Master's in Data Science

Strengthen Your Data Science Skills. Advance Your Career.

A pioneering program, offered at WPI for 10+ years, the Master of Science in Data Science degree prepares you to derive new insights from data and articulate these findings into innovative solutions for how we live, work, and interact with the world around us. Your expertise will be in high demand in the workplace, as you tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.

In this graduate-level program, you’ll build your core data science skills, ranging from data processing, statistics to the latest methods in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. As an interdisciplinary degree, you’ll also have opportunities to develop interpersonal and data storytelling skills alongside technical mastery.

This program is also available online

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Program Highlights

Deepen your in-demand skills sought by employers in cutting-edge data science and artificial intelligence courses from deep learning, machine learning, MLOPs, big data, reinforcement learning, generative AI, social media analytics, to natural language processing—including ChatGPT—and others across the campus.
Use industry-leading tools including Pytorch, MySQL, Python, Matlab, Tableaux, Apache Spark, Oracle, and more
Learn from world-class faculty who are scholarly and industry leaders in their fields working on cutting-edge projects in areas critical to our society.
Work on real-world projects with industry partners. As part of WPI’s Graduate Qualifying Project (GQP), 500+ students have worked on 100+ projects
Take advantage of bridge courses which allows for you to enroll without necessarily a specific technical undergraduate degree
Benefit from our industry advisory board members who are actively invested in collaborating with our program faculty to ensure students are exposed to the latest trends in this dynamic industry sector
Go beyond an MS degree with one-on-one directed studies or prepare to eventually pursue a PhD. WPI also offers a PhD in Data Science

MS in Data Science: Facts & Figures

best online master’s in data science programs

Fortune (2022)

#20

best online master's in data science

Fortune (2024)

#86

best national universities

U.S. News & World Report (2025)

national universities where grads are paid well

U.S. News & World Report (2021)

Curriculum

The Master of Science in Data Science program begins with a foundational track required for students without appropriate math and/or programming experience. WPI’s data science master's program is interdisciplinary, drawing from Computer Science, Mathematical Sciences, and the Business School. This trifecta of disciplines forms the basis for the program’s curriculum that focuses on:

Data processing: extracting and managing data using traditional and cutting-edge big data systems
Modeling techniques: Artificial Intelligence and machine learning algorithms
Statistical analysis: A deeper knowledge of statistics and other applied mathematical foundations
Data-intensive software: a rich diversity of software tools used throughout the program
Essential management and leadership skills: business courses provide a holistic approach to data science, developing interpersonal and story-telling skills alongside technical mastery

Courses

Two courses are designed as ramp up courses for students who may lack sufficient background in either statistics or programming, respectively. They can count towards the 30 credits of the DS MS degree. They are:
MA 511. Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
CS 5007. Intro to Applications of CS with Data Structures and Algorithms (Programming for non-CS majors)

DS 501: Introduction to Data Science

DS 502/MA 543 Statistical Methods for Data Science 
MA 542. Regression Analysis 
MA 554. Applied Multivariate Analysis

(Choose one of the suggested courses below)

CS 542 Database Management Systems 
MIS 571 Database Applications Design and Development 
CS 585/DS 503 Big Data Management 
CS 561. Advanced Topics in Database Systems

(Choose one of the suggested courses below)

CS 548 Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining 
CS 539 Machine Learning 
DS 504 Big Data Analytics
DS 541 Deep Learning

MIS 584 Business Intelligence 
MKT 568. Marketing Analytics
MIS 587. Business Applications in Machine Learning

Students have access to additional cutting-edge courses in Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence, ranging from Deep Learning, Generative AI, Natural Language Processing, MLOPS, Algorithms, Multi-Variate Statistics, AI for Business Applications, and many more.
A complete listing of all courses pre-approved as electives for the MS in data science program may be found in the WPI Graduate Catalog under Data Science.

The MS in data science culminates in the three-credit Graduate Qualifying Project (GQP), DS598, a semester-long team project with an industry partner, or
A nine-credit M.S. thesis in supervision with a faculty member.

Data Science Degree Options

WPI offers a range of options to earn your degree in data science at various levels of study. Prefer to pursue your master’s degree in data science online instead? Explore our flexible online MS in data science. Maybe you’re looking for expert proficiency in data science? Our interdisciplinary PhD in data science enables you to gain the leadership edge to elevate your career. In addition to our online MS and PhD, we offer a six-course certificate in data science. This is tailored to students who want to learn how to analyze and interpret data without fulfilling the demands of a data science master’s.

