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In many industries which are critical to our global economy, such as agriculture, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, technology and transportation, data scientists are desperately needed. But you can become a Data Science professional thanks to these renowned universities and colleges and receive your Master’s degree online in Data Science from an accredited institution.
These Data Science degree programs include hands-on instruction, peer-to-peer support and the same professors who teach campus graduate courses. When you learn cutting-edge techniques and methods from the world-class professors, you can discover how to extract knowledge from vast datasets.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
1. Faculdad de Ingenieria Maestría en Inteligencia Analítica de Datos
- Host university/institution: Universidad de los Andes
- Time to complete: 24 months
- Cost: N/A
- Courses required: 16
- Ranking: #8 Times Higher Education Latin America (2018)
- Official website: Faculdad de Ingenieria Maestría en Inteligencia Analítica de Datos
The future online program in Analytical Data Intelligence (MIAD) will train professionals who stand out at the intersection of three areas of knowledge for their technical and cutting edge skills: mathematical modeling, information technology, and business management.
Students will learn the descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive computational methods through courses that combine theory and practice that enable them to become leaders in analytics that support decision-making.
Furthermore, students will continuously develop their soft skills in communication, teamwork, and project management skills needed to make transformations that generate value within their organizations.
The program will be available in Spanish and 100% online. Students will receive the same quality standards offered in the classroom programs and graduate with the same Master’s degree students (not a “virtual” diploma). The interactive platform allows students to start full-time study and begin their professional career.
2. The School of Information’s Online MADS
- Host university/institution: University of Michigan
- Time to complete: 12 months
- Cost: $31,688 – $42,262
- Courses required: 34
- Ranking: #1 graduate program in Information Systems (Library and Information Schools), U.S. News & World Report (2017)
- Official website: The School of Informations’s Online MADS
The online Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) degree from the University of Michigan School of Information is targeted at aspiring data scientists to learn and apply knowledge through hands-on projects. You’ll learn how to use data to boost performance and meet ambitious goals.
Through knowledge of key data science principles such as machine learning and natural language processing, the MADS program trains you to be a field leader. By digging deeply into key topics such as privacy, data ethics, and effective communication, you will be ready to excel within the organizations of today.
You will also be working with actual data sets from top corporations as you create a portfolio of works that will highlight your expertise. Learn about the processes and strategies that help companies surmount data complexity and make wise decisions.
Whether you are looking to create real estate market forecasts or to use data to study Russian literature, this Master’s degree online in Data Science program teaches the skills you need in an ever-changing field to succeed.
3. Master of Computer Science in Data Science (MCS-DS)
- Host university/institution: University of Illinois
- Time to complete: 12 – 36 months
- Cost: $21,440
- Courses required: 32
- Ranking: #5 ranked CS program in the U.S., U.S. News & World Report (2018)
- Official website: Master of Computer Science in Data Science (MCS-DS)
Earn your Master’s degree online in Data Science, learn from a pioneering faculty in Illinois, and gain the skills in data science that transform business and society. Illinois Computer Science offers a specialized track that includes both MCS degree and data science-focused coursework requirements.
This degree is perfect for anyone who wants to learn not only to derive information and insights from large data sets, but also to do so through full control of the computational infrastructure.
The Master of Computer Science in Data Science (MCS-DS) leads the MCS degree through a focus on core machine learning , data mining, data visualization, and cloud computing competencies. It also includes interdisciplinary courses in data science, which are offered in collaboration with the Statistics Department and the School of Information Science.
If you select the Data Science track you will focus on your courses and projects:
- Cloud Computing
- Data Mining
- Data Visualization
- Machine Learning
When you graduate, you’ll be able to:
- Program effectively, using the right tools for the job;
- Study data scientifically, and use it to form, prove, and defend hypotheses;
- Utilize cloud computing to scale up analysis and processing of big data; and
- Visually and computationally analyze available data to inform critical decisions.
4. Master’s Degree Online in Data Science
- Host university/institution: Higher School of Economics National Research University
- Time to complete: 20 – 24 months
- Cost: ₽577,500 – ₽1,155,000
- Courses required: 18
- Ranking: #8 Russian University on *QS Top University* rankings
- Official website: Master of Data Science
The National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University) is a leading university for multidisciplinary science, international collaboration, and digital education in Russia, recently ranked first in Forbes’ “Universities for the Future Elite: 100 Best Russian Universities According to Forbes – 2020” list.
