2026-2027 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog [In Progress]
Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics
- https://www.gvsu.edu/computing/data-science-and-analytics-ms-109
- https://www.gvsu.edu/academics/data-science-and-analytics-ms.htm
Degree Overview
The Professional Science Master's degree in Data Science and Analytics is offered jointly by the Information Sciences and Technology Department and the Statistics Department. The primary purpose of the program is to provide students from various disciplines with the fundamental analytics background and tools necessary to understand and work with big and complex data sets in any discipline. It is designed to allow a statistics or computing student to gain additional cross-disciplinary background, or for a student of any discipline to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to solve complex data intensive problems. Students take courses in both computer science and statistics, leading to a capstone that applies skills in both disciplines to interdisciplinary problems.
The Data Science and Analytics (M.S.) program requires a minimum of 36 credits. Requisite courses from statistics, computer science, and professional science provide students with a strong foundation in data science. This is an applied program for the working professional. Classes are offered fully online, in a hybrid format, or in-person in the late afternoon or evening in downtown Grand Rapids.
Admission
In addition to Grand Valley's admission requirements, all students seeking the M.S. degree in data science and analytics must also meet the following requirements:
- Grade point average of 3.0 (B) from all undergraduate coursework or a satisfactory score on the GRE or GMAT test.
- Resume detailing work experiences and accomplishments.
- Personal statement of career goals and background experiences, including an explanation of how this program will help achieve educational and professional objectives.
- Recommendations from two professional or academic references received online, addressing the candidate's potential for graduate study completion. Candidates will provide the emails of two references in their account at gvsu.edu/gradapply, and references will be sent a link to fill out for their online recommendation
- Prerequisite courses: CIS 500 or equivalent, STA 610 or equivalent. Prior to admission into the M.S. in Data Science and Analytics, applicants should have adequate coursework or experience in computer programming (preferably using Python) as well as probability and statistics. Prerequisites may be satisfied with this background.
Curriculum
- Core - computer science and statistics
- Elective
- Professional science courses (includes capstone internship)
International Partnership students: please review your school's agreement and communicate with your Graduate Program Director (GPD) about transferring in courses to GVSU, if applicable.
Computer Science Core
Required:
- CIS 635 - Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (3 credits)
- CIS 660 - Data Engineering (3 credits)
- CIS 671 - Information Visualization (3 credits)
Choose 1 of the following:
Statistics Core
Required:
- STA 518 - Statistical Computing and Graphics with R (3 credits)
- STA 526 - Multivariate Data Analysis (3 credits)
- STA 631 - Statistical Modeling I (3 credits)
- STA 632 - Statistical Modeling II (3 credits)
Electives
Students must complete three elective credits, approved by the Graduate Program Director.
Professional Science Master Courses (PSM)
Required:
- PSM 650 - Ethics and Professionalism in Applied Science (3 credits)
- PSM 662 - Seminar in Professional Science Practice (3 credits)
- PSM 691 - Internship (1 to 9 credits)
Study Plan
Before starting the program, students must have a study plan approved by the Graduate Program Director. Students are responsible for keeping the plan of study current before the beginning of each semester and getting the GPDs approval for any changes to the plan.