Master’s in Data Science Programs in Rhode Island

Boston or Providence? Brown or BU? If you’re torn between New England options, skim through our guide to earning a data science degree in Rhode Island. It has details on research and scholarships as well as meetups and careers.

Committed to the Ocean State? Skip ahead to our list of all the data science programs in Rhode Island.

Studying Data Science in Rhode Island

6.7% of the workforce employed in tech in 2020, the map of CompTIA’s Cyberstates ranked it #27 in the country.

The Providence Innovation & Design District, with its Wexford Science & Technology and Johnson & Wales Science and Innovation Centers, should help a lot. So, too, will booster groups like Tech Collective, and investors such as the Slater Technology Fund. Watch this space!

Data Science Research & Initiatives at Rhode Island Universities

As the state’s Ivy League, Brown has a well-established reputation in data science. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Brown University in the top 50 of Best Statistics Graduate Schools in 2019.

• The Data Science Initiative draws on expertise from multiple departments, and encompasses all kinds of research projects.
• The Department of Biostatistics has a number of fascinating research projects on the burner and a tight relationship with the health-focused Center for Statistical Sciences.

Over at the University of Rhode Island (URI), you’ll find active research groups in the Department of Computer Science and Statistics and…

• The Environmental Data Center, a GIS and spatial data analysis laboratory in the Department of Natural Resources Science. Areas of expertise include remote sensing, spatial data modeling, ecological mapping, and data integration for environmental applications.
• The Institute for Immunology and Informatics (iCubed): iCubed’s chief scientists are concerned with the creation of new & safer vaccines, predicting & treating adverse immune responses, and studying infectious disease (e.g. Dengue fever, HIV, etc.).

We should also mention Bryant University’s AACSB-accredited Business School and its Advanced Applied Analytics Center. Founded by professors of Computer Information Systems and Mathematics, AAAC is deliberately aimed at helping New England businesses and organizations make sense of big data.

Online Data Science Programs in Rhode Island

Our directories of online graduate certificates and online master’s degrees have lots of programs offered by top-name schools (e.g. Stanford) around the country that Rhode Island residents can enroll in.

Data Science Scholarships in Rhode Island

For this section, we chose to focus on university aid that directly applied to degrees in our directory. But your Office of Graduate Studies will have plenty more info on outside scholarships, low-interest loans, and the FAFSA.

Brown University

• Department of Biostatistics Scholarships and Apprenticeships:
  • Graduate Scholarship: Partial tuition scholarships are available. Most funding is merit-based.
  • Research Apprenticeship: Apprenticeships cover a larger portion of tuition than scholarships and include a monthly stipend. Most funding is merit-based.
• Kanellakis Fellowship: This graduate fellowship is awarded to two PhD students in the Department of Computer Science (e.g. PhD in Big Data). Preference is given to students from Greece.
• PhD in Big Data Funding: The Department of Computer Science offers students full funding for the nine-month academic year through fellowships, assistantships, and the like. This includes full tuition, health insurance, and a generous stipend. It also guarantees five years of financial support to students in good academic standing.

Bryant University

• Bryant University Endowed Scholarships:
  • Graduate Alumni Council Scholarship: This scholarship is open to College of Business graduate students who have maintained a cumulative 3.5 (or better) GPA. The candidate must have financial need and work & community service experience.
  • Kenneth R. and Janet MacLean Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to a College of Business graduate student demonstrating superior academic performance and proven financial need.
• MBA Scholarship: All MBA applicants are automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship when they apply. (Students aiming for the fall term must apply by April 30th to be eligible for preferred consideration).

We also wanted to let you know about the Wavemaker Fellowship. This state-funded program will defray student loan payments for up to four years for graduates pursuing careers or starting businesses in technology, engineering, design, and other key sectors. Any graduate working or going to work in Rhode Island is eligible, regardless of their alma mater.

Data Science Events in Rhode Island

Data Science Meetups & Communities in Rhode Island

Providence is the obvious epicenter of tech meetups, but Boston tends to have more targeted options. If the thought of hours on 95 makes you shudder, here are some friendly local groups.

1. Rhode Island Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group: This small meetup and SQL Pass Chapter is dedicated to BI and all kinds of related subjects (e.g. SQL Server database, cubes, big data, unstructured data, and reporting).
2. Rhode Island SQL Server Users Group (RISSUG): This group meets monthly for facilitate relationship building and knowledge exchange among developers, data administrators, and others

Data Science Conferences & Workshops in Rhode Island

Big events like Predictive Analytics World (PAW) and SIGKDD gravitate toward Boston and New York. So we’ve listed a few opportunities to network with fellow tech geeks & entrepreneurs.

1. Bryant University Northeast Entrepreneurship Conference (BUNEEC): Billed as “one of the region’s largest entrepreneurship events,” BUNEEC is a good chance to connect with fellow innovators.
2. SHARE Providence: Geared toward enterprise IT professionals, SHARE offers technical sessions in areas like big data, the Cloud, cybersecurity, and analytics.
3. Startup@Brown: Brown’s day-long conference in September is a chance for innovative startups and talented students to mix and mingle. There are workshops, informal gatherings, and a startup fair.

Data Science Jobs in Rhode Island

The state has gained two major tech offshoots in recent years:

• Johnson & Johnson, which has planted its health technology center in the Wexford Science & Technology Center.
• General Electric, which has created a GE Digital IT Center in Providence.

All of these examples, including Brown University itself, often have opportunities for data scientists.

In addition, Providence has its own small tech sector. Upserve is perhaps the most famous of the bunch, but names like Splitwise, Utilidata, MojoTech, Vertikal6, and Envision Technology Advisors will also crop up in local conversations.

Data Scientist Salaries in Rhode Island

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018 data scientists (computer and information research scientists) averaged $108,890. The top 10% of salaries were above $132,660.

Data Science Programs in Rhode Island

We found 3 universities in Rhode Island 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.