University of Rhode Island

Data Science and Data Analytics at the University of Rhode Island

university-of-rhode-islandThe University of Rhode Island appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Best Data Science Ph.D. Online Programs.

URI offers students the choice of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Data Science, as well as a minor in Data Science. Students may also choose the university’s Ph.D. in Computer Science, which is a research degree that requires students complete a major research project. Students may choose to focus on data science when creating their research project. Data-driven science is a cutting-edge field that uses scientific methods, algorithms, systems, and processes to gain insights into business strategy, technology, and mathematics. Modern businesses are accumulating an extraordinary amount of data, and data scientists are at the forefront of evaluating that data.

Students who wish to enter the field of data analytics after graduation will want to pursue the University of Rhode Island’s Bachelor of Arts in Data Analytics. This interdisciplinary degree is earned within several colleges within the university including the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Health, Pharmacy, Oceanography, Environment and Life Sciences, and Business. The program is designed to take four years, and students will need to complete 120 credits to earn their degree. Not only will students take classes in data science, but they will also choose an additional area for study and complete a capstone class.

An alternative to the Bachelor of Arts degree is the university’s Bachelor of Science in Data Analytics. The curriculum features an introduction to the fundamentals of the industry and includes the study of many relevant areas. Students may choose to enter a career after graduation, or they may decide to apply for a position in a graduate program. The B.S. degree is the appropriate path for students interested in graduate work. Topics studied in the program include ethics, mathematics, statistics, and computing. Computer science courses at the University of Rhode Island include Computing Concepts, Computer Problem Solving for Science & Engineering, Data Structures and Abstractions, and Survey of Computer Science.

The Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Rhode Island requires that students have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field. Students who want to enter the doctoral program and have a degree in an unrelated area may need to complete some prerequisite coursework. Students must also take the GRE before applying to the program. In addition to the credits required for a bachelor’s degree, students must also complete 18 credits for their doctoral dissertation. Students with a graduate degree in computer science may be able to reduce the number of classes required to complete their Ph.D. Subjects required for completion of the degree include mathematics, programming languages, and architecture & systems.

About The University of Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island was established in 1892 as the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. The university offers an array of bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees in around 80 different areas of study. The university’s main campus is located in Kingston in southern Rhode Island. There are also smaller campuses in Providence, West Greenwich, and Narragansett. There are around 18,000 students at the University of Rhode Island, which includes approximately 3,000 post-graduates. The rural campus is 1,254 acres, and the official colors of the school are blue and metallic gold. The school’s sports teams play in NCAA Division I games, and the school’s mascot is Rhody the Ram.

The University of Rhode Island Accreditation Details

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges has accredited the University of Rhode Island to award college degrees. Various programs throughout the university also have specialized accreditations. Some of the national accrediting agencies that have given their approval to various programs include the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, and the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training. The university is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Schools of Music, and Accreditation Commission on Education for Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

The University of Rhode Island Application Requirements

The university describes admission to its undergraduate programs as competitive. Facets considered during the application process include the student’s high school curriculum, the academic performance of the student, standardized test scores, and areas of the student’s everyday life including employment, extracurricular activities, and community service. The average GPA of first-year students was 3.54. To enter the Ph.D. program, students must submit official transcripts and GRE scores, as well as undertake a qualifying examination that will gauge the student’s knowledge of computer science. A student may be able to secure a waiver for certain facets of the exam and should inquire with the university as to the possibility of those waivers.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The University of Rhode Island is a public school and charges different tuition for in-state students versus out-of-state students. In-state students will pay $29,307 for tuition, and out-of-state students will pay $45,557 for tuition. These amounts include tuition, fees, room & board, books & supplies, and other expected expenses. Graduate students pay $303 per credit for in-state residents and $462 per credit for out-of-state residents. There are also some programs that require extra fees. For example, the engineering program requires a $535 fee per semester, the nursing program requires an $850 fee per semester, and the pharmaceutical science degree requires a $1,375 degree each semester. The doctoral program in pharmacy requires an academic program fee of $3,250 each semester.

Students are eligible for a variety of types of financial aid at the University of Rhode Island and are encouraged to fill out their FAFSA form and apply for student aid quickly after applying to the university. Types of aid that are available to students include merit scholarships, loans, grants, non-merit based scholarships, alternative loans, and student employment. Scholarships and awards for merit usually require that students maintain a minimum GPA each year, earn the required number of credits, and carry a full-time course load. Students are considered continuous and full-time when they enroll in at least 12 credits each semester. Students with financial need should apply for federal Pell Grants, as well as grants through the university that include the Founders Grant and University Grant. Students may even wish to establish residency before applying to one of the programs in the Department of Computer Science and Statistics at the University of Rhode Island.

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