Data Science, M.S.

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The Master of Science in Data Science is a 36-credit hour graduate program that provides students with advanced skills in data science, artificial intelligence, and cyber security.

Program Tracks

Students may pursue one of the following tracks to fulfill degree requirements:

General Track: Offers a broad curriculum with specialized electives, allowing students to customize their coursework to match their individual academic and professional interests.
Thesis Track: Academically qualified students may pursue this option to further enhance their expertise. Prior approval from a faculty member with whom the student has earned a minimum 3.0 GPA (Thesis Advisor) is required.
Internship Track: Provides students with practical industry experience through supervised internships. Students may begin internships as early as their first semester, subject to program director approval.

Admissions Information

For admission requirements, including general graduate admission standards and program-specific criteria, please visit the M.S. in Data Science Admission Requirements .

Degree Requirements

The program requires 36 semester hours of graduate-level coursework, including 24 semester hours of core courses and 12 semester hours of specialization courses. Students who choose the internship or thesis track will complete less specialization courses, with the remaining hours being applied to the internship or thesis.

Requirements are summarized below.

Core Courses (24 semester hours)

Specialization Courses (6-12 semester hours)

General track

Core Courses (24 semester hours): 24 hours of graduate-level coursework as listed above
Specialization (12 semester hours): 12 hours of graduate-level coursework chosen from the specialization courses listed above

Thesis track

Approval from the program director is required for the thesis track, and students must maintain a minimum overall “B” average in the program.

Core Courses (24 semester hours): 24 hours of graduate-level coursework as listed above
Specialization (6 semester hours): 6 hours of graduate-level coursework chosen from the specialization courses listed above
Thesis (6 semester hours): COSC 6308 and COSC 6309 (typically taken over two consecutive semesters in the second year of study)

Internship track

Approval by program director is needed for the internship track.

Core Courses (24 semester hours): 24 hours of graduate-level coursework as listed above
Specialization (6 semester hours): 6 hours of graduate-level coursework chosen from the specialization courses listed above
Internship (6 semester hours): combination of COSC 6105 , COSC 6205 , and COSC 6305