DePaul University - Online Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) Program
DePaul University’s College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) offers an online Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) program with a Computational Methods concentration and a curriculum that focuses on data mining proficiencies, multivariate statistics, machine learning, and database processing. The program requires students to complete 52 units of coursework (the equivalent of 13 classes), which can be accomplished in as few as 21 months of full-time enrollment, or as many as 39 months by part-time students who take one class per quarter.
The DePaul system for online education is designed to mirror the university’s campus-based programs. Online students enroll in the same courses as students on campus and are expected to complete the same weekly assignments and projects, which they submit through a course management system for grading. Lectures are recorded and posted online and can be streamed or downloaded for offline viewing. Exams must be proctored, which means online students can attend exam sessions on campus (a requirement for those living within 30 miles of the school), or locate a proctor at a local library, college, or university. Because DePaul’s online and campus-based master’s degrees are essentially identical, students apply to the desired program and then indicate their preference for online or campus-based classes. There are no mandatory campus visits for online students in the MSDS program.
The CDM’s MSDS program teaches students how to work with large datasets, extract actionable information from those datasets, and communicate the results in non-technical language. The curriculum includes three introductory classes in statistics, computer programming, and data analysis. Students may place out of intro classes by passing a Graduate Assessment Examination (GAE), or by demonstrating the requisite professional experience or academic credentials. Foundational data science coursework includes: Database Processing for Large-Scale Analytics; Data Analysis and Regression; and Fundamentals of Data Science. Students receive advanced training in subjects like Data Visualization; Programming Machine Learning Applications; and Neural Networks and Deep Learning. Students in the program can take four electives in computing, digital media, business, and marketing. Examples from the CDM catalogue include Web Data Mining, Social Network Analysis, and Enterprise Cloud Computing. The degree culminates with a capstone project, which can take the form of a master’s thesis, a group project, an internship, or a data science capstone course.
Data science students at DePaul may also benefit from the school’s Data Mining and Predictive Analytics Center, which conducts applied research and fosters collaborations between DePaul faculty and businesses and organizations in the field of analytics.
DePaul University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.