Master of Science with a Major in Data Science and Analytics

The Master of Science with a major in Data Science and Analytics Program (MSDSA) at Kennesaw State University is a 36 semester-hour applied, professional degree program which seeks to prepare a diverse student body to utilize cutting edge data science and analytics methods to enable correct, meaningful inferences from data obtained from business, industry, government, and health services. The MSDSA program is open to all individuals looking to advance their careers in data science and analytics. The MSDSA program focuses on the following areas:

1. Practical, hands-on experience with programming languages and big data tools, through coursework and applied research experiences.

2. Application of data science and analytical methods and techniques to mine and visualize data for patterns and relationships.

3. Identifying, building, and evaluating appropriate models for a variety of data science tasks.

4. Obtaining, cleaning, processing, and transforming data for analysis and modeling.

5. Effectively interpreting and communicating analysis methods and findings to any audience, orally, visually, and in written formats.

Students may take up to 9 credit hours in related disciplines (e.g. CS, IT, SWEG, IS) to help complement their data science and analytics education and learn additional computational, analytical, and programming knowledge and skills.

The following are program-specific requirements beyond the general Graduate Admissions requirements. To be considered for admission to this program, the following application materials must be submitted to the KSU Graduate Admissions Office:

• Baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited in a manner accepted by Kennesaw State University.

  • Applicants should have mathematics coursework that includes at least Calculus I and Calculus II (Optional).

• Minimum cumulative undergraduate adjusted grade-point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

• Other criteria will be considered by the MS Admissions Committee for applicants, including

  • coursework

  • professional certifications

  • relevant work experience

  • professional activities

Admission Criteria for Unique Cases

Currently, there are no exceptions to the admission requirements.

Transfer Credits

With approval from the program director, a student may substitute up to nine hours of graduate credit from other institutions, from other graduate programs at Kennesaw State University, or from Special Topics or Directed Study Classes offered within the MSDSA program. To be transferred, course work from other institutions must correspond to Kennesaw State University’s MSDSA curriculum.

Students will need to provide course descriptions and syllabi whenever possible. A minimum grade of “B” must have been received in the course and the course work must be no more than five years old.

Not all programs are available to residents in all states. Please check the institution's State Authorization and Professional Licensure website(s) to ensure you reside in an authorized state.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges