Data Science Degrees Offered at National University
National University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Online Master’s in Database Administration.
National University offers a Master of Science in Data Science. This degree teaches its holders how to evaluate data using their data and statistical programming skills. More specifically, data scientists understand how to draw meaning from data and to provide an interpretation for it. They use various tools, like machine learning and statistics to glean the information they need.
Students in this degree track at National University are prepared for careers as data scientists through rigorous coursework and real-world work opportunities. Some of the classes that students in this degree program can take include Fundamentals of Analytics, Data Management for Analytics, Categorical Data Methods, Data Mining and Machine Learning, Advanced SQL Programming and Data Mining Techniques.
About National University
National University is the largest private university in San Diego geared toward adult learners. Its main campus is in San Diego, California, though it has campuses all over the state. It additionally has online classes and a campus in Nevada and on military bases around the country. The average age of students is 32.
To provide students with the most convenient educational options possible, National University has a four-week class structure, with classes scheduled in the evenings and occasionally on the weekends. Online students receive their class content via interactive media, synchronous class meetings and streamed video. It is a pioneer in online education and has been providing students with this mode of instruction for over 20 years.
The school, which was founded by a retired military veteran David Chigos, is known for being a school that’s friendly to military personnel. National University offers scholarships and discounts to members of the military and their dependents.
The school’s accreditation allows it to offer degrees from the associate level to the master level, as well as continuing ed programs and teaching credentials. The university has five colleges within its system: the Sanford College of Education, the School of Health and Human Services, the School of Engineering and Computing, the School of Business and Management and the School of Professional Studies.
The school has an excellent graduation rate for both undergraduates and graduates. Seventy-one percent of undergraduates complete their education. Sixty-five percent of graduate students do.
National University has its share of impressive alumni. Major league pitcher Frank Pastore, Mayor of Hawthorne, California Christ Brown, Extreme Sports Channel co-founder Lloyd Bryan Molander Adams and seven-term US Congressman and Navy fighter pilot Duke Cunningham are all alumni.
National University Accreditation
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the accrediting organization that provides National University with its accreditation.
National University Application Requirements
National University makes applying and attending college a fairly seamless process. The school accepts new applications from January to December and starts new classes every month. Once a prospective student’s application is approved, that student can begin classes immediately.
Students submit their application to the university online.
National University asks for the following documents from undergraduate freshmen, transfer or international students:
- The application
- A copy of school transcripts (high school, diploma programs or college)
- A copy of the student’s passport (international students)
- Test scores (where applicable)
Graduate students must additionally provide proof that they’ve graduated from an accredited university with either a diploma or a bachelor’s degree.
All international students should ensure that their transcripts are written in English. If they are not, then they should be translated into English by a certified company. International students must also provide proof of financial support.
International students whose first language isn’t English must also provide the school with proof of English proficiency. To do that, students can provide their test scores from TOEFL, IELTS, PTEA or iTEP. These students should check the international students’ application page for the score ranges.
The university makes every attempt to honor transfer credits and holds articulation agreements with more than 110 colleges and universities in the US. An articulation agreement allows colleges to help partnering universities determine how certain credits will be transferred between the colleges that participate in the agreement.
These agreements also allow colleges to see how another university’s sequence of classes would work. This allows students to transfer more of their credits.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students studying data science are graduate students and will pay graduate-level tuition rates. At the 500, 600 and 700 levels, students pay $442 per quarter unit. At the 800 level, students are either charged $650 or $760 per quarter unit. The university also charges students for various fees.
Incoming students at National University can apply for financial aid to help them pay for their education. The university works with information on a student’s FAFSA form to determine how much aid the student gets. The FAFSA is a form created by the federal government that allows students to receive money from federal financial aid programs, which are outlined below.
Students can get federal grants, like the Pell and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). The amount that students can receive for these varies, but typically, it ranges from about $350 to $5,700 or so. The FSEOG provides students with grants from $50 to $2,500.
The university can also provide students with federal student loans, like the Stafford. These loan amounts start at $3,500 for first-year undergraduates and go all the way up to $5,500 for fifth-year credential students. These loans can be subsidized or unsubsidized. Independent students can borrow more money per year. PLUS loans and Perkins loans are available to qualifying students as well.
Other financial aid options include work-study programs, which allow students to work part-time at a campus job. Many times, these jobs provide students with an opportunity to gain valuable work skills in the field in which they hope to build a career.
Scholarships, aid for military students and other types of loans are available to students, as is the California state grant, the Cal Grant A or the Cal Grant B. These grant awards can be up to $12,297 per year and are awarded to residents of California.
National University offers a data science degree at the master level. Take a look at it today.
Related Resources:
- Are Data Science Degrees Expensive?
- How Do I Know if Data Science is a Good Degree Path for Me?
- How Useful is a Data Science Degree?
- 5 Signs of an Innovative Data Science Degree Program
- 20 Best Data Science Bachelor’s Degree Programs
- 30 Best Master’s in Data Science Online Degree Programs