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Academics

MS in Data Science

The MS in Data Science (MSDS) has been developed for students interested in pursuing a research career in data science with courses taught by faculty from the departments of Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, and others across the university.

The Curriculum

Students must complete 5 required core classes, 4 additional elective options, and a comprehensive final research project in order to be eligible for degree completion. Prior to beginning the program, the university offers a series of online foundational courses designed to help prepare incoming MSDS students to enhance their technical competencies before starting the degree program. Foundational courses are offered at no cost and are optional to all incoming students; for this reason, these courses are not part of your degree requirements.

All students in the MSDS program will take 5 required core classes below. Each course is designed to be completed in-person here at our Hyde Park campus:

 

  • DATA 30100: Introduction to Data Science
  • DATA 31500: Data Interaction
  • DATA 34100: Introduction to Data Systems & Data Design  OR  DATA 34200: Data Engineering & Scalable Computing
  • DATA 35900: Responsible Use of Data & Algorithms
  • DATA 37000: Introduction to Machine Learning & Neural Networks  OR  DATA 37711: Foundations of Machine Learning & AI – Part I

 

In addition, students can choose from 4 graduate-level electives which can be selected from a wide variety of courses in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, as well as across the university. Click here to view more information about our required courses and some elective options here at UChicago.

Final Research Project

All students enrolled in the MSDS program are required to complete a comprehensive final research project as the culmination of their degree program. This project serves as a capstone experience, demonstrating mastery of data science techniques, the ability to conduct independent research, and effectively communicate results. Each student may explore different completion methods for this project based on their research interests, career goals, etc. Students will work with our MSDS program director to identify clear perimeters for how to create, execute, and present their final research project.

Academic Policies

See “Program Structure & Degree Requirements” and “Academic Policies” in the Student Handbook (or pdf version for 2025) for more details. The following are some of the more important requirements:

  • Core and Elective Courses should receive a ‘C’ or better grade
  • Minimum cumulative GPA for all courses is 3.0
  • Minimum cumulative GPA for all core plus elective courses is 3.3