Harness the Power of Big Data and Launch your Career
Every second of every day, more than 1.5 megabytes of data are created for every person on earth.
As private and public sector organizations grapple with the challenges of extracting, analyzing, and interpreting big data effectively, powerful and innovative technologies are shaping the future of cloud computing and data science.
Fordham’s M.S. in Data Science (MSDS) is a STEM-designated program that promotes innovative thinking through its interdisciplinary curriculum, provides advanced theoretical and technical skills to build computational models, and encourages students to engage in state-of-the-art research with internationally recognized faculty.
Together with Fordham's small classroom size, flexible evening classes, and unparalleled New York City location, our program will prepare you to become a data scientist and launch your career in this exciting new discipline.
Program Highlights
Taught by top-notch faculty, our interdisciplinary curriculum consists of 10 courses (30 credits):
Our cutting-edge program features fundamental concepts and state-of-the-art learning across the discipline in all of the following areas:
Machine/deep Learning
Big data
Bioinformatics
Computer vision
Neuroscience
Natural language processing
Cybersecurity
Computational social science
Computational finance
M.S. in Data Science students are equipped with advanced technical knowledge, leadership skills, and practical training, as well as access to wide-ranging internship, networking, and research opportunities in and around New York City.
As a student in our program, you can choose from eight thematic specialization clusters, including:
Behavioral informatics
Bioinformatics and health informatics
Computer and data science informatics
Election and government informatics
Financial informatics
Media informatics
Urban informatics
Ideal applicants will possess a basic programming knowledge and familiarity with Python programming (this knowledge can be acquired via completion of CISC 5380 Programming with Python).
Full-time M.S. in Data Science students can complete the degree in one to two years. Part-time study is also available.
Evening and weekend courses are offered to accommodate working professionals.
Launch Your Career
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities in data science have grown by 650% since 2012. The sector is forecasted to create an estimated 11.5 million jobs within the next decade. Possible professional placements include:
Data scientist
Data engineer
Chief information Officer
Big data engineer
Data architect
Information technology specialist
Statistician
Business intelligence analyst
Data analyst
Data analytics manager
STEM Designation
The M.S. in Data Science is a registered STEM-designated program, which permits a 24-month extension of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), for a total eligibility of up to 36 months. Please consult Fordham’s STEM Extension page for more information.
“Coming from a social science background, I was worried about getting overwhelmed by the field of data science. The M.S. in Data Science program at Fordham made it a smooth transition for me as the courses were interesting to follow and enabled one-on-one attention with small class sizes. I was able to patch up my knowledge gaps before moving on to explore data analytics, data engineering, machine learning and deep learning topics.”
Yuran Pan, MSDA '19, Business Intelligence Engineer, Amazon
Are conditional acceptances offered if prerequisites are required?
There are no conditional acceptances, only changes to degree requirements, such as added coursework taken while students are in the program or obtaining a satisfactory grade on a placement test, in order to meet pre-requisite requirements.
Explore Our Graduate Programs
Attend an upcoming virtual information session to learn more about our M.S. in Data Science program, the benefits of a Fordham education, and how to apply.
The virtual session is dedicated to our Computer Information Sciences (CIS) department and highlights our three Masters of Science programs, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Data Science.
Accelerated Master’s Program: Bachelor’s and Master’s in a total of five years (4+1)
The following sessions are dedicated to Fordham undergraduate students only.
Currently there are no upcoming CIS Accelerated Master's information sessions. Please check back.