Master’s in Data Science Programs in Wisconsin

Thinking about UW or Marquette for data science? Here’s a guide on research and scholarships as well as job prospects and potential salary numbers.

Sponsored Schools

Syracuse University

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Master of Science in Applied Data Science

Syracuse University’s online Master of Science in Data Science can be completed in as few as 18 months.

  • Complete in as little as 18 months
  • No GRE scores required to apply

Southern Methodist University

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Master of Science in Data Science

Earn your MS in Data Science at SMU, where you can specialize in Machine Learning or Business Analytics, and complete in as few as 20 months.

  • No GRE required.
  • Complete in as little as 20 months.

University of California, Berkeley

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Master of Information and Data Science

Earn your Master’s in Data Science online from UC Berkeley in as few as 12 months.

  • Complete in as few as 12 months
  • No GRE required

Syracuse University

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Master of Science in Business Analytics

Looking to become a data-savvy leader? Earn your online Master of Science in Business Analytics from Syracuse University.

  • As few as 18 months to complete 
  • No GRE required to apply

info SPONSORED

Read on to learn more about data science in Wisconsin.

Studying Data Science in Wisconsin

Traditionally, Wisconsin has relied on manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism for economic growth. Those engines are still there, but you can now add areas like health IT, biotech, water science, and Internet of Things (IoT). Think healthcare data software, food delivery, and mobile apps.

Data start-ups are often in Madison from university research and organizations such as Madworks—a seed accelerator for Madison-based companies and University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) projects.

Meanwhile, eighty miles to the east, a number of Milwaukee-based groups are fostering homegrown innovation. These include:

The Wisconsin Technology Council (WTC) is serving as an economic catalyst through a variety of programs as well.

Data Science Research & Initiatives at Wisconsin Universities

When it comes to data science, a name you may hear is UW-Madison. It’s the school that U.S. News & World Report ranked #13 in Best Graduate Computer Science Programs in 2018, and its Department of Computer Science has a long and illustrious history.

UW-Madison has multiple research centers devoted to health (e.g. biotechnology, urban population health, etc.) and agriculture (e.g. dairy, water resources, bioenergy, etc.). It has also pumped funds and expertise into projects such as the Internet of Things (IoT) Systems Research Center, which allows multidisciplinary researchers to collaborate with leading industry partners.

This work is being funneled into business enterprises via:

Although it doesn’t have as large a stake in computer science as its sibling, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is still making strides. Its initiatives include the App Brewery (Mobile Innovation Lab), the Decision Systems and Artificial Intelligence Lab (DSAIL), and the Lubar School of Business Center for Technology Innovation (CTI).

Online Data Science Programs in Wisconsin

There are some online programs in data science in Wisconsin, often on UW campuses. Since we cover general things to look for in an online data science program elsewhere, here we focus on what’s specifically available in the Badger State.

Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science

UWM’s Lubar School of Business has developed an online Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics. This is a pretty comprehensive qualification, with a focus on analytics tools, applications, and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions. What’s more, it can be applied to the Lubar School’s MBA or MS in Management degree program.

Have another field of interest? Check out our comprehensive directory of Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science. This has a list of distance learning certificates in every area of big data (e.g. data mining, analytics, healthcare informatics, etc.) from major universities across the country.

Online Master’s Degrees in Data Science

UW’s online Master of Science in Data Science is offered through the UW Extension School. That means faculty teaching is pulled from six UW System campuses (but not UW-Madison).

The program begins with foundations in data science, before progressing to areas like data mining, prescriptive analytics, and visualization. It’s deliberately focused on IT professionals who are trying to work their way up the job ladder. 

Need more options? Explore our databases of online master’s degrees in data sciencebusiness analytics, and information systems.

Data Science Bootcamps in Wisconsin

If earning a master’s of data science degree in Wisconsin is impractical for you, you may want to consider a local bootcamp instead. Data science and data analytics bootcamps in Wisconsin can quickly yet effectively prepare local students for work in the field. While some bootcamps are exclusively dedicated to data science, the study of how knowledge is established from raw data, or data analytics, the processes by which specific conclusions can be drawn, other bootcamps combine the study of both data science and data analytics for well-rounded instruction. Visit our guides to learn more about data science bootcamps or data analytics bootcamps in Wisconsin.

