Admission Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0.
• An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test (verbal and quantitative) is required from within the past five years. Verbal and quantitative GRE scores at 70% or above are preferred in each area. Applicants already holding an appropriate master’s degree, or its professional equivalent may be exempted from the GRE requirement. Other professional school standardized test scores (MCAT, DAT, GMAT, or LSAT) may be substituted for the GRE by applicants who are working toward or who have already earned post-baccalaureate degrees for example, in medicine, dentistry, management, or law. Test scores must be sent directly to Graduate Admissions by the testing agency. The University of Memphis institution code number for reporting ETS scores is R-1459.
• Three letters of recommendation from three individuals (at least one letter from a former professor or instructor) familiar with the applicant’s academic background or experience in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics and related issues, specifying in detail the applicant’s capabilities for graduate study and for future performance as a data scientist, are required.
• Personal statement of approximately 750 to 1,000 words indicating his/her present interests and career goals, including how the MS-DS will prepare the candidate to achieve these goals.

Retention Requirements

Students must earn a grade of B (3. 0) or higher in all required courses. The MS program will adhere to Graduate School policy regarding course grades and repetition of courses. All courses applied toward MS degree program requirements must have the advisor’s written approval.

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for graduation, students must meet the following requirements: complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate course work beyond the bachelor’s degree including a 3-hour project course or the capstone course (students also have a Master’s Thesis option).

Program Requirements

The Master of Science degree in Data Science requires completion of 33 semester credit hours as follows: 15 credits from the core courses (see below), 15 credits from the list of electives (with the recommendation that 9 credits must be from a cluster area – see the MS DS website for a list of the cluster areas and courses), and 3 credits for a Master’s project. A Master’s Thesis option (6 credits) is also available in which case only 12 credits are needed from the list of electives. Alternatively, students may opt for a Capstone Project course (3 credits) as a way to meet the comprehensive examination requirement of the Graduate School for students who do not write a thesis. Students may choose an Independent Study (3 credits) if they opt for a Master’s project or the Capstone Project course, in which case only 12 credits are needed from the list of electives.