Data science is a very vast field that can be mainly categorized into Computer Science and Software Development, Statistics and Machine Learning, and Domain Knowledge. Data scientists collect, organize, analyze and interpret a huge amount of data with a diversified array of applications. Data Science is a hot topic and gaining a tremendous amount of attention with the advancement of technology. As the scope of Data Science is expanding many students are enrolling for the Masters in Data Science to make a career in the amazing field.
In this post, we will look at the Masters in data science course in the USA.
Table of Contents
1. Why USA?
2. Course Curriculum
3. Top Universities in the USA for M.Sc in Data Science
4. Masters Admission in the USA
-> Intakes and Deadlines 2022
-> Admission Requirements
- Eligibility
- Lor
- Personal Statement
- Gre Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
- English Proficiency test
5. Cost Of living in the USA
- Pre-arrival Costs
- Tuition Fees
- Post-arrival Costs
6. Jobs after M.sc Data Science
7. Masters in data science Scholarships
1. Top 5 reasons to study M.sc. Data Science in the USA
- More and more organizations are getting aware of the opportunities and scope of data science which has led to a tremendous increase in the demand for data scientists all over the globe.
- The job satisfaction rate of a Data Scientist job is significantly higher in the USA as compared to other nations making it a top study destination for the data science course.
- According to the reports, San Francisco has topped the list of highest paying cities in the USA after a Masters in Data Science with employees getting more than 25% salary than the national average.
- A survey has declared that more than 60,000 jobs will be generated in the field of data science and similar analytical roles.
- Also, In the USA the salary of an experienced data scientist increases by 25%
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2. Course Curriculum
Following are the core subjects taught in Masters In data science program in USA Universities:
- Business Intelligence from Big Data
- Data Optimization
- Software Development
- Data Mining
- Data Mining
- Machine LearningĀ
- Statistics
3. Top 10 universities in the USA
| QS Ranking 2022 | University | Program and Duration | FeesĀ (in USD) |
| #3 | Stanford University | Ms in Statistics: Data Science; 2 years | 149,080 |
| #5 | Harvard University | Ms Data Science; 2 years | 109,760 |
| #14 | Yale University | Ms in Statistics and Data Science; 2 years | 86,600 |
| #13Ā | University of PennsylvaniaĀ | Ms in Engineering Data Science; 1.5 years | 75,715 |
| #25 | John Hopkins University | Ms in Data Science | 110,700 |
| #32Ā | UC Berkley | Ms Engineering Data Science and Systems; 1 year | 52,508 |
| #19 | Columbia University | Ms in Data Science; 1.5 years | 63,120 |
| #23 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ms in Data Science; 2 years | 42,778 |
| #42 | New York University | Ms in Data Science; 2 years | 129,240 |
| #48 | UC San Diego | Ms in Data Science and Engineering; 2 years | 66,960 |
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4. Masters Admission In the USA
Some of the popular masters in the USA mainly includes STEM:
- Science
- Technology
- EngineeringĀ
- Mathematics
That is why international students primarily choose Engineering, Business, Science, Technology, Computer Science and IT as their majors.
-> Masters Courses Intake and Deadline 2022
| Intake | Starts | Duration |
Fall Intake (also known as the Primary Intake) | September | September to December |
Spring Intake (Secondary Intake) | January | January to May |
Summer Intake (fewer courses available) | May | May to August |
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The deadline for universities in the USA go throughout the months of January, February, March and April
- January 2022
There will be deadlines all throughout January. Some of the top universities in states like Florida, Oregon, Denver, Delaware and Georgia will have their deadlines.
- February 2022
A good number of universities will be closing their applications for the universities on the 1st and 5th of this month. Institutes like the University of Michigan and Ohio State will have their deadline on these days.
- March 2022
The application deadline for several universities will be closed on the 1st March 2022. This month will start the process of finalization of the admissions.
- April 2022
The 1st of April is a deadline for many universities in the USA.Ā
-> Admission Requirements
Students applying for a master's program in the USA can be from different backgrounds such as Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Business, Mathematics, Engineering, Biology, Psychology and Economics. The most basic requirement for a master's program is a bachelor's degree in any of such fields is compulsory. After that, the following is required to enroll for the courses:
- Bachelors Degree
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā I. To apply for a Data Science course in the USA you must have a relevant bachelorās degree from a recognized university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 GPA.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā II. The percentile equivalent of this is 83-86% and Grade B is the grade equivalent.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā III. The CGPA 10-points scale equivalent is 7-7.4
- LOR
A minimum of 2-3 letters of recommendation are required for admission to a master's program out of which 1 must be an academic LOR. LORs play a significant role in the admission process as it helps the committee to judge the applicantās candidature for the course.
- SOP
The main motive behind a statement of purpose is to convince the admissions committee about how you are eligible for the course in their university. An SOP must describe students' background, work experience and the impact they created during their work and professio0nal goals short term and long term. Let us help the perfect SOP for your dream university.
- GRE
A good GRE score is required to get admission to a Data Science program. On average a score of 150 in both verbal and quants will get you in an average university whereas a score of 300 plus is required for the top universities.
