Master’s in Data Science Programs in Pennsylvania

Wondering if a data science education in Pennsylvania will pay off? Browse our guide to schools, job prospects, online alternatives, graduate scholarships, and networking opportunities! Already have Carnegie Mellon on your shortlist? Skip right ahead to our list of all the data science programs in Pennsylvania.

Studying Data Science in Pennsylvania

There are a variety of things going on in Pennsylvania that relate to the world of data science.

• You’ll find a lot of what’s happening in Philadelphia on Technical.ly Philly, which carries the latest news on the local tech scene. This includes StartUp PHL, which is designed to encourage entrepreneurs, and Code for Philly, which aims to improve the city through hackathons and civic apps.
• Meanwhile, organizations like Pittsburgh DataWorks, thePittsburgh Technology Council (PTC), and Innovation Works (IW) are on a mission to lure big data geeks to the ‘Burgh. IW claims to be the single largest investor in seed-stage companies in the Southwestern region.

Data Science Research & Initiatives at Pennsylvania Universities

These groups receive help from Pennsylvania’s universities. Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, and UPenn all attract investment in the data science field. Here’s why:

• Carnegie Mellon’s School for Computer Science (SCS) Complex is breaking new ground in machine learning, computational biology, and human-computer interaction. Carnegie is also home to lots of interdisciplinary research centers (e.g. iLab) and the super-powered Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC).
• The University of Pittsburgh has more than just the PSC. The school’s Intelligent Systems Program (ISP) is a multidisciplinary graduate program that’s expressly dedicated to applied AI.
• Penn State’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science also supports a large amount of research into areas like computational biology, cyber security, machine learning, and more.
• Along with research initiatives like the Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, UPenn is particularly strong in the field of health. Its Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBI) is affiliated with the Perelman School of Medicine, and its Penn Medicine Data Analytics Center is powered by extensive data warehousing.

You’ll notice that this focus on health cuts across the board. Thanks to strong medical centers and NIH funding in Pennsylvania, many universities are working independently (and together) on data-driven healthcare. For proof, check out the Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance.

Online Data Science Programs in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has many online opportunities. Schools like Carnegie Mellon, Villanova, and Drexel have distance education options. UPenn has online learning options and Penn State has an online campus.

We cover general things to look for in an online data science program elsewhere, so here we take a closer look at what makes Pennsylvania unique. 

Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science

In the Keystone State, there are several opportunities to earn graduate certificates in an area related to data science. Some are your typical business analytics certificates, while others focus on the healthcare field.

Those schools include Drexel, which offers a Certificate in Healthcare Informatics, and Misericordia, which has developed a Health Care Informatics Graduate Certificate.

As we’ve mentioned, Pennsylvania has plenty of interest in technology and healthcare, and there are distance learning in these fields. Look for your options to increase in the next few years.

Online Master’s Degrees in Data Science

The trend in graduate certificates continues in online master’s programs in data science:

• Penn State-World Campus has developed master’s degrees that echo its graduate certificate offerings.
• Both Drexel and Misericordia offer a distance master’s in health informatics (Drexel’s program is supported by its Institute for Healthcare Informatics (IHI)).

Carnegie Mellon feels comfortable offering its campus master’s programs in an online format. Students watch video-captured lectures from campus classes and participate in web conferences for guest speakers or student presentations.

Smaller schools are also offering data science and analytics programs at the master’s level. These includeSaint Joseph’s interdisciplinary Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics, and Villanova’s Master of Science in Analytics.

Data Science Scholarships in Pennsylvania

We’ve listed many university scholarship opportunities that will apply to our degree listings, but there are always more! Ask the Graduate Studies Office for info about general scholarships and fellowships (e.g. diversity funding) and advice about alternative financial options (e.g. state grants, loans, etc.).

