Carnegie Mellon University

Academics

Degree Programs

Undergraduate

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We have developed an engaging, flexible, and high-quality curriculum that can be tailored to your needs and interests.

We emphasize modern methods, strong communication skills, and the analysis of data from real, interdisciplinary problems (with no “textbook” datasets after the intro level).

With a mastery of data becoming ever more important in so many career directions, we can prepare you with the skills and experience to succeed.

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The Master of Science in Applied Data Science (MADS) Program

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The Master of Science in Applied Data Science (MADS) degree is an intensive 9-month, two-semester professional master's program that emphasizes data analysis, statistical practice, and professional skills. MADS graduates have successfully gained positions as data scientists, data analysts, and data engineers in diverse industries such as banking, sports, health care, government, and tech. There is no thesis requirement for this program.

One of the hallmarks of the MADS program is our course, "Statistical Practice". Taught by a collective of our faculty, the focus of "Statistical Practice" is a consulting project in which MADS students will participate in meetings with industry and academic clients. In this culminating capstone project, our students are taught how to structure a consulting session, elicit and diagnose a problem, manage a project, and report an analysis.

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Ph.D. Programs

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The program of study leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics seeks to strike a balance between theoretical and applied statistics. The Ph.D. program prepares you for university teaching and research careers, and for industrial and governmental positions involving research in new statistical methods.

Each year we accept into our Ph.D. program a variety of students with very different backgrounds. Our graduate students come from many disciplines, including mathematics, engineering, the sciences, economics, psychology, and management. Indeed, the diversity of backgrounds of our graduate students is one of the strengths of our department.

Hence, there is no one criterion we use to determine who to accept into our program. Of course, a strong academic background is a necessity. To begin graduate study in statistics, it is essential that you know linear algebra and advanced calculus. Ideally you should also have had at least a semester each of mathematical probability and mathematical statistics. Beyond that, we are quite flexible.

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Online Graduate Certificate

Online Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Data Science

The online Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Data Science prepares professionals from all backgrounds (both technical and non-technical) to unlock the power of data through graduate-level, credit-bearing coursework taught by expert CMU professors.

The certificate is offered 100% online with a combination of live-online classes with faculty and flexible learning activities completed when your schedule allows. To earn the certificate, you will take five rigorous CMU classes over a 12-month period, including a capstone course where you’ll work with real-world data and subject matter experts to apply the skills you’ve gained throughout the program.

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