- English Proficiency Test
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā I. An English proficiency test is required for any applicant who is from a non-English speaking nation or has not done the studies(undergraduate) in the English language. IELTS and TOEFL are the two main exams that are widely accepted throughout the universities in the USA.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā II. The Minimum Score required by most of the universities are:
ā IELTS: 6.5 to 7.0
ā TOEFL: 80 to 100
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5. Cost of Living in the USA
Various types of costs are incurred when applying for international admissions and important decisions should be made regarding the cost of living.
The overall cost of a master's program for an international student can be categorized as:
Ā A. Pre-arrival Cost
The cost incurred before arrival to the study destination is known as the pre-arrival cost. A general estimate of these costs can be made by the following:
| Type of Expense | Cost (in USD) |
| Program Application Fees | 100-200 |
| US student visa application fees | 160 |
| IELTS Fees | 185-190 |
| TOEFL Fees | 160-250 |
| GRE Fees | 205-230 |
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B. Tuition Fees for Masters in Data Science
The tuition fees of a masterās program vary according to the universities with a tuition fee of as low as 21,389 USD per annum in the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor to as high as 74,540 USD per annum in Stanford University. The following table also shows tuition fees of some universities for a Data science master in INR.
| University | Tuition Fees In INR |
| Stanford University | 1.1 crore |
| Harvard University | 81.43 lakh |
| Yale University | 64.26 lakh |
| University of Pennsylvania | 56.2 lakh |
| John Hopkins University | 82.15 lakh |
| UC Berkley | 38.96 lakh |
| Columbia University | 46.84 lakh |
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C. Post Arrival Cost
These expenses are incurred once you reach the destination of study. An approximate amount of 15,000 USD is spent per month after arrival in the USA. This cost may vary according to the state you choose for your studies.Ā
| Categories | Cost per month (in USD) |
| Rent of ApartmentĀ | 1000-2000 |
| Meals | 120-160 |
| Transportation | 100-300 |
| Personal Expenses | 300-400 |
| Health InsuranceĀ | 450-700 |
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6. Jobs after M.Sc. in Data Science
Data science is an emerging field with a broad scope, and millions of students are studying a data science program every year to make a dream career. Some of the leading data science careers are mentioned below:
Data scientist
The primary role of a data scientist is to find, clean, and organise data for companies. They analyze large amounts of complex raw and processed information to find patterns that benefit an organization and help drive strategic business decisions.
Machine learning engineer
They create data funnels and deliver software solutions. Therefore, they need strong statistical and programming skills and a good knowledge of software engineering.
Statistician
They collect, analyze and interpret data to identify relationships and trends that help solve business problems. Other responsibilities include designing the data collection process, communicating findings to stakeholders, and helping in forming organizational strategy.
Business Analyst
They collect, analyze and interpret large volumes of data. They use various statistical tools and analytical techniques to study and extract patterns from the data. Finally, they present their findings in a consolidated and visual form.
Business Intelligence(BI) Developer
They are professionals responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining a companies BI interface, including query tools, data visualization, and data modeling tools.
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Companies Hiring Students from MS Data Science
The demand for data science professionals has skyrocketed in recent years. Given the enormous volume of data generated by digital services, itās no surprise that the demand for data scientists has increased simultaneously. The table below shows the average salary paid by top companies to data scientists.
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Letās also have a look at the city-wise average salary of a master in data science student:
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7. Masters in Data Science Scholarships In USA Universities
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| Scholarship | Awarding Committee | Award(in USD) |
| ACM SIGHPC and The Intel Computational and Data Science Scholarships | The Association for Computing Machineryās Special Interest Group on High-Performance Computing | 15,000 annually |
| Bill Caspar Memorial Diversity Scholarship | The Collective, LLC | 10,000 |
| MinneAnalytics Data Science Scholarship | Minne Analytics | 1,000 to all the applicants; 5,000 to only one outstanding student. |
| National GEM Consortium | GEMās Masters Fellowship Program | 7,000 per term |
| National Defence Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship | American Society for Engineering Education | Varies |
| Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship | DOE CSGF Program Coordinator | Varies |
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FAQ
Q. What are the tuition fees for a Masterās in Data Science in the USA?
A. Masters's in Data Science in USA costs around 21,000 USD to 75,000 USD per annum. Additionally, the cost of living for an international student costs around 15,000 USD per year.
Q. Which are the top universities for Masters in Data Science in the USA?
A. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of Chicago, and Yale University are some of the top-ranked universities offering Masters in Data Science in the USA.
Q. Which University has the cheapest M.Sc. in Data Science in the USA?
A. Among the top 10, the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor has the cheapest Masters in Data Science. The university charges a tuition fee of only 21,389 USD for the Data Science course. The University of California and San Diego has the second-lowest tuition fees of around 33,480 USD per annum.
Q. Can I apply for Masters in Data Science in the USA without GRE?
A. Most of the top universities in the USA require a GRE score for admission in a Data Science program. Although, some universities such as Northeastern University, University of Maryland, Oregon State University, Drew University, John Hopkins University, etc. offer admission without GRE.
Q. What is the eligibility to apply for a Data Science Masters in the USA?
A. Students are required to have a bachelor's degree in a related field such as mathematics, statistics, etc. Also, a good GRE score is required with a decent score in the English proficiency test (IELTS or TOEFL).
