Data Science
The Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS), an interdisciplinary program between Khoury College of Computer Sciences and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) in the College of Engineering, delivers a comprehensive framework for processing, modeling, analyzing, and reasoning about data.
Part-Time
An extensive core curriculum—designed jointly by Khoury College of Computer Sciences and the College of Engineering faculty—enables you to develop depth in computational modeling, data collection and integration, data storage and retrieval, data processing, modeling and analytics, and visualization. Plus, electives from Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the College of Engineering, or a Northeastern partner college provide an opportunity to explore key contextual areas or more complex technical applications.
For the fourth year in a row, Glassdoor named data scientist as the best job in America. Additionally, Daniel Gutierrez, managing editor of insideBIGDATA, told Forbes, "The word on the street is there's definitely a shortage of people who can do data science." Given the job prospects and shortage of talent, now is the time to advance your career in the data science field.
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Unique Features
- This program meets F-1 international student status requirements.
- This is an interdisciplinary program between Khoury College and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering.
- Courses are tailored toward technically or mathematically trained students.
- Elective courses are available from seven colleges throughout the University, including D'Amore-McKim School of Business, the College of Arts, Media and Design, and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Program Objectives
The data science MS degree empowers you to:
- Attain data scientist and data engineer positions in a fast-growing field
- Apply your skills to manipulate, store, visualize, and analyze data in any industry
- Pursue related doctoral degrees
Career Outlook
Students who successfully complete their master's in data science are qualified to seek jobs as:
- Data scientist
- Machine learning engineer
- Applications architect
- Enterprise architect
- Data architect
- Infrastructure architect
- Data engineer
- Business intelligence developer
- Data analyst
Employees with data science expertise are sought out in every industry, not just in technology. "Data scientists are highly educated—88 percent have at least a master's degree and 46 percent have PhDs—and while there are notable exceptions, a very strong educational background is usually required to develop the depth of knowledge necessary to be a data scientist," reports KDnuggets, a leading site on Big Data.
Testimonials
Professor Olga Vitek, Khoury College of Computer Sciences
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Program Costs
Requirements
- Online application and fee
- Unofficial undergraduate/graduate transcripts (you can submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended at the time of admission)
- Statement of purpose that should include career goals and expected outcomes and benefits from the program
- Recent professional resumé listing detailed position responsibilities
- Three confidential letters of recommendation
- Unofficial GRE General Test scores
- Unofficial TOEFL or IELTS examination scores (international students only)
Prerequisite Courses
The Master of Science in Data Science curriculum is tailored toward technically or mathematically trained students. To ensure that all students have the foundation necessary to be successful in this program, each incoming student must either complete two introductory courses at Northeastern or complete two placement exams administered one week prior to the beginning of the semester. The two exams cover fundamentals of computer science and programming skills and basic statistics, probability, and linear algebra. This admission requirement can also be fulfilled by successful completion of Introduction to Programming for Data Science (DS 5010) and Introduction to Linear Algebra and Probability for Data Science (DS 5020). The introductory courses are not counted as credit toward the degree but are included in the student’s cumulative grade-point average.
Admissions Dates
Deadline for international applicants: | April 15, 2020 |
Deadline for domestic applicants: | August 15, 2020 |
Deadline for international applicants: | October 26, 2020 |
Deadline for domestic applicants: | December 15, 2020 |
Core Requirements
A cumulative GPA of 3.000 or higher is required in the following core courses:
Algorithms
Complete 4 semester hours from the following:
Data Management and Processing
Machine Learning and Data Mining
Presentation and Visualization
Electives*
Complete 12 semester hours from the following:
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
College of Engineering
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
D'Amore-McKim School of Business
College of Science
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
College of Arts, Media, and Design
*Note: Students taking electives worth fewer than 4 credits (i.e., Bouvé, CSSH courses) should enroll for an accompanying data science project course in the same semester to bring the cumulative credits to 4. In order to earn this additional credit, students are expected to work with faculty to design an additional project in line with the curricular aims of their chosen elective and the data science core learning outcomes.
Please note: This curriculum is for marketing purposes only and is subject to change. Official curriculum can be found within the course catalog.
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Graduate students typically have an experiential work opportunity following their second semester. This could be a 6- to 8-month co-op or a 3- to 4-month internship. Those who initially experience co-op may have the opportunity to seek an internship for the following summer, or vice versa.
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What They're Skilled At
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