science in Applied Statistics is run by the data science & stats experts in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics. It’s a little heavy on statistical theory, but it still includes exposure to key software tools such as SAS, JMP, and R.

Data Science Scholarships in Delaware

For this section, we chose to focus on UD aid that could be applied to the data programs in our directory. But the bucks don’t stop here! The Office of Graduate and Professional Education has an entire section on funding opportunities, including info on general UD assistantships & scholarships.

University of Delaware

• MBA Graduate Assistantships and Scholarships: Assistantships are offered to exceptionally qualified full-time applicants. Most assistantships are partial – in return for 10 hours of work per week, students receive a $4,500 stipend per term and 50% tuition scholarship in the fall & spring semesters. No separate application form is required. Exceptional full-time MBA students (e.g. MBA in Business Analytics) are automatically eligible for two-year graduate scholarships that cover up to 50% of tuition. No separate application form is required.
• PSM in Bioinformatics Industry Internships: Professional master’s students are eligible for paid internships. These tend to be available from industry partners (e.g. DuPont), government agencies, and other participating institutions.

Data Science Events in Delaware

Data Science Meetups & Communities in Delaware

We’ll tell you true – Philadelphia is a much better bet for data science meetups. If you can’t bear the thought of crossing the state line, many tech aficionados in the Newark & Wilmington area belong to the following groups:

1. Delaware Tech Meetup: Though it’s not devoted to data science per se, this Wilmington group is a place to talk about local tech initiatives, network with startup founders, and share ideas. It meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
2. Open Data Delaware: Open Data is a group of enthusiastic, civic-minded tech geeks who collaborate on big data/open data projects for local Delaware communities. It meets every week in Wilmington.
3. Technical.ly Delaware: Their motto is “Better cities through technology,” and its Wilmington meetup is a smorgasbord of entrepreneurship panels, tech job fairs, civic app demos, and the like.
4. Technology Forum of Delaware (TFOD) Events: TFOD is an association of high-flying corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders in Delaware. It often hosts events on Emerging Technologies and the informal meetups may be great places to meet your next employer!

Data Science Conferences & Workshops in Delaware

Major data science conferences (e.g.Strata Data Conference, Predictive Analytics World, IEEE Conferences, SIGKDD, The Machine Learning Conference etc.) rarely visit Delaware. However, if you’re in the Wilmington area, you’re right next to events in Philadelphia and not far from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Local options also include:

1. Delaware Data Science Symposium: UD’s signature event brings together academics and researchers from every UD department imaginable. The schedule includes presentations from UD researchers, keynote speakers from other institutions, and breakout sessions.
2. Delaware Innovation Week: Organized by Technical.ly, DIW is the state’s celebration of tech & innovation. There’s usually an open data challenge, a startup weekend, innovation events, and lots of mini-conferences (e.g. Business, Women in STEM, etc.). Tech2gether takes place during this week.
3. Start It Up Delaware (SIUD) Events: SIUD is a coworking space & idea generator in Wilmington. Browse its calendar if you’re interested in working for – or starting your own – early-stage tech business.
4. Tech2gether: Held in Wilmington, this popular conference attracts data scientists from throughout the tri-state region. In 2016, tracks focused on Machine Learning, fintech, and entrepreneurship. College students from the Philadelphia and Delaware regions can also participate in the annual pitch competition.

Data Science Jobs in Delaware

• Delaware Tech Park’s list of information technology companies and Technical.ly’s job board and its directory of tech organizations are useful places to visit. Even if you don’t see a data science job posted, it never hurts to contact the company directly.

We should also mention that for legal and financial reasons, tech startups often incorporate in Delaware. This doesn’t mean they’re physically based in Delaware; it just means that they’re favoring Delaware’s corporate laws and regulations.

Data Scientist Salaries in Delaware

As of November 2017, Indeed.com listed the average salary for a data scientist as $111, 073 in Newark and $115, 705 in Wilmington (as of February 2018). Because these cities are so close to Pennsylvania, Glassdoor lumped these cities into its Philadelphia statistics.

Indeed’s figures are pretty strong, but we would caution that it’s working off a limited number of data points. In general, financial companies and multinationals are likely to pay well for talent; research groups may ask you to work for the glory!

School Listings

We found 1 university in Delaware 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 mastersindatascience@2u.com.