University of Missouri Online Master’s in Data Science and Analytics Degree Available
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology appears in our ranking of the 15 Most Affordable Master’s in Data Science Online.
The University of Missouri offers an online Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics degree. The 34-credit program welcomes students from diverse academic backgrounds to become productive data scientists in regionally connected industries and in Missouri itself. The program reflects the evolving field of data science by providing a unique curriculum in a number of different disciplines.
The M.S. degree prepares non-technical professionals from a broad range of fields to turn big data into smart data. The faculty uses real-world experience to teach the latest advances in analytics, visualization, and data science. The program uses an intentional approach to data science, providing students with the specialized tools they need to solve issues with data, not math. The online format gives students the flexibility to study from home while still maintaining classroom connections and prior work and family obligations.
However, online students are required to meet face-to-face for one week per year, and expenses are paid as a component of the tuition. Students can expect an intensive, week-long application of the curriculum after they complete the first year of study. During the second year of study, students are expected to showcase capstone designs and participate in a second week-long collaboration with industry partners.
Since data science is a unique field, the degree program is tailored to each student’s interests and goals. Students may choose from a number of concentrations, including data journalism, biotechnology, strategic communication, geospatial, human-centered design for data, and high-performance computing. Not only are students required to complete core foundational coursework, but these separate concentration areas allow students to ensure that they are taking classes and completing projects that are most relevant to the career they wish to pursue.
The 34-credit degree can be completed within two years, and students are required to take 19 credit hours in core courses in data mining and information retrieval, big data security, data visualization, database and analytics, statistical and mathematical foundations for data analytics, data and information ethics, and a three-credit-hour big data analytics case study. Students are also required to take a three-credit-hour big data capstone course. Students round out the degree with nine credit hours in their emphasis area of concentration. Courses are staggered in eight-week blocks throughout the semester, so a student is never taking more than two courses at one time.
Students pursuing the online M.S. in Data Science and Analytics from the University of Missouri gain real-world experience in applying state-of-the-art data science techniques and tools to solve business, academic, and/or industry data and decision-making challenges. Students are trained in the latest methods and tools, including advanced and fundamental mathematical and statistical principles upon which advanced data analysis techniques are built such as data mining, pattern recognition, and machine learning.
The University of Missouri has also established an industry advisory board, comprised of business and industry experts in companies critical to data science and analytics. This helps to ensure the program is responsive and relevant to the marketplace and that the students’ learning experiences are relevant to real-world challenges, problems, and technologies. The school partners with companies such as Amazon, Deloitte, Sanford Health, Monsanto, Cerner, IBM, Google, Express Scripts, Dow, Dish Network, Centene Corporation, KPMG, Silicon Valley Data Science, The New York Times, FairCom, FleishmanHillard, CenturyLink, Boeing, and Thomson Reuters.
Graduates of the program will have an understanding and knowledge of database platforms in data science, statistical analytics, modern data analytics, ethics, security, and advanced training in the concentration area most relevant to their profession. Throughout the program, students will also gain a strong foundational understanding of information retrieval, database design, and database systems, thus allowing for the exploitation of a number of streaming data systems and data repositories.
Those who earn their online M.S. in Data Science and Analytics will also understand the security mechanisms and ethics required to safeguard large-scale data collections that could potentially contain critical and sensitive information. Finally, graduates who earn their degree from the University of Missouri will be able to effectively communicate relevant information to a broad audience by using a variety of presentation and visualization methods.
About The University of Missouri
Also known as MU or Mizzou, the University of Missouri is a public research university located in Columbia, Missouri. It was founded as the first public institution of higher education west of the Mississippi River in 1839, and it is the largest university in the state. Mizzou is the flagship campus of the University of Missouri system and offers more than 300 degree programs in 20 academic colleges. U.S. News & World Report ranked MU 103rd among the best universities in the country, and it is one of only six public colleges in the country with a school of law, agriculture, engineering, veterinary medicine, and medicine all on one campus.
University of Missouri Accreditation Details
The University of Missouri is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.
University of Missouri Application Requirements
Students interested in applying to the University of Missouri are required to meet two sets of qualifications for admission: the minimum requirements of the Graduate School and those of the specific graduate program which they would like to attend. All applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited university or college. In addition, students must have maintained a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours of baccalaureate coursework if they do not already hold a master’s degree.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students pursuing an online graduate degree in data science and analytics will pay $7,530 per year in tuition for a nine-credit-hour semester. Prospective students should keep in mind extra fees and expenses for books, supplies, and other potential costs associated with earning the degree. However, Mizzou graduate students may be eligible for one or more types of financial aid, including fellowships, assistantships, scholarships, and loans. In addition, the school operates a Veterans Center, where veterans and active military members can learn more about benefits such as tuition discounts, scholarships and other types of financial aid reserved for them. University of Missouri students who are interested in applying are encouraged to contact the Veterans Center prior to doing so as the staff can help determine the best way to apply to maximize these benefits and tuition discounts.
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