MS in Data Science

The Data Science program, jointly offered by Computer and Information Science in Engineering and Mathematics in Arts & Sciences, prepares students for leadership positionsin data analytics, information management, and knowledge engineering. Upon completing the program, graduates will have skills in computer programming, statistics, data mining, machine learning, data analysis and visualization that enable solving challenging problems involving large, diverse data sets from different application domains.

The Master of Science in Data Science will provide graduate students with advanced education and training in the rapidly emerging fields of data analytics and discovery informatics, which integrates mathematics and computer science for the quantification and manipulation of information from a cognate area of application (e.g., science, engineering, business, sociology, healthcare, planning). Emphasis is placed on merging strong foundations in information theory, mathematics and computer science with current methodologies and tools to enable data-driven discovery, problem solving, and decision-making.

This program is designed for professionals and organizational leaders who want to take on greater IT responsibilities and for people who want to transition into a career that uses computer information science to support decision making. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for employment in professional fields that require data analysis and representation, and a flexible, broad understanding of informatics. This program will appeal to students who want to learn technological and analysis tools used by leading science, engineering, business, academic, government and social organizations. Further, this program is designed to accommodate individuals with career or undergraduate degree in business, engineering, computer science, physical/life/social sciences, mathematics, liberal arts and education who desire to enhance their data analytics and information science skills and credentials.

Program Goals

Meet the growing regional and national demand for high-level information systems/science skills;
Provide a path for individuals from diverse fields to rapidly transition to data science career paths;
Enable established information technology and computing professionals to upgrade their technical management and development skills;
Prepare graduates to apply data science techniques for knowledge discovery and dissemination to assist researchers or decision makers in achieving organizational objectives;
Establish stronger ties to alumni to enhance opportunities for continued learning and leadership;
Create innovators, entrepreneurs, business professionals who will lead the development of next generation information systems.

Learning Outcomes

At the time of graduation, students will:

Have developed core data science skills in computer programming, statistical learning, data mining, machine learning, predictive modeling, data analysis, and visualization.
Be able to apply data science skills to all aspects of the data life cycle: (1) data collection and processing techniques, (2) data management, (3) exploratory data analysis, (4) statistical learning and predictive modeling, and (5) communication of the insights and knowledge learned through the dataset.
Be able to apply data science methods to data-rich fields, and within these application domains think critically about data-driven insights, problem-solving, and decision making.
Be able to effectively communicate data findings to both technical and general audiences using written and oral formats.
Be prepared for technical careers in academics or industry including science, engineering, business, government, and social organization.

Program Steering Committee

Hua (Julia) Fang (CIS)
Scott Field (MTH) - Program Co-Director
Yanlai Chen (MTH)
Ming (Daniel) Shao (CIS)
Donghui Yan (MTH)
Iren Valova (CIS) - Program Co-Director