Direct Entry Qualifications for our 3+1 Data Science Program
In order to qualify for direct entry, students will need to indicate an interest in one of the following majors on their admission application:
- Mathematics
- Computing and Applied Mathematics
- Physics and Applied Mathematics
- Statistical and Actuarial Mathematics
In addition, students will need to have taken precalculus or calculus in high school. Students will take the math placement exam the summer before their first year at Saint Mary’s and will need to place into calculus. For students who test into precalculus, additional summer work may be required.
Program Overview
Students in the 3+1 accelerated data science program will take 24 credits of graduate coursework during their junior and senior year as part of their undergraduate experience and at no extra cost. In addition, there are six more credits that students will take in order to earn their master’s degree that will be taken during the summer. These courses will happen in the summer after the student’s junior year and the summer after their senior year.
To remain in the 3+1 accelerated data science program throughout the four years, students must earn satisfactory progress in their undergraduate major and pass graduate classes with a grade of B- or better to maintain eligibility. Careful advising is essential.
This is a high-tech program with an emphasis on hands-on team projects with industry partners. For example, students will participate in the Purdue Data Mine program as seniors, where they gain practical experience working with an Indiana business.
It is also a Professional Science Master's with an emphasis on effective communication of technical information in an industry setting. Students have one-on-one faculty advising throughout the program and opportunities to engage in undergraduate research over the summers. Though many of the graduate courses are hybrid or online, all faculty in the program are full-time Saint Mary's professors who are available to offer in-person support for students in their courses.
$140K: national median starting salary for data scientists in management positions*
*Burtch Works, executive recruiting firm
An Incredible Value
The 24 graduate credits in their junior and senior year will be covered by the students’ undergraduate tuition payments. The student will only be required to pay an additional bill for the two summer courses which will cost approximately $5,000. In other words, students will earn a master’s degree for just $5,000 over the cost of their bachelor’s degree…an incredible value!
Careers for MS in Data Science Degree Graduates
With your data science degree from Saint Mary’s, you can secure your future in this high-paying, fast-growing field. Update your skill set with the latest tools and techniques that are essential in today’s data science careers, which are among the fastest-growing in the United States. In fact, data science ranks as the country’s sixth-fastest-growing occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with 36 percent growth projected by 2031.
Data science salaries are also highly competitive, reflecting the high demand for experienced professionals in the job market. Data scientists can expect to earn an annual median salary of $100,910, according to BLS data. Our program can also prepare you for management roles in data science careers, where median salaries average $140,000, according to executive recruiting firm Burtch Works.
Popular data science careers include:
- Analytics manager
- Big data architect
- Business analyst
- Chief data officer
- Data analyst
- Data engineer
- Data scientist
- Data mining engineer
- Database administrator
- Machine learning engineer
- Quantitative analyst