The Data Science and Engineering programs offered at the University of Maine are intended to meet the growing demand for graduates with core skills in managing and analyzing complex data and analytics challenges. The graduate programs provide a pathway for students from diverse fields to transition to multiple data science and engineering career paths by providing them with core graduate-level courses across the entire spectrum of the data lifecycle.
In support of the interdisciplinary spirit of data science and engineering, the program is designed to accommodate students from a wide range of undergraduate degrees or other graduate degree backgrounds with options for specialization in different domains. A collection of courses with a variety of in-class and online options support students in residence as well as meet the needs of people currently in the workforce or who are otherwise place-bound and need training or retraining in the area of Data Science and Engineering.
Why get your Data Science & Engineering degree at the University of Maine?
The University of Maine has a solid foundation of strengths and resources to support Data Science and Engineering graduate programs. This program draws upon faculty and courses from throughout the University and other UMS campuses. The list of faculty and their bios indicate the breadth of this collaboration at UMaine and beyond.
Growing Need for Data Scientists and Data Engineers
For businesses, governments, and academic institutions throughout Maine and beyond there is a growing need for a well-trained data science workforce. The private, public, and research sectors rely heavily on data science and engineering for analyzing and translating massive, complex, heterogeneous, and dynamic data into manageable forms, creating new information; and providing insights to better understand phenomena and guide decision-making. The advanced knowledge gained through graduate-level data science and engineering programs is needed across a wide range of commercial, non-profit, government, and academic settings.
Diverse Specialization Options
The first-of-its-kind in Maine, the DSE program, which draws upon faculty and courses from across UMaine and other University of Maine System campuses, is designed to accommodate students from a wide range of backgrounds. It also offers options for specialization in domains such as spatial informatics, bioinformatics, engineering analytics, and social and behavioral data science.
The 30-credit graduate master’s degree can be completed online or on-campus and offers flexibility for both working professionals and full-time students.
INT 601 Responsible Conduct of Research (1 credit)
One, two, or all three of the Foundation Courses, unless the material has been covered in previous coursework and the course(s) are explicitly waived by the current instructor and the graduate coordinator.
12 credits from at least four of the five Theme Areas
MS Data Science & Engineering with Coursework-Only Option
The candidate must complete 30 credits consisting of:
DSE 510 Practicum in Data Science and Engineering (3 credits)
One, two, or all three of the Foundation Courses, unless the material has been covered in previous coursework and the course(s) are explicitly waived by the current instructor and the graduate coordinator.
12 credits from at least four of the five Theme Areas
It is recommended that at least one of your courses include substantial practical experience. Options include DSE 589 Graduate Project, DSE 590 Information Systems Internship, or a course from an approved list.
Applying to and Funding Your Degree in Data Science & Engineering
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Admission to the M.S. in Data Science and Engineering is competitive. In the admission process, the graduate faculty considers the potential of applicants to complete a program successfully and achieve a position of leadership in the private, public, or research sectors.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university
Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above (exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis)
At least one college-level statistics course (applicants without this requirement may take an approved college statistics course before or made part of conditional or provisional admission)
You’ll learn from professors who conduct cutting-edge research and are internationally recognized for their expertise. Our faculty are passionate about online teaching and fostering thought-provoking virtual learning environments. The University of Maine has a solid foundation of strengths and resources to support Data Science and Engineering graduate programs. The programs draw upon faculty and courses from throughout the University and other UMS campuses. The list of faculty and their bios indicate the breadth of this collaboration at UMaine and beyond.
FUNDING YOUR DEGREE
Financial support is highly competitive and prioritizes students in the thesis program. Limited partial scholarships are available for highly qualified students in nonthesis master’s degree programs. It is recommended that you identify a thesis advisor before applying to the DSE program.
Don’t let worries about funding your Master’s degree hold you back. Review the wide selection of degree funding sources using our comprehensive funding page designed with prospective students in mind.
Students admitted to our program are eligible to apply for Graduate Assistantship (GA) positions at the university. GAs receive a stipend to help cover the cost of tuition, room and board, and other expenses. Applications for GA positions occur through a separate process. When an applicant is admitted to the program, we work to connect them with hiring managers who are seeking to fill open GA positions.
