About the Program

The online M.S. in Data Science and Engineering trains students to manage, analyze, and visualize large and complex data sets. The program is designed to accommodate students from various academic backgrounds with options for specializations in different domains. The multiple paths to graduation make the new program highly flexible in meeting individual student needs.

Graduates of this program will learn:

• The different data sources, acquisition processes, types, quality, and methods for cleaning
• The issues impacting the efficient processing, representing, storing, managing, and retrieval of large amounts of data
• How to leverage modern computational infrastructures and software tools to perform large-scale data analysis and machine learning
• Standard analytical tools, their methods, their practical use, and the strengths and limitations of each
• The skills to effectively explore and present data to different audiences through visual and multimodal methods
• Strategies for data security, curation, and preservation
• The ethical issues, risks, and responsibilities related to data science

Numerous course paths exist for earning the M.S. in Data Science and Engineering. Course selection variations exist based on each student’s specific background and interests and whether prerequisites have been met through previous coursework.

Throughout your coursework, you’ll work closely with a faculty advisor to ensure your program of study is best suited for you and your goals.

The private, public, and research sectors rely heavily on data science and engineering to analyze and translate massive, complex, heterogeneous, and dynamic data into manageable forms, creating new information and providing insights to understand phenomena and guide decision-making better. For businesses, governments, and academic institutions throughout Maine and beyond, there is a growing need for a workforce well-trained in such skills.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of data scientists is projected to grow 35% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 17,000 openings for data scientists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. The median annual wage for data scientists was $108,020 in May 2023, which was higher than the median yearly wage for all occupations of $48,060.