Pursuing a career in data science is one of the best choices a student can make. Data science was named the fastest-growing job in 2017 by LinkedIn, and in 2018 Glassdoor ranked data scientist as the best job in the United States. According to a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, “The best jobs right now in America include titles like data scientist, data engineer, and business analyst.”
The M.S. in Data Science program helps students identify and formulate key business challenges, collect and manage data from a variety of sources, select effective analytical techniques to identify solutions, and communicate results in a clear and creative way, harnessing the power of data in decision making. Students interested in the master's in data science may choose from two different pathways:
Students in the program will learn to identify and formulate key business challenges, collect and manage data from a variety of sources, select effective analytical techniques to identify solutions, and communicate results in a clear and creative way, harnessing the power of data in decision making. The program focuses on mastering modern data analytics tools and emerging techniques in data science.
Data scientists are in high demand in a wide range of industries, including information technology, finance, healthcare, insurance, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and telecommunications.
Fortune notes that data science has been one of the fastest-growing employment fields, with demand for data scientists growing 650% from 2012 to 2017 alone according to LinkedIn. Demand is expected to remain that way; from 2020 to 2030, the job outlook within the field is projected to grow 22%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Graduates of data science have worked in a variety of different industries, including major software companies, the Department of Defense, finance and insurance organizations, transportation, logistics and distribution industries, marketing and media, and large retail corporations.
Meet the Faculty
The M.S. in Data Science program shares faculty and resources with electrical and computer engineering programs, exposing you to an interdisciplinary learning and research environment that mirrors industry.
Florida Poly’s 90,000-square-foot Applied Research Center (ARC) was created as a research hub for the Central Florida region to become a magnet for high-tech development around the school. The Applied Research Center houses research and teaching laboratories, student design spaces, conference rooms, and faculty offices. The building also provides study areas for graduate students, and a small amount of administrative space.
SunTrax is a large-scale, cutting-edge facility dedicated to the research, development, and testing of emerging transportation technologies in safe and controlled environments. Many of the opportunities are related to tolling, ITS, and automated and connected vehicles. Additionally, the entire site is a connected environment for testing Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications.
The M.S. in Data Science is offered with two pathways: a one-year, course only option culminating in a project-seminar and a two-year, thesis-based option.
Data science at Florida Poly integrates coursework in machine learning and advanced computation and programming, utilizing a faculty with strong computer and computation science backgrounds. The program is designed to provide students with any STEM background, including quality social scientists, the breadth of tools to support their careers or career aspirations.
One-Year, Coursework-Only Pathway:
*Meeting minimum qualifications does not guarantee admission to the program. Additional documentation may be required at the discretion of the Admission Committee.
Two Year Thesis Pathway
Students seeking consideration to the two year thesis pathway should meet the same minimum requirements listed above for the one-year, coursework-only pathway in addition to the following:
Upon completion of the for the Master of Science in Data Science, students are expected to demonstrate the following outcomes:
The M.S. in Data Science is a 30 credit-hour program. Among its courses are:
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