What is data science?

Whether it is a retailer deciding what products to recommend to us, a search engine helping us find information, an insurance company setting policy premiums, an epidemiologis providing advice on how to control the spread of infectious diseases, an investment manager crafting portfolios that protect retirement incomes, or a pharmaceutical company developing new drugs, data are central to our lives. Data scientists use cutting-edge tools to guide businesses and government agencies as they collect the data they need, interpret the data they collect, and present the implications to leaders for decision. They combine a deep knowledge of computer science, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to extract meaning from data. And the best data scientists are keenly aware that with every choice they make – from what data they collect to how they interpret it to how they present it – they make a deeply human choice about the world in which we will live. 

Data Science at UConn

The MS in Data Science at UConn is designed to help you acquire all of the skills you will need as a data scientist. When you complete your degree you will know how to

• Design methods of data collection that facilitate decision making; 
• Use programming and scripting tools to gather, manage, and summarize data;
• Visualize complex data sets to support decision making;
• Use machine learning to make predictions from large, unstructured data sets;
• Manage data and documentation in a collaborative team environment; and
• Assess the ethical, legal, and social impacts of the data science process.

The curriculum combines the expertise of faculty from five schools and colleges: the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, the School of Business, the School of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the Neag School of Education. The 21-credit core curriculum provides the interdisciplinary foundation from which you can build strength by taking several electives within a number of specialty areas of study. In addition to weaving ethical principles throughout the curriculum, you will participate in a team-based capstone project that not only integrates material from all of your courses but also introduces you to a potential employer.