According to Glassdoor, data science is one of the top careers in the U.S., featuring an excellent salary and job security. Because data collection is integrated into nearly everything we do, the demand for data scientists is increasing for industries such as information technology, health care and business.
Administered through the UK Department of Computer Science, the master’s degree in data science is a two-year interdisciplinary program taught by faculty from three complementary programs: computer science, biostatistics and the Institute of Biomedical Informatics. The curriculum aims to prepare the future data science professional with a critical skillset that includes database management, statistical and machine learning techniques and big data analytics.
The required capstone project will allow students to analyze real-life datasets in a selected application domain and will give participants experience collaborating with domain experts and other data scientists. A concentration in biomedical informatics is also available. More concentration areas are under development.
Most aspects of the application process, aside from the admissions decision, are handled by the Graduate School. Please refer to their Application Process page for additional information. The first step is to create an account on the Graduate School website. International applicants may want to explore the international admissions page provided by the International Center.
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Exceptions for the GPA and prior-experience criteria may be made by the admissions committee if persuasive evidence of applicant’s potential is presented. In some cases, applicants will be conditionally admitted, which could require successful completion of foundational mathematics, statistics, or programming coursework before the student is officially admitted.
It should include standard CV/resume elements, but it could be beneficial to include one or more of the following elements:
These are not required, but could help counterbalance any weaknesses in your application.
You must provide transcripts from all post-secondary institutions at which you have taken courses, whether you received a degree or not.
The GRE is currently required for Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024. As of Fall 2024 it will no longer be required.
Submission of scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) unless their chosen program indicates otherwise. The Graduate School has no minimum GRE score requirement; individual programs may set specific score requirements and in some cases may require the advanced portion of the GRE.
Unofficial (scanned) test results are allowed for the application. However, if accepted, you must have your test provider submit the official scores to the Graduate School for verification using the following codes:
GRE institution code 1837GRE department code 0402TOEFL institution code 1837TOEFL department code 78
If you are an international student, the Graduate School requires a signed and documented financial certificate (I-20) before you begin the program. The certificate will be requested by the Graduate School after the admissions decision is made. Please contact your admissions officer or the International Center for questions related to international admissions.
Brent Seales Stanley and Karen Pigman Heritage Science Chair; Director of Graduate Studies, Data Science
