Data Science

Program Overview

• Options: Master’s, Graduate Certificate, 4+1 for Mercyhurst undergrads
• Location(s): On campus
• Duration: Minimum 21 months
• Cost: $1,026 per credit; $39,000 total (Alumni receive a special tuition rate)
• Deadline: Rolling admissions
• Start term: Fall semester
• Careers: Data analysts, business analysts, data engineers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists

Required Courses

• Databases
• Machine Learning
• Data Visualization
• Big Data Analytics
• Neural Networks
• Natural Language Processing

Learning Outcomes

Our program is designed to give students a competitive edge in the marketplace. You will be prepared as a professional data scientist who will serve as a key informant for decision-makers in both the public and private sectors. You can:

• Assess, evaluate, and respond to decision-maker needs and requirements
• Collect, clean, store, and query data from a variety of private and public data sources
• Apply appropriate analytic techniques to provide estimates that support decision-making and action
• Communicate actionable information and findings in easy-to-understand written, oral, and visual formats

Career Opportunities

Data science is one of the most important disciplines of the future, and it will intersect with every professional area as the reservoir of the world’s data continues to grow. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, “the United States alone could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills as well as 1.5 million managers and analysts with the know-how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions.”

Graduates of our program are highly sought after, with job opportunities in top companies like Facebook, Erie Insurance, Amazon, UPMC, ConMed, and Abbott Labs.
 

4+1 Program

Available to qualified Mercyhurst undergraduate students, the M.S. in Data Science allows students to begin earning graduate credits during their junior years at no additional cost. Students starting the 4+1 in the fall of their junior year can earn up to 12 credits, shortening their time to master’s completion and saving more than $10,000.

Admissions Requirements

Prospective applicants must fulfill the following admissions requirements. At the discretion of the director, acceptance may be granted to applicants who have not fulfilled all the admissions requirements, provided they agree to the conditions of the acceptance prescribed by the director.

Admissions decisions are made by the program director on a rolling basis after a holistic review.

• Completed online application
• A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited school with a preferred overall minimum GPA of 3.0
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you attended
• A current resume
• A 500-750 word personal statement outlining your reasons for enrolling and personal and professional goals
• One letter of recommendation from a professional or academic source (such as an employer or professor)
• International applicants whose records are written in a language other than English must have their documents translated into English and a notarized statement attesting to the accuracy of the translations
• International applicants whose primary language is not English must attain a TOEFL score of at least 69 on the internet-based exam OR an IELTS score of at least 5.8 OR a Duolingo English Test score of no less than 100