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Yes, the on-campus MS-DS program falls under the University of Colorado Boulder's overall accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Most students complete the degree in 1½ – 2 years. All degree requirements must be completed within 4 years of the date you start your coursework.

Yes, you may participate in the program as a part-time student and have up to 4 years to complete the degree. Please note that your federal loans may require you to participate full-time. If you are an international student, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 graduate-level course credits per semester to maintain your full-time status for an F-1 Visa.

No, the MS-DS is a non-thesis degree that requires 30 credit hours of coursework only.

MS in Data Science is a professional master degree and it doesn’t require dissertation or capstone project. However students can take course DTSC 5801: Capstone project as an elective.

This program is designed for working professionals in the industry. It is not intended to train Ph.D. students or research students. Other institutions and universities may accept transfer credit from the MS-DS program at their discretion.

Visit the Admissions page to learn more about admissions requirements and how to apply to the degree program. Join one of our virtual admissions events to get application tips and learn more about the program.

No, CU Boulder does not offer rolling admissions to this program.

Applicants should have 2 semesters of Calculus II and Linear Algebra and 2 semesters of advanced computer science in Python and R Programming. Applicants should be familiar with Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, and have some experience with infinite sequences and series. Multivariate Calculus is preferred but not required. 

Join one of our virtual admissions events to get application tips and learn more about the program.

No, work experience is not mandatory.

No. The fully online MS-DS on Coursera program and the in-person MS-DS on Campus program are not interchangeable. If you start the Coursera degree, you cannot later switch to the on-campus program.

Students who apply to the Professional Master’s of Computer Science degree can submit a separate application if they would also like to be considered for the Master of Science in Data Science degree.

To view your application status after you have already submitted, please check your page. There, you will find your application checklist. Items that have been received will have a checkmark (✔) next to them, and outstanding items will have an X mark (✘).

Fall applications for the on-campus program are typically due in January or February, and we aim to release application decisions by mid-April. See Important Dates on the Admissions page for exact dates.

• Please ask your recommenders to check the spam or junk folders in their email platform.
• Check the emails you entered on your application are correct.
• Send a "reminder" email. In your application you can go to the "Letters of Reference" section, select a recommender and choose "send reminder". The reminder email will contain the link they need to submit their letters.
• If none of these steps have solved the issue, you can have your recommenders email their letters to us at intlgrad@colorado.edu and we will upload the letters to your application.

Please check the CU Boulder Bursar's Office for current tuition rates.

Yes. Students in the on-campus MS-DS program can apply for graduate and professional student financial aid and other funding opportunities (e.g., tuition reimbursement from your employer). 

Because the MS-DS is a professional program, on-campus students are not eligible for teaching or research assistantships, but are eligible for hourly work.

Data Science does not offer departmental application fee waivers at this time. However, the Graduate School offers application fee waivers for participants in the following programs. 

• AmeriCorps (currently serving)
• Black in AI (domestic/permanent resident applicants only)
• Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity Initiative (BUILD)
• Científico Latino Graduate School Mentorship Initiative (GSMI)
• Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)
• Gates Millennium Scholars
• GEM Fellows 
• Leadership Alliance
• Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP)
• Louis-Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• Math Alliance Scholars
• McNair Scholars Program
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
• Minority Access to Research Careers Scholar Program (MARC)
• Peace Corps (currently serving)
• Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
• SMART
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
• Teach for America (currently serving)
• Women+ of Color Project (W+OCP)

If you are affiliated with one of these programs, you will be able to indicate your involvement within the online application under ‘Additional Information.’ The Graduate School asks that you describe your involvement with the program, and upload supporting documentation there. 

If you are in the U.S. military, you will receive an automatic fee waiver as a thank you for your service (active duty, veteran, previously served, and active reserve are all eligible for this automatic fee waiver.

If you are undocumented and/or a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiary, please contact gradadm@colorado.edu to inquire about possible fee waivers.

Yes, CU employees and their dependents are eligible to use the employee tuition assistance benefit for this on-campus program.

In order to be eligible to petition for a change from non-resident (out-of-state) to resident (in-state) classification for their second year, students must take action to establish Colorado domicile soon after arriving on campus. 

Watch the  video (3.5 minutes) and see the Tuition Classification for Nonresident Graduate Students handout for details on how new Colorado residents can establish Colorado as their one, true, fixed and permanent home.

This quick video presentation and accompanying handout cover:

• Grace periods allowable under Colorado Law as it pertains to Colorado driver’s licenses, vehicle registration and voter registration
• Tax filing tips and requirements
• Lease or home ownership requirements
• An overview of the petition process and applicable deadlines

Students who are already classified as in-state for their first year do not need to submit a petition to reprove their eligibility for their second year. The handout above contains instructions for how to verify your current classification if you are unsure.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Tuition Classification Office at tuitclass@colorado.edu with any questions about the requirements or petitioning process.

We distinguish international from domestic students based on their immigration status—that is, whether they will be attending CU on a valid visa. Anyone who plans to study at CU while on a valid visa of any sort is considered an international student.

Domestic students do not need a student visa. However, international students must obtain a valid visa to enter and study in the United States. You will get detailed instructions from the CU Boulder Office of Admissions upon admission. Find more information under Citizenship & Immigration and Visa Information for International Applicants.

Yes. The on-campus Data Science program is STEM eligible via the U.S. Department of Education, offering an Optional Practical Training STEM Extension benefit.

Yes. Students can take an optional for-credit internship course as one of their electives. See Data Science Electives for details about this course.

Multiple graduate career services are available to on-campus students and alumni, including workshops, career fairs, help with resume review and interview preparation, Handshake access, and Forever Buffs alumni association membership.

Graduates from CU Boulder go on to work at top companies including Amazon, Apple, Boeing, Disney, Google, IBM, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NBC, Twitter, and Yelp.

Recent graduates from MS-DS have gone on to work in the following roles:

• Data Scientist II
• System Development Engineer I 
• Analyst
• Associate Data Scientist
• Supply Chain Insights Analyst
• Adjunct Faculty in Introduction to Statistics
• Associate Scientist in Computational Science
• Software Developer II
• Data Modeler
• Data Analyst III
• Full Stack Developer

Recent graduates from MS-DS have gone on to work at the following companies:

• Intuit
• Niagara Bottling
• Civitas Resources
• Xcel Energy
• Cummins Inc.
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Cogent BioScience
• Dish Networks
• Kroenke Sport & Entertainment
• Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc.
• American Express

*The job information mentioned above pertains to positions secured in proximity to or shortly after a student's graduation in May 2023.

The median annual salary for data scientists is $100,560, according to the . This is nearly twice as high as the average median salary in the United States.

Join one of our virtual admissions events to get application tips and learn more about the program. Please email us at datascience@colorado.edu with questions.