ABM Program Overview

The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program (ABM) offers outstanding students in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics an opportunity to earn both the bachelor's and the master's degrees in less time and at less cost than usual. The ABM program allows these exceptional students to count up to nine credit hours toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees. The Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics - Applied Discrete Mathematics Option undergraduate major can lead to a Master of Science in Data Science and Engineering - Data Science track in the ABM track. Please see the Department of Mathematics and Statistics for additional information for applying. 

 MS Program Overview

The Master of Science in Data Science and Engineering program, offered on campus and online, prepares students to pursue careers in data science and engineering, where valuable insights are derived from massive amounts of raw data. Our high‐quality curriculum offers an excellent balance between theory and application, equipping students with foundational skills and state‐of‐the‐art technologies related to the next generation of big data applications.

On-campus students will be able to complete this graduate program in one to two years, while online students typically have up to six years to complete their coursework. This program blends graduate‐level courses in core topics like data mining, machine learning, and statistical learning. The program also offers a wide variety of electives in addition to a required capstone experience, in which students apply their knowledge and skills to a real‐world application scenario. The complete course bulletin can be found here.

There are two formal options in the program: the data science option, managed by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and the data engineering option, administered by the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering. Both options are now available to online students. 

Requirements 

• You hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or science from an institution of recognized standing.Having a baccalaureate degree in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, statistics or an equivalent discipline, or significant work experience in information technology or applied mathematics and statistics, is preferred.
• You have had at least one statistics course at the 3000-level or above.
• You have knowledge of at least one modern programming language.
• GRE is strongly recommended, but not required. 
• Data Science Option applicants will be assessed by the graduate committee of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Data Engineering Option applicants will be evaluated by the graduate committee of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering.
• Students without a B.S. degree in Computer Science or Statistics can be admitted into this new graduate program, because the curriculum has a set of bridge courses that bring these students up to speed before they start taking more advanced courses. The bridge (i.e., prerequisite) courses of this graduate program are: 
  • COMP Bridge Courses
    • COMP1210 Introduces Fund. of Comp.
    • COMP2210 Fund. of Computing II
    • COMP3270 Algorithms
  • STAT Bridge Courses
    • STAT3600/3610 Prob and Stat I and II
    • MATH1610/1620 Calculus I and II
    • MATH2660 Topics in Linear Algebra 

 FAQs

Do you offer financial aid?

Dependent on availability, funding for students can be offered in the form of teaching assistantships. We recommend for those that are enrolled to apply for financial aid or teaching assistantships instead of working full-time while taking courses. 

Do you offer online courses? Summer courses?

Right now, both the data science and data engineering programs offer online courses for students. The program accepts student for fall entry online.

While most MS students do not take courses in the summer, some students may decide to enroll in coursework. Please note that not all courses will be available during summer enrollment. 

How many total credits are required? Can I transfer credits?

To complete the program, you must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours. An example study plan can be found here.

Transfer credit up to 6 credit hours is allowed, at least 3 credits should be  either from STAT or COMP course depending on students’ selected track. And also only graduate-level courses with a grade of "B" or better are eligible for transfer. 

How will I be graded?

Students are graded based on their performance in class. The courses we offer online will have various methods for grading depending on the specific requirements for a given class. Students can expect to experience any combination of homework, graded exam, final project, group work or graded reports. 

How are the online programs different from the on-campus programs?

The online MS consists of the same courses as the on-campus MS. The courses are taught by the same faculty as the on-campus program. The degree awarded does not mention online or on-campus as a delivery method. The only difference between the online and the on-campus programs is the delivery method.

Is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) required for this program?

Yes, the GRE scores are required during application to the program. However, due to COVID-19, Spring 2022 - Fall 2022 applicants will not require a GRE exam.

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