Data Science

Entry requirements

Applicants should have competed a bachelor's degree by the time of beginning the Masters.

Applications are to be made online via the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and are considered for Fall Term admission only. Applications to the Master of Science in Data Science degree program for entry into the program in Fall 2020 will be available in September of 2019.

Months of entry

August

Course content

The Data Science master's program, jointly led by the Computer Science and Statistics faculties, trains students in the rapidly growing field of data science.

Data Science lies at the intersection of statistical methodology, computational science, and a wide range of application domains. The program offers strong preparation in statistical modeling, machine learning, optimization, management and analysis of massive data sets, and data acquisition. The program focuses on topics such as reproducible data analysis, collaborative problem solving, visualization and communication, and security and ethical issues that arise in data science.

To earn the Master of Science in Data Science, students must complete 12 courses. This requires students to be on campus for at least 3 semesters (one and a half academic years). Some students will choose to extend their studies for a fourth semester to take additional courses or complete a master’s thesis research project.

SEAS will be hosting virtual information sessions this Fall for students interested in the Computational Science and Engineering master's program (as well as the Data Science and MS/MBA programs). Registration for these sessions is available on the Admissions Events page for prospective graduate students.

Fees and funding

British citizens who are – or will be – graduates of British universities should check out both Kennedy Scholarships and Frank Knox Fellowships.

Both of these awards offer full tuition and health insurance coverage and a generous stipend towards living expenses. They are offered annually in competition.

Please note that you will need to submit your application to either or both awards ahead of the deadline for your Harvard application. Kennedy Scholarship and Frank Knox Fellowship applications are to be made online via their websites between mid-August and late-October in the same application season as you will submit your application to Harvard. Awards made at interview in London in January are provisional, pending confirmation of a place on the course.