HSE University, a dynamic institution serving more than 40,000 students at campuses in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Perm, is a pioneer in integrating Russia’s educational traditions with the best international teaching and research practices.
HSE’s Master of Data Science is a Russian university’s first fully English-taught Master’s degree online in Data Science. Unlike many online grades in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, there are no on-campus requirements for this degree.
This degree is for students with or without previous experience with coding. HSE provides a career-relevant curriculum for analysts, data scientists, and computer scientists, software engineers, academic researchers, or machine learning engineers, using three distinct tracks: data scientist, machine learning engineer, and data science researcher.
Students are partnered with faculty member mentors and industry experts during the entire degree as they work on their final project, which includes solving a real-world problem using the techniques learned throughout the program. Students benefit from connecting with faculty members and learning from some of Russia’s most impressive technology firms, and beyond.
5. CU Boulder Master of Science in Data Science
- Host university/institution: University of Colorado Boulder
- Time to complete: 24 months
- Cost: N/A
- Courses required: 30
- Ranking: #14 ranked Applied Math program in the U.S., U.S. News & World Report (2020)
- Official website: CU Boulder Master of Science in Data Science
Join the exciting and growing Data Science sector! The University of Colorado Boulder is establishing a Master’s degree online in Data Science. This degree will draw on the skills of the CU Boulder faculty in mathematics, data science, informatics, business analytics, analysis of natural languages and information technology.
You will learn cross-functional communication and working together while you master the skills that power innovative problem-solving and drive business innovations today. Develop basic skills, and then apply them to your personal career ambitions in elective specialties.
Through short courses of 4-6 weeks this comprehensive degree corresponds to the needs of today’s workforce. Admissions based on performance means there are no prerequisites or an application. Inscribe directly into a sequence of three, one-credit “pathway” courses focusing either on statistics or computer science. Complete your course on the path with a B or better to be admitted, all while progressing directly towards your degree.
Students who are seeking a Master’s degree online in Data Science will participate in practical, hands-on projects using cloud-based programming environments and Jupyter notebooks. Coursework provides access to the big data sets in the real world to train you for your future career.
6. Master of Machine Learning and Data Science
- Host university/institution: Imperial College London
- Time to complete: 24 months
- Cost: £28,000
- Modules required: 12
- Ranking: #9 ranked university in the world, Times Higher Education (2019)
- Official website: Master of Machine Learning and Data Science
You will gain an in-depth understanding of machine learning approaches in this program provided by the Department of Mathematics at Imperial College London, alongside crucial practical skills and directed experience in applying them to real-world problems.
The program is designed to push your engineering or data science career forward, allowing you to choose the best direction for you, be it a job as a data scientist, a machine learning engineer, or a statistician in computing.
You will graduate with the opportunity to go beyond the algorithms and turn data into actionable insights, contribute to your organization’s strategic decision taking and become a responsible member of this fast-growing profession.
Imperial, ranked #10 worldwide by Times Higher Education (2020 World University Ranking), is home to several eminent world-class machine learning experts, many of whom will contribute to this program. Since the beginning of this field it has had a rich history of driving innovation: John Nelder, Professor at Imperial College, helped develop GenSim, the precursor to R, and the first proper implementation of a general regression framework.
The university maintains strong ties with industry and a number of innovative tech companies, some of which will contribute to the program with project proposals for your MSc thesis.
Final thoughts
Data scientists learn by doing. While theory is an important foundation to build when creating powerful tools that manipulate large data sets, as students enter the field of data science, they need to engage and practice.
To understand everything from designing experiments to building more complex models for use in predictive analytics & scoring engines, students in data science need to work in environments that simulate actual data science world.
Master’s degree online in Data Science programs provided by these top universities in data science also incorporate practical projects that employ data scientists skilled every day, taking advantage of programming environments. With platform forums, Slack, and Zoom for office hours & ad-hoc meetings, you have a range of tools that help drive an interactive learning experience in data sciences.
If this is not what you’re looking for, find the right online degree for you: it can be a online degree in Business Management or online degree in Early Childhood Education.
