Admissions

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university. 

 

 

 

Important Dates

Applicants for fall admission to the MS-DS must submit all materials by the deadline below. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The program does not offer spring admissions.

  • Applications Open: Mid-July
  • Prospective Student Events: See Events for details
  • Applications Closes: January 15 at 10:00 p.m. Mountain Time *
  • Decisions Released: Mid-April
  • Priority Deadline: December 1st
  • Priority Decisions Release: February

 

Admissions Pathways

There are two pathways to be admitted and complete degree requirements.

Direct to Data Science Pathway

Students with the mathematics and programming experience outlined below can complete the degree with 30 total credits. 

Bridge to Data Science Pathway

Students without the specific math and programming experience below are eligible for admission into this pathway and can complete the degree with 30–34 total credits as determined by the graduate committee upon a review of the student’s prior experience.

Potential Additional Curriculum​: The graduate committee may require students in this pathway to complete one or more of the following courses (up to 7 credits). Courses should be taken in the first year and are subject to Graduate School grade and cumulative GPA standards. Up to 3 credit hours of bridge courses which meet applicable standards can count toward the degree in the electives category.

We will have a Math for Data Science course available on Coursera in Spring 2022 for any students who need additional math background or review topics before the semester starts

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What We Look For

Minimum Qualifications

We welcome students from all fields! All applicants must meet the minimum qualifications below. We consider academic and professional background, letters of recommendation, and essays in our holistic application review.

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university (or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree)
  • Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record
  • Adequate preparation to enter graduate study in data science
  • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (2.0=C)
  • International students: See Country-Specific Requirements and English Proficiency Requirements

​Strong applicants will also have...

Strong GPA

Undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher on 4.0 scale (3.0=B)

Recommended Prior Knowledge (or Equivalent Experience)

  • Mathematics: Applicants should be familiar with differential calculus (including derivatives), integral calculus, linear algebra, and have some experience with infinite sequences and series. Multivariate calculus is preferred but not required. 
  • Programming: Applicants should have some programming experience, whether it is formal, informal or on the job. Some advanced knowledge of R is also helpful before starting the program. 

Webinar: Application Tips

 

Submission Materials

To apply, you must submit all of the following by the January 15 deadline. Late materials will not be considered. 

Graduate Admission Application 

Complete the University of Colorado Boulder Graduate Admission Application. See Prepare to Apply for general guidance. For answers to common questions, see the Graduate Application FAQs.

Application Fee 

Pay the nonrefundable application fee:

  • Domestic Students: $60
  • International Students: $80

Data Science does not offer departmental application fee waivers at this time. However, the Graduate School offers application fee waivers for participants in certain programs. Please have a look at the "Finances" section in the FAQs to know more!

Transcripts

Upload unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts in the application portal. International students with questions about their transcript requirements should contact International Admissions for guidance.

Note that admitted students will be required to submit official copies of all previous transcripts after admission decisions are released.

Personal Statement

Upload a document that briefly describes your background, as well as your academic and professional goals. Outline your previous experience with data science, what you hope to learn from this program, your career goals after graduation, etc. You may also use this space to explain any inconsistencies in your previous academic performance. 1 page maximum (approx. 500 words).

Letters of Recommendation

Students must submit 2–3 letters of recommendation from academic, personal and/or professional references. The optional third letter is especially important for students who have lower GPA or would like to strengthen their application for any reason. 

CV/Resume

Upload your current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume in the application portal. See Career Services' Resume and CV Guide for tips. 

GRE Scores Not Required

GRE scores are not reviewed. Our application review is “test blind.” Applicants do not need to submit GRE scores as part of their application packet. In fact, we actively discourage it, and our MS-DS admissions team is unable to see GRE data when reviewing submissions. This is part of a larger effort to remove bias in our application review and increase access to students from all backgrounds. Studies have shown that GRE scores fail to predict success in graduate programs, and that high test scores tend to correlate with a student’s socioeconomic status, race, and gender.

Proof of English Proficiency

If your native language is not English, you must also provide proof of English proficiency by submitting documents verifying one of the following: 

  • TOEFL score of at least 80: You can request that the testing agency submit your scores directly to the Office of Admissions and/or automatically submit your TOEFL scores to CU Boulder using institution code 4841. Note that CU Boulder does not use department codes. If ETS requires a department code when requesting to send scores, please use department code 99.
  • IELTS score of at least 6: You can request that the testing agency submit your scores directly to the Office of Admissions. 
  • Duolingo score of at least 120: To report your official Duolingo scores, click Send Results from inside the application, then choose University of Colorado Boulder – Undergraduate.

Questions about the English proficiency requirement? See the English Proficiency page and contact International Admissions with related questions.

 

 

Looking for something different?

We also offer a fully online Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) on Coursera. Admissions for the MS-DS on Coursera are performance-based, with no application or transcripts required.