The full-time, In-Person 1-Year 12-Course Program & 2-Year Thesis Track 18-Course Program are visa eligible.

Please refer to the Tuition, Fees, and Aid webpage.

Yes, the full-time, In-Person Master’s in Applied Data Science program is listed as a STEM-designated degree by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the purposes of the STEM OPT extension, allowing eligible students to apply. However, approval of STEM OPT is at the discretion of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services.

Please refer to the Curriculum Practical Training webpage.

Please refer to the English Language Proficiency guidelines.

Currently, students may only take Master’s in Applied Data Science courses in the modality in which they are officially enrolled.

No, students do not have to be US citizen or resident to partake in the Online Program. Please note that the Online Program is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Classes generally take place on evenings and weekends in order to allow our students and instructors to maintain their professional schedules. The Master’s in Applied Data Science Online Program is both synchronous and asynchronous. The same as our In-Person program, students are required to participate in weekly, live meetings with their instructors and peers, complete readings and coursework, and engage in discussion.

Yes. All Master’s in Applied Data Science Online Program students are invited to an annual ‘Immersion Weekend’ where attendees have opportunities to network and participate in other activities. On a rolling basis, our Career Services team will advertise additional opportunities to connect with employers and peers (e.g., virtual career fairs, virtual career advising/coaching appointments, and more).

The value employers place on the Master’s in Applied Data Science degree is significant. As they hire Data Scientist, Data Engineers, and Data Analysts from the University of Chicago the expectations for technical competence, communication and influence skills, and exposure to advanced Data Science evolving technologies is high. The skills learned in the program translate directly into practice due to the program’s balance between theory and rigorous application experience developed in coursework and the Capstone project work delivered across the curriculum.

Yes. The Online Program curriculum is overseen by the same faculty curriculum committee as the In-Person program. Both programs are jointly reviewed and are held to the same high standards. Additionally, both programs are granted by the University of Chicago Physical Sciences Division.

No, your diploma will not include ‘Online’ in the name of your degree.

Applicants interested in the Joint MBA/MS degree will apply through Booth’s centralized, joint-application process. Applicants should complete the Chicago Booth Full-Time MBA application and select the MBA/MS in Applied Data Science as their program of interest. An MBA/MS program supplement will be available for completion within your Booth application. The supplement contains Applied Data Science specific questions that will be reviewed by the Applied Data Science admissions team along with your full Booth application. For complete consideration, applicants should complete the MBA application and the joint degree program supplement in the same application round prior to submitting the application.

As a student in the joint-degree MBA and Applied Data Science program, you’ll take the equivalent of 23 100-unit courses:

• 14 MBA classes
• 9 data science courses
• Leadership Effectiveness and Development (LEAD)
• Qualified Work Experience, a noncredit professional internship experience

Your Booth courses will be in person, while your MS courses will be online. Most students will earn both degrees in seven quarters—the same time it takes to earn the MBA.

Your Booth courses will be in person, while your MS courses will be online. Most students will earn both degrees in seven quarters—the same time it takes to earn the MBA. A combination of online and in-person courses gives you flexibility in course scheduling, and you’ll earn two degrees in the time it would take to complete the MBA alone.

As part of the online application, candidates will be required to submit a GMAT or GRE score for the joint program. International applicants may be required to submit proof of English language proficiency by submitting a TOEFL iBT or IELTS test score. The minimum TOEFL iBT score required for admission is 104; the minimum IELTS score required is 7. Proof of English proficiency may be waived under certain criteria noted by UChicago GRAD Admissions.

The fields of Statistics, Mathematics, and Computer Science intersect with industry domains in different ways. The MPCS program focuses on the center of Computer Science, including Software Engineering, High Performance Computing, Data Analytics, and Application Development. The MS-ADS Program focuses at the intersection of multiple fields, such as Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics (including Statistical Inference, Linear/Non-Linear Models, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Deep Learning). The outcomes for MPCS students include Software Engineer (Developer), Senior Software Engineering Management, Software/Hardware Architect, and Senior Cyber Security Engineer. The outcomes for students in MS-ADS include roles as Data Scientist (most common), Senior Data Science Consultant, Business Intelligence (BI) Director, Data Visualization Manager, Data Analytics Engineer, and AI Solution Architect.

Beginning in academic 2026-27, a limited number of In-Person, Full-Time students will have the opportunity to complete a 2-year version of the MS in Applied Data Science program. The 2-year program is completed over 21 months (2 academic years). Students in the 2-year program will complete 18 instead of 12 courses. The additional 6 courses consist of 4 additional elective courses (100 units each); and 2 required thesis courses (100 units each) that culminate in the completion of a required written thesis or thesis project. The thesis will be an extension of students’ previously completed Capstone Project. 2-year program students are highly encouraged to complete a research Capstone (as compared to a traditional, industry Capstone) for various reasons.

The longer degree timeline offers more time to engage in academic and professional development while maintaining the same rigorous core curriculum and access to UChicago’s faculty and data science network. The first 12 of 18 courses that students complete in the 2-year program follow exactly the same course progression as those in the 1-year, 12-course program.

The 2-year program is not currently available to those in the Online program and/or those pursuing the MS in Applied Data Science on a part-time basis.

The application for the Autumn 2026 2-Year Thesis Track closed on December 4, 2025. Future application timelines will be announced once available. Those who are not admitted to the 2-year program will be automatically considered for the 1-year 12 course program unless they choose to opt-out of consideration.

No. Once admitted to the 1-year program, there is no opportunity to enroll in the 2-year program. Those admitted to the 2-year program might, under extenuating case by case circumstances, graduate early after completing the initial 12 courses of the MS degree (4-5 quarters). Any such student must meet with program faculty and staff by the required deadlines in order to maintain good academic standing and/or visa compliance (if applicable).

No, due to the limited number of spots available for the new 2-year program, the electives are reserved for only those students admitted to the 2-year program specifically. Should anything change, students will be notified.

Those admitted to the full-time, in-person thesis track pathway (18 courses, 6 quarters of coursework) are required to complete and submit a written thesis. The thesis will be an individually authored text based on an area of interest from students’ Research Capstone Project. The thesis will be managed through the required thesis courses (2, 100 units each). A lead faculty member with knowledge of the student’s area of interest will supervise the thesis project and provide resources and support as needed.

As an alternative to a traditional written thesis, students may opt to complete a thesis project that results in a ‘minimum viable product’ project. Through this option, students will complete a rigorous, multi-step ‘build’ and ‘marketing’ phase throughout the required 2 thesis courses. The thesis project will also be supervised by a program faculty member.

While subject to change, there are a projected ~50-55 spots available for the 2-year program. For application year 2025-26 (for entrance in autumn 2026), applicants must apply by the round two application deadline (December 4, 2025) in order to be considered for the 2-year program. Students admitted to the 2-year program will take the same 12 courses as those in the 1-year program, but they will complete 6 more courses over 2 additional quarters in their 2nd year of study for a total of 18 courses.