Loyola to offer data science master鈥檚 program fully online
鈥淭he program moved online more than a year ago in response to the pandemic, and its success online reinforced a permanent move,鈥� said Christopher Morrell, Ph.D., director of the data science master鈥檚 program and professor emeritus of mathematics and statistics. 鈥淲ith technology generating mass quantities of data, qualified data science experts are in high demand. Offering the data science master鈥檚 program fully online has opened the door for more people to acquire the skillset needed for this career path and benefit from a great Loyola education.鈥�
The program offers two specializations that may be completed in 31 or 34 credits. Students complete core courses in statistics, business, and computer science. Students may also take three courses and earn a micro-credential in business analytics or data science.
Intelligent.com ranked Loyola鈥檚 data science program among the 鈥�.鈥� Loyola, which ranked No. 48 on the list, also received recognition for having the 鈥淏est Micro-Credential Program鈥� in the ranking.
Launched in 2017 in a hybrid format, the Master of Science in Data Science had been planned to transition to fully online instruction beginning with the fall 2021 semester, however due to the covid-19 pandemic the program was forced to accelerate the planned move to online earlier than scheduled. The move will now become permanent as originally planned.
Data scientists extract insights from data and identify data-driven opportunities for businesses. Glassdoor.com ranks data scientist jobs at No. 2 on its list of 鈥�50 Best Jobs in America 2021鈥� and consistently lists data scientist jobs at the top for work-life balance. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of mathematical science occupations will grow 27.9% from 2016 to 2026, significantly more than the average for most occupations.