Master of Data Science Program

Data science has quickly become a critical enabling capability across science, healthcare, energy, manufacturing and beyond. As data reshapes these fields, they need a new kind of scientist: someone who isn't just a statistician, computer scientist or mathematician, but who understands how all three apply to the study of data.

Rice's Master of Data Science (MDS) is designed to support the needs of interdisciplinary professionals pursuing a technical career in data science.

Rice University's Master of Data Science program is designed to support the needs of interdisciplinary professionals. Students work directly with world-class faculty across computer science, statistics and data science, and graduate with the skills to move data science expertise into any industry. The program offers students online or on-campus options with a curriculum built to develop the skills needed to collect, evaluate, interpret and communicate data. Students must apply to either the online or on-campus program and will be explicitly admitted to one program or the other.

Visit the Online MDS website to learn more about the part-time, virtual MDS degree, or read below to learn more about the full-time, in-person program at Rice University's beautiful, 300-acre, tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the MDS degree, students will be able to:

• Develop a graduate-level understanding of the computational and statistical foundations of Data Science
• Gaon mastery, through in-depth study, of a core method of Data Science or one application area of Data Science
• Apply Data Science techniques to real-world problems, starting with raw, messy data and ending with actionable insights communicated clearly to a non-technical client

Curriculum Overview

This non-thesis curriculum requires the completion of a minimum of 31 credits, blending the skills needed to collect, evaluate, interpret and communicate data for decision-making across industries.

• Core Courses: You'll build up the computational and statistical foundations of data science through five core courses.
• Specialization: Choose from five specialization tracks: Business Analytics, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Image Processing, Artificial Intelligence or Sports Analytics. *Currently, image processing coursework is only offered for the on-campus program.
• Flexibility: Already have a strong background in statistics or programming? You can move directly into more advanced electives instead of repeating core material. However you start, you finish the program capable of applying real data science skills to real problems.
• Electives: Choose from a number of courses in computing, ethics and security.
• Capstone: In your final semester, our Data to Knowledge (D2K) capstone takes you from raw data to actionable knowledge on a real-world problem, working with an actual industry partner.

View the MDS Curriculum to learn more about core courses, specializations, electives and our data science capstone project.

Key Dates for On-Campus Applicants

For complete information on key dates for MDS on-campus program applicants, please visit the graduate program application page.

The on-campus program currently has one intake per year (the fall semester) and runs over three academic semesters. Students may attend three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, and summer) or pursue an external internship during the summer (in which case the program would cover the fall, spring and fall semesters).

Tuition

The Master of Data Science On-Campus Degree is a 31-credit program. The public on-campus MDS rate is available here. Please note that fees are subject to change and may rise each year.

Admissions Overview

Rice considers all applications holistically. Admissions decisions are based on Rice’s assessment of each applicant’s ability to succeed in the program, considering his or her undergraduate grades, test scores and work experience. Admissions standards are the same for both online and on-campus programs. The GRE test will be recommended for all applicants, but not required. Learn more about the admissions process in the Department of Computer Science.

Learn More

• Attend an MDS information session
• Sign up for more information

For questions about the on-campus MDS program, email gradapp@rice.edu or visit the Online MDS website to learn about the online program.