Jan. 25, 2024
More than 176 people attended a Jan. 25 webinar highlighting the School of Computing and Information (SCI)’s new Master of Data Science (MDS), offered in partnership with Coursera. Webinar hosts Dr. Adam J. Lee, executive associate dean, and Wesley Lipschultz, senior director of Student and Academic Affairs, discussed topics such as admissions, tuition, financial aid, the value of a degree in data science, and the support of the University of Pittsburgh community for MDS students.
This 30-credit asynchronous program is offered exclusively through Coursera, one of the world’s premier online learning platforms, and was designed with working professionals and adult learners from non-STEM backgrounds in mind.
“The entire degree was designed to be affordable for learners, with total tuition at $15,000,” said Lipschultz. “The affordability structure was designed to be compatible with most companies and employers that offer education benefits, as well as the average learner.”
The program was also designed to remove entry barriers: no resume, transcripts, essays, or letters of recommendation are required for admission. The MDS program is instead admitting students through performance-based admissions (PBA). By earning a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the program’s PBA course, in addition to verifying a completed bachelor’s degree, students will be admitted into the program.
“The [PBA] course gives all new students an introduction to data science, ensuring MDS students can feel confident as they move through the program,” said Lee.
Enrollment for the program’s PBA course will open on Feb. 12, 2024. Watch the webinar below (once available) and learn more about the MDS here!
