4+1 Data Science Program

Data-driven decisions are made across most major industry sectors on a daily basis. This means the work of data scientists can be done by those from an array of backgrounds as long as they have a foundation in mathematics. At Saint Mary’s, students can earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in just five years. The chart below demonstrates a sample of possible course sequences by major. 

Application Requirements

Current college students meeting the requirements set forth below may apply to the Master of Science in Data Science program under the 4+1 option.  If admitted to the master’s program, you will take two (2) graduate level courses in the Data Science program while in your senior year allowing you to earn up to six (6) credits towards your graduate degree while still an undergraduate. The application requirements are as follows:

The applicant is a current second semester junior majoring/minoring in mathematics, business, computer science, information systems, the sciences, health science, or quantitative social science OR

The applicant is a current first semester senior majoring/minoring in mathematics, business, computer science, information systems, the sciences, health science, or quantitative social science who has registered for a graduate Data Science course in the current semester

And

application form

• completed application form
• a personal statement that describes how the experiences in your life make you ideally suited to become a data scientist
• official transcripts
• completion of prerequisite courses
• contact information for an academic reference (waived for current Saint Mary's students)
• Prerequisite Courses
  • Calculus I
  • Calculus II
  • Statistics
  • Computer Programming
  • Linear Algebra (or equivalent)
  • *One graduate Data Science course
  • *only for those applying in fall semester of the senior year

Program Cost

In the fifth year of the program, students will be charged the per credit hour rate equivalent to the cohort they are joining.