Marquette University

What you'll study

The program includes four core courses that cover business intelligence, analytics methods, large-scale data techniques, and ethical/social issues:

• COSC 6510 - Data Intelligence: data management, integration, munging, and development of business-intelligence solutions applied to students' professional contexts.
• COSC 6520 - Data Analytics: foundational analytics methodology, text and data mining for classification/clustering/prediction, evaluating predictive performance, and a customer-application analytics project; students without programming experience are advised to take COSC 6510 first.
• COSC 6570 - Data at Scale: data types and structures, database solutions, applied SQL programming, and high-level coverage of MapReduce, Hadoop, and Apache Spark for big-data problems.
• COSC 6820 - Data Ethics: sociotechnical examination of privacy, surveillance, algorithmic bias, fairness, transparency, and accountability in data-driven contexts.

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00. The program requires basic computational-thinking competency demonstrated by an introductory programming course (e.g., COSC 1010) or an approved introductory Python course. A foundational statistics course (or equivalent familiarity with R, MATLAB, SAS, Stata, etc.) is also required; alternatively, applicants may submit proof of completion of a recommended online foundational statistics course. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and admits may begin in summer, fall, or spring. Standard application materials include transcripts, a statement of purpose (recommended), and three letters of recommendation; international applicants may need to demonstrate English proficiency.

Career prospects

The curriculum prepares graduates to apply data science skills across many sectors—retail, medicine, banking and finance, construction, transportation, communications and media, manufacturing, government, and energy. Typical roles pursued by certificate completers include Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Business Analyst, Data Warehousing Specialist, Software Developer, Systems Software roles, Computer and Information Systems Manager, Computer and Information Research Scientist, and Search Marketing Strategist. The program page cites Bureau of Labor Statistics data for median salaries and projected job growth in related occupations.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Specific scholarships are not listed on the certificate page; prospective students should consult Marquette's graduate financial aid office for assistantships, scholarships, and payment plans. The program page notes a published tuition cost per credit and that additional costs may apply, so review the university's tuition and fees information when budgeting.