Data Science at WPI

The WPI Difference

At WPI, we teach data science through a lens of theory and practice—and our department is actively innovating new models and solutions. As a data science master's student, you’ll work alongside faculty and researchers who are fueling breakthroughs that have direct, real-world impact in health, genetic analysis, sustainability, educational software, financial trading, and more.

Whether your research interest is using predictive analytics to identify cyber threats or empowering “smart” cities to make data-driven policy changes critical for societal well-being, WPI has the capacity to help you design and complete your master’s degree in the burgeoning field of data science.

The Data Science Innovation Lab is dedicated workspace for project work by students in the Data Science program. Robust servers and computer clusters are available for experimenting with large-scale datasets and compute-intensive generative modeling techniques throughout labs at WPI, including many interdisciplinary facilities.

What Can I Do with a Master’s in Data Science?

15% job growth from 2019 to 2029
$122,840 national average salary

In-demand skills:

Distributed computing
Predictive modeling
Math, stats, machine learning

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

6% job growth from 2019 to 2029
$88,550 national average salary

In-demand skills:

Spreadsheet tools
Database systems
Communication & visualization

10% job growth from 2019 to 2029
$97,350 national average salary

In-demand skills:

Data warehousing solutions
Database architecture
Systems development

10% job growth from 2019 to 2029
$93,750 national average salary

In-demand skills:

Database systems
Data modeling & ETL tools
Data APIs

7% job growth from 2019 to 2029
$90,920 national average salary

In-demand skills:

Data visualization tools
Business intelligence
Data modeling

10% job growth from 2019 to 2029
$93,750 national average salary

In-demand skills:

Backup & recovery
Data modeling & design
Database systems

DS - AI Faculty Research

Faster, Fairer, and More Accurate AI Models with Graph Data

WPI Prof. Fabricio Murai discusses their current research related to FRV AI.

Extracting Knowledge with Natural Language Processing

WPI Prof. Kyumin Lee describes his research information retrieval and AI.

Better Data for Better AI Results

WPI Prof. Roee Shraga describes his work to improve the data used b AI systems and algorithms.

Understanding Brain Networks using Deep Learning

WPI Prof. Xiangnan Kong discusses their current research related to AI.

Featured Faculty

Elke Rundensteiner

Professor, Computer Science, Program Head, Data Science, Computer Science

As founding Head of the interdisciplinary Data Science program here at WPI, I take great pleasure in doing all in my power to support the Data Science community in all its facets from research collaborations, and new educational initiatives to our innovative industry-sponsored and mentored Graduate Qualifying projects at the graduate level.

Xiangnan Kong

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Professor Kong’s research interests focus on data mining and machine learning, with emphasis on addressing the data science problems in biomedical and social applications. Data today involves an increasing number of data types that need to be handled differently from conventional data records, and an increasing number of data sources that need to be fused together. Dr. Kong is particularly interested in designing algorithms to tame data variety issues in various research fields, such as biomedical research, social computing, neuroscience, and business intelligence.

Yanhua Li

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Yanhua Li is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department and Data Science Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). His research interests focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, with applications in smart cities in many contexts, including spatial-temporal data analytics, urban planning and optimization.

Randy Paffenroth

Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences

My research focuses on compressed sensing, machine learning, signal processing, and the interaction between mathematics, computer science and software engineering. My interests range from theoretical results to algorithms for tackling practical applied problems, and I enjoy problems most when mathematical results lead to efficient software implementations for big data. I am looking forward to working with students at all levels and backgrounds who share an interest in mathematics, software, or data.

Andrew Trapp

Professor, The Business School

I am Professor of Operations and Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), with courtesy appointments in Mathematical Sciences, Data Science, and Computer Science. I hold a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. My objective is to use science and technology to assist real human need by improving systems that serve vulnerable peoples, such as refugees and asylum seekers, survivors of human trafficking, and children in the foster care system.

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Strengthen Your Data Science Skills. Advance Your Career.

Key Program Information

Program Highlights

MS in Data Science: Facts & Figures

Career Outlook + Opportunities

$122,539

Example Jobs

36%

Employers of WPI Grads

Curriculum

Make the Most of Your WPI Experience

Program Requirements

Courses

Data Science Degree Options

The WPI Difference

What Can I Do with a Master’s in Data Science?

DS - AI Faculty Research

Faster, Fairer, and More Accurate AI Models with Graph Data

Extracting Knowledge with Natural Language Processing

Better Data for Better AI Results

Understanding Brain Networks using Deep Learning

Featured Faculty

Take the First Step Today

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