Carnegie Mellon University

• Heinz College Scholarships: Heinz College administers the MISM and the MSIT degree programs, and it offers a number of merit-based, employment-based, and partnership-based scholarships to aspiring students.
• Tepper School of Business Scholarships: Tepper runs the MBA in Business Analytics and it has numerous scholarships and fellowships open to full-time MBA candidates.

Drexel University

• Graduate Financial Aid: Drexel has a number of general graduate scholarships open to students in its campus MS in Business Analytics and its online MS in Health Informatics program. These include teaching, research, and graduate assistantships/fellowships.

Pennsylvania State University- Great Valley

• Master’s Degree Campus Scholarships: All graduate students who have completed 12 or more credits in a Great Valley residential master’s degree program are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on their academic performance. No application is necessary. Need-based scholarships are also available.
• School of Graduate Professional Studies (SGPS) Scholarships: Incoming graduate students to the SGPS, including students in the Data Analytics degree program, are eligible for a variety of merit-based scholarships (e.g. Warren V. Musser Fellowship in Entrepreneurial Studies).

University of Pittsburgh-Bradford

• Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBI) Funding: The DBI is able to support some students through National Library of Medicine (NLM) and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) training grant funds.
• Department of Biostatistics PhD Funding: The Department provides full financial aid for PhD students per year. Most of these folks become graduate student researchers (GSRs). GSRs receive a monthly stipend, tuition waivers, and medical benefits. A limited number of Teaching Assistantships (TA) are also available. The Department does not provide funding for MS or MPH students except in rare circumstances.

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

• Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business Scholarships: The Katz School offers merit-based scholarships to full-time MBA applicants, including U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and international students. Scholarships are given in various dollar amounts and directly applied to tuition charges.
• School of Information Sciences (SIS) – MSIS Financial Support: The SIS runs the MSIS degree program and it sometimes offers merit- and need-based financial support to full-time, on-campus students who meet full admission status. The SIS also has a number of awards specifically available to students in its graduate programs.

Villanova University

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Funding has several funding opportunities available.

Data Science Events in Pennsylvania

Data Science Meetups & Communities in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has some meetup opportunities available for those who are looking to network and learn from other data science professionals. Here are 5 scattered around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh that you may wish to explore:

1. ACM Pittsburgh: This meetup is a branch of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. (ACM) Local Program. Topics cover everything from predictive analytics and ML to data visualization and user research. There are lots of talks from the visiting experts.
2. Data Philly: Data Philly is one the largest big data meetups in Philadelphia, and it often works withCode for Philly on Datathon Hack Nights. It’s open to anyone interested in topics like predictive analytics, applied machine learning, big data, data warehousing, and data science.
3. Future of Data: Geared towards developers, data scientists, and hands-on data enthusiasts, this meetup explores modern data applications and Apache projects.
4. If you’re fond of IBM, you may also be interested in Big Data Developers.
5. Pittsburgh useR Group: This meetup is open to all levels of R programmers. Most events, including talks and workshops, take place on the Carnegie Mellon campus.

Data Science Conferences & Workshops in Pennsylvania

If you get lucky, you may find a major data science conference (e.g. Strata Data and AI, Predictive Analytics World, IEEE ICDM, SIGKDD, etc.) making a pit stop in the Keystone State. Alternatively, you could look at local events such as:

• Philly Tech Week: Sponsored by Technical.ly, this is an annual extravaganza celebrating Philadelphia’s advances in technology and innovation. The week is built on several tracks, and events include a kick-off festival, conferences, expo, and cocktail reception.

Data Science Jobs in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania may not be in the league of places like Silicon Valley and New York when it comes to data science jobs, but exciting opportunities do exist. 

There’s interesting work happening amidst the university centers and start-ups in Philadelphia (e.g. Curalate, RJMetrics, Biomeme, etc.).

Data Scientist Salaries in Pennsylvania

According to 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, computer and information research scientists (including data scientists) in Pennsylvania averaged $107,660 in salary.

Data Science Programs in Pennsylvania

We found 16 universities in Pennsylvania 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.