Stanford University.- Data Science Degrees, Accreditation, Applying, Tuition, Financial Aid

Data Science Degrees offered at Stanford University

Stanford University appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Data Science Certificate Programs.

Students who want to study Data Science or any relatable field should consider Stanford. Stanford University degrees and certificates in data science are available in both online and traditional formats.

Data Science degrees offered at Stanford University

Stanford Data Mining and Applications Graduate Certificate Program

The Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences features an online graduate certificate in data mining and applications. Students complete four courses in three academic years. Course offerings include:

Featured Programs

Introduction to Regression Models and Analysis of Variance
Introduction to Statistical Learning
Introduction to Applied Statistics

Applicants to the Stanford graduate certificate data mining program should have familiarity with the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Most students can complete their Stanford data science certificate in one to two years.

Statistics MS with a Concentration in Data Science

Stanford’s Department of Statistics offers a Master’s of Science in Statistics with a Data Science focus. Big data is becoming increasingly important for applied sciences and engineering fields. This traditional degree program provides students with a fundamental data science education along with specialized electives. Statistics and data science courses include:

Mining Massive Data Sets
Discrete Mathematics and Algorithms
Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Techniques
Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
Modern Applied Statistics: Data Mining

Statistics data science students complete a capstone project that is computational in nature. This can include a master’s research project or a course with a strong hands-on and practical component. Graduates of this Stanford data science masters program can continue onto the doctoral program in ICME, Statistics, Computer Science, MS&E, or start their career as a data science professional.

IMCE Master of Science

The Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering at Stanford offer an MS degree with courses that cover areas data sciences and related areas like:

mathematical modeling
scientific computing
advanced computational algorithms
application field

The Data Science MS is very similar to the MS in Statistics. Both allow students to refine their skills in data science. Students may choose one program over the other in order to work with specific faculty members or pursue a research interest that aligns with their career objectives.

Stanford is an extremely competitive school. The Stanford ICME admission rate is extremely low. Applicants must have a strong math background and advanced undergraduate training in areas like linear algebra and stochastics. Applicants must also have adequate programming skills. International students whose first language is not English may need to submit TOEFL exam scores.

New students are only admitted for the autumn quarter. Applications begin to be accepted in September. Students must meet the application deadline to be considered for entry into the program. Acceptance decisions are made the end of March.

Other Data Science Opportunities at Stanford

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to build a foundation in data science by pursuing a minor in data science. Those who want a major in the social or humanities sciences can also have a Data Science minor that can help them gain more information about analytical methods for statistical data. Students can choose an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the humanities or social sciences (Bachelor’s Master’s, Doctorate) with a minor in Data Science. Students can also choose an undergraduate major (Bachelor’s) in Statistics with a Data Science minor.

The Political Science (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate) department also offers a data science track. Students can learn how to use statistics, algorithms, and formal theories to extract information from data to predict, analyze, or explain political behaviors and phenomena.

Stanford also offers Biomedical Data Science workshops that can double as classes.

Students looking for sociology majors can pursue the Data Science/Markets/Management Track. This Bachelor of Art major allows students to study social situations and focus on computer programming, network analysis, big data, and traditional sociology courses.

The Earth Sciences department also offers a data science track, allowing students to learn about earth imaging, how data can help predict the future or learn more about the past, and more. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available.

Business Analytics can also help students learn more about data science and include clinical, research, education, departmental, appointment, and workforce analytics.

Those who want to earn a Certificate of Completion may find the Big Data, Strategic Decisions program helpful. It helps students learn about data analytics and how it is powerful, which can help them enhance their performance at their company.

Stanford also offers a variety of online degrees with a data science element. Data Science students may want to consider a degree in:

computer science
engineering
business analytics
another degree with a data science track

About Stanford

Stanford opened its doors in 1891 and is located in Stanford, CA. Currently, they have 4,633 full-time faculty members and 17,680 students, which means that there is a 4 to 1 ratio of student to faculty. The university focuses on leading the way with innovation, new ideas, and the ability to discover new things. Their campus is over 8,000 acres with almost 700 significant buildings, and about 93 percent of all undergraduates live onsite. They’ve currently got seven schools, including:

Law
Medicine
Engineering
Education
Humanities and Science
Business
Earth/Energy/Environmental Sciences

The history of the school is rife with sadness. When their child died at age 15 from typhoid fever, Leland Stanford (Senator) and his wife, Jane, chose to open the Leland Stanford Junior University to honor their child and ensure that other people’s children could have a brighter future. The legend lived on for more than a century where students still learn about important topics and find careers suited to their unique personalities and strengths.

Stanford Accreditation Details

Stanford recently had an accreditation review in 2013, where they were reaffirmed as accredited. The college is regionally accredited through the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities from WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

However, particular fields of study are further accredited through other agencies. The engineering degrees offered by the school are approved/accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology while legal degrees are accredited through the ABA (American Bar Association). Psychology Ph.D. programs are approved through the APA (American Psychological Association while educational degrees align with the NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Lastly, business management programs are approved and accredited through the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

Stanford Application Requirements

Stanford only accepts about four percent of applicants, which means the process is grueling and well worth the effort. They have one of the most selective processes for admissions. Students must be well-versed, know what they want, and have the desire to work hard. First-year Stanford bachelors degree students need to have graduated or be graduating from state-approved secondary schools with a GED or diploma. They must also agree to follow the college preparatory curriculum of:

four years of English
three years of science
four years of math
two years of a foreign language
three years of social studies

It is also advised that students take IB and AP classes in high school.

Admitted students generally have a GPA from high school of about 4.18. Stanford freshmen usually score 2210 on SAT tests and 33 on ACT tests.

Undergraduate transfer students should complete a minimum of 24 units at their regionally accredited university or college. However, transferees must also have two full-time years remaining toward their Bachelor’s degree. Incoming transferees must have a GPA of at least 3.0 to compete for admission, and no transfer credits below grade C- are granted.

For graduate level applicants (Masters and Ph.D.), they must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. Most graduate programs at Stanford require a minimum GPA of 3.0. However, applicants must also earn satisfactory scores for the GMAT or GRE within the past five years. Letters of recommendation from references who can provide insight on your potential for graduate study are also required.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Stanford

Full-time undergrad students can expect to pay over $56,000 each academic year in tuition and fees. Books and supplies can run as much as $1,300 each year. On-campus room and board is $17,860 per year. The average graduate student tuition and fees for an academic year is $54,315 according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Financial aid is available in the form of federal loans, grants, and more. Almost 75% of students receive some form of financial aid. The most common type of aid at Stanford is institutional grants or scholarships. Students can learn how to apply or see what financial aid is available for their particular degree focus at Stanford.

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