Data Science Program Questionnaire

Please read, complete, and then submit the below form. Upon receipt, an Enrollment Adviser will follow up with you on your submitted questions and provide guidance on next steps. Thank you!

Contact Information

First Name*

Last Name*

Address *

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Email*

Phone*

Which method of communication do you prefer?*

Email
Phone (morning)
Phone (afternoon)
Phone (evening)

Program Overview

This Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) program is designed to educate data science leaders. There is an emergence of data science as one of the fastest growing professions, and managers need to be able to understand and make decisions based on the analysis of big data. The program will prepare students to derive insights from real-world datasets using state-of-the-art tools and analytical methods.

What are your primary motivations for seeking a Master's degree at this time? A typical answer to this question is 250+ words.*

Are you looking at other programs as well?*

What other types of programs are you looking at besides this one?*

What is important to you in selecting the college/program you will attend? Select all that apply.*

School reputation
Ability to start soon
Curriculum
Tuition cost
Flexibility
Transferability of credits
Technology used in program
Other

If other, please describe:*

Format of Program

This degree program is offered in a traditional online format. Students use a learning management system called Desire2Learn (D2L) to access the course syllabus, materials, exams/quizzes, and discussion board. There is no set time required to log in and participate in online classes, which makes them quite flexible, but there are deadlines and due dates. Click here to learn more about online learning.

Have you had experience with any of the following types of online learning? Select all that apply.*

Traditional interactive online college courses
Independent competency-based college courses
Continuing education online through employer
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)
Other
No experience with online learning

If Other, please describe:*

What was that experience like?*

Are you comfortable with this program's online class format?*

Yes
No
I would like to discuss further with an adviser

Curriculum

The MSDS program is comprised of 36 total credits (12 courses). Courses are taught by diverse and distinguished faculty from across the University of Wisconsin System. The program features a multidisciplinary curriculum that draws primarily from the fields of computer science, math and statistics, management, and communication. Click here for more detailed information on the curriculum.

Technology Usage

The Virtual Lab provides students with a personal virtual desktop that includes a wide range of software they need through their time in the program. Most tools are available with one log-in credential, saving students time and resources without the need to purchase, download, and install required technology. There are a couple of resources that will be easily accessed from your personal computer outside the Virtual Lab, including WeBWork and Amazon Web Services.

Here are some of the software tools and programming languages that a student will use:

Statistical Software	Programming	Visualization	Database Management	Platforms/Portals
R R-Studio	Python Notepad++ APIs Github	Tableau Gephi Power BI Node XL	SQL Server 2014 Oracle 12 Amazon Web Services Hadoop	WeBWork SageMathCloud

Note: These programs are subject to change.

Course Load

Most students in this program tend to take 1-2 courses per semester, however, each individual student is welcome to take a part-time or full-time course load. The length of time to degree completion varies on a student’s course load completion each semester.

The time needed weekly to dedicate towards this program will depend on your knowledge of the material, but on average you want to plan for at least 10-20 hours per week per course.

Are you currently employed?*

What are you currently doing for work?*

How many hours per week do you typically work?*

What other things take up your time outside of work (i.e. family, volunteer work, hobbies)?*

What tends to take up your time (i.e. family, volunteer work, hobbies)?*

How much time per week would you estimate having to dedicate toward your studies?*

< 8 hours
8-10 hours
11-13 hours
14-16 hours
17-19 hours
20+ hours

What are your career goals, including what you hope to be doing after obtaining this degree? A typical answer to this question is 250+ words.*

Support Services

Throughout the program students have access to faculty, an Academic Director (AD), an online writing lab, as well as a Student Success Coach (SSC), who is here to offer support throughout the course of the program. After a student is admitted into the program, the SSC can assist with things like course registrations, acquiring textbooks, and general support.

Multi-Campus Partnership

The MSDS program is a collaboration of the University of Wisconsin-Extension and six University of Wisconsin institutions: UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Superior, bringing you the best and brightest data science instructors from across the UW System.

Although you will take courses taught by faculty from all six partner campuses and complete your program entirely online, you will be asked to apply to a “home” campus. Your home campus is the institution from which you will receive financial aid (if you qualify), advising, career services, and ultimately, your diploma.

Tuition and Funding

Tuition for this program is a flat fee of $825 per credit ($29,700 total for 36 credits). This does not include the cost for textbooks. The tuition is the same whether you live in Wisconsin, out of state, or out of the country. All courses are three credits, and there are no additional course or program fees. As this is an online program, students do not pay segregated fees – fees in addition to tuition that cover the costs of student-organized activities, facility maintenance, and operations on a campus.

Financial aid is available to those who qualify, and is awarded by the home campus a student chooses. Anyone looking at veteran’s benefits would work with the campus VCO (Veteran’s Certifying Official) through the home campus. Scholarships may be available from third-party sources. Please click here for more information.

How do you plan to fund your education? Select all that apply.*

Out of pocket
Alternative loan(s)
Scholarship
Veterans benefits
Employer tuition reimbursement
Other

Accreditation Status

The MSDS program is approved by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and is regionally accredited through the Higher Learning Commission.

Start Date Options

New students are able to enroll in the spring, summer, or fall, on the traditional semester calendar. As a general rule, it is best to apply at least one month prior to the start of classes to allow processing time for the admissions departments. This includes submitting your eApplication, as well as all other application materials, such as official transcripts, resume, and letters of recommendation.

Which start date are you interested in?*

Admission Guidelines

Below are the admission guidelines for this program.

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. There are provisional admission guidelines for students with a 2.5 - 2.9 GPA.
There are three prerequisite courses for this program: Elementary Statistics, Intro to Programming, and Intro to Databases. These prerequisite courses must be completed prior to being admitted in the program. The academic directors at each of the campuses have the opportunity to waive prerequisites on a case-by-case basis for students with significant work experience.
A personal statement of up to 1,000 words, describing a person’s decision to pursue this degree and what he/she will bring to the data science field. This is to be written in the app statement section within the eApplication.
Professional resume.
Two letters of recommendation (professional or academic).
All applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit current TOEFL or IELTS scores.
Please note: There are no required aptitude tests (e.g., GRE, GMAT).

Please list all colleges you have attended.*

Please list all degrees you have obtained, and where you received the degree from.*

What do you estimate is your college cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average)?*

Application Steps

If you meet the above admission guidelines and are interested in moving further, please click here for a list of the application steps.

If you have questions regarding home campus selection, please reach out to an Enrollment Adviser (877-895-3276 or learn@uwex.edu).

Transcripts from institutions attended outside of the United States will likely need to be translated into U.S. credits. More guidance on these requirements will be provided from the campus after an application is submitted.

Next Steps

After having read all the above information, do you feel this program would be a good fit for you?*

Yes
No
Maybe

Are you interested in moving forward with an application?*

Yes
No
Maybe

Based on your chosen start date preference, all above application items should be submitted one month prior to the beginning of the start date. This includes having your online application submitted as well as any other application materials on file with our admissions office (i.e. application processing fee and official college transcript(s)).

What questions do you have at this time?

Please click the submit button below when finished. An Enrollment Adviser will follow up with you on your submitted questions and provide guidance on next steps.

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