Data Science Scholarships in Wisconsin

This section deals primarily with university scholarships & assistantships (i.e. institutional aid) that would cover your data science program. But don’t take this as the end! The university’s Graduate Studies Office will have more info on general aid (e.g. diversity scholarships) and alternative financing options (e.g. low-interest loans).

Marquette University

  • Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (MSCS) Assistantships and Fellowships
    • MSCS Graduate Assistantships: The Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (MSCS) offers a range of merit-based teaching & research assistantships to incoming graduate students.
    • MSCS Fellowships: Outstanding MSCS students are eligible for Schmitt or Raynor Fellowships, which are awarded in a competition within the Graduate School. Fellows are expecting to devote their time to study and research; no undergraduate teaching is required.

University of Wisconsin Colleges (UW Extension)

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Data Science Events in Wisconsin

Data Science Meetups & Communities in Wisconsin

You’ll find plenty of community support and big data groups in both Madison and Milwaukee:

  1. Big Data Madison: This is a huge meetup in Madison, with 2,500+ members. It hosts talks, case studies, and demos on all kinds of big data tools (e.g. Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, etc.) and tactics (machine learning, data visualization, analytics, etc.).
  2. MadR – Madison R Programming UseRs Group: Love R and all its applications? MadR hosts a variety of tutorials and hack nights throughout the year. Milwaukee has a similarMilwaukee R Meetup, but it’s not as active.
  3. MKE Big Data (MKEBD): MKEBD is the major meetup in Milwaukee (650+ members) tackling big data and advanced analytics. Meetings include presentations on all aspects of data science, including the latest tools and tricks.
  4. Milwaukee Data Science: This group hosts occasional talks for data science enthusiasts and IT professionals.

Data Science Conferences & Workshops in Wisconsin

Major data science conferences (e.g. Strata Data ConferencePredictive Analytics WorldIEEE ConferencesSIGKDDThe Machine Learning Conference etc.) tend to fly right by Wisconsin. Fortunately, they sometimes land in Detroit or Chicago. You might also want to consider:

  1. Data Driven Wisconsin Conference: This half-day conference was first held in 2016 as part of Madison’s Forward Fest. It included expert speakers from both UW-Madison and data-focused companies (e.g. RedHat, Cloudera, etc.).
  2. The Forward Festival: Held every year, Forward Fest is a technology and entrepreneurship festival in Madison. Over 8 days, tech lovers can attend conferences, happy hours, start-up summits, pitch nights—the list goes on.
  3. Technology Hub Conference (TechHub): TechHub is a one-day conference aimed at IT professionals in Northeastern Wisconsin. There are relevant data science sessions on IoT & Big Data, the Cloud, AI, mobile, etc.
  4. Wisconsin Technology Council (WTC) Conferences: WTC organizes a number of critical events for tech entrepreneurs each year, including the Wisconsin Tech Summit, the Early Stage Symposium, and the Entrepreneurs’ Conference.

Data Science Jobs in Wisconsin

Supported by UW-Madison research, Madison companies are doing all sorts of things with medical big data. For example, the city is home to Epic Systems (electronic health records); Propeller Health (mobile platform for respiratory health management); EnsoData (healthcare data software); and Redox (healthcare interoperability).

But to say Madison is all about health would be doing it a disservice. It also plays host to:

In your job search, you’re also likely to come across established entities in Milwaukee (e.g. Johnson Controls and Aurora Health Care, etc.) that are investing in big data solutions and smart manufacturing. Johnson Controls, for example, has a deep and abiding interest in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Data Scientist Salaries in Wisconsin

According to data from the O*NET OnLine in 2020, data scientists made an average $81,810 per year in Wisconsin..

Last updated: February 2021

Interested in STEM Careers? 

If you’re looking for information on career paths that involve STEM, see our guides below:

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This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.