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Brown University · Data Science Institute

Online Master's in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society

Awarded degree: Master of Science in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society

Master'sScMData science degree Fully online

Overview

An online eight-course data science master's focused on data and AI policy and governance, with required asynchronous coursework and optional weekly synchronous sessions. It can be completed in as little as 16 months over four consecutive 14-week semesters, with fall and spring starts.

Official program name
Online Master's in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society
Awarded degree
Master of Science in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society
Source: bulletin.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level
Master's
Program classification
Dedicated data science degreeThe awarded degree or official program title is data science itself.Focus: Social science data science
School
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Location
Providence, RIWhere the university is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Required credits
eight courses (32 academic credits)
Source: graduateprograms.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration
as little as 16 months (four consecutive 14-week semesters, including summer) (two courses per semester)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms
Fall, Spring
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)
Why this program is listed

Awarded degree title is a Master of Science in Data Science (Policy, Governance & Society).

Source: bulletin.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We list data science bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees — dedicated, joint, and (separately labelled) related degrees with an officially named data science concentration. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Delivery, required in-person attendance, class schedule and study intensity are shown separately, each only as the university states it. “Fully online” appears only when official wording supports it.
Academic delivery
Fully onlineAll coursework is online and the university states no required in-person attendance for this program.All coursework is online and the university states no required in-person attendance for this program.
Source: bulletin.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
In-person attendance
In-person requirements: not published
Class schedule
Mixed (live + self-paced)
Source: graduateprograms.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Study intensity
Not published

In-person requirements as published

  • Other in-person requirement Optional

    Graduates are invited to attend May Commencement in person.

    Providence, RI

    Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Project

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree from an accredited institution
Source: graduateprograms.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statistics prerequisites
RequiredAt least one semester of college-level statistics
Source: graduateprograms.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Programming prerequisites
RequiredPrior programming experience; Python preferred
Source: graduateprograms.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Work experience
RequiredResume showing at least two years of full-time work experience
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required3 letters — Three letters, at least one from a professional supervisor
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Writing sample
RequiredWork artifact from professional experience in lieu of a personal statement
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Application fee
Required$100 — $100 application fee, waived for Early Decision Deadline applicants
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test
Not required
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
TOEFL iBT
RequiredInternational applicants whose native language is not English; TOEFL or IELTS, with exceptions.
Source: dsi.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
Online students — Online Master's of Data Science, Policy, Governance, & SocietyFrom the university's online tuition table$7,500per course · 2026-2027Source: sfs.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Online students — Estimated total program tuition (8 courses)From the university's online tuition table$60,000entire program · 2026-2027Source: sfs.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Estimated total tuition: $60,000 (published program total)

Comparison basis: Online students — Estimated total program tuition (8 courses), 2026-2027. Excludes mandatory fees, books, living costs and any rate changes during the program. How we calculate

Other published fees

Academic Records Fee
$100 entire programMandatory
Source: sfs.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Health Services Fee
$124 per semesterMandatory
Source: sfs.brown.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Funding

Funding policy and awards exactly as the university publishes them. Available assistantships do not establish guaranteed funding; loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Understanding funding

Funding classification: Funding not verified

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable.

Accreditation and enrollment restrictions

Two separate questions: is the university institutionally accredited, and does it publish restrictions on who can enroll (for online programs, usually by state of residence)?

Institutional accreditation

  • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No programmatic accreditation verified for this program. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

Not verified — check the university's state authorization page before applying from outside Rhode Island.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 11, 2026.
  1. bulletin.brown.edu/graduate/concentrations/dpgs/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 11, 2026
  2. dsi.brown.edu/academics/masters-programs/online-masters-data-science-policy-governance-society — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  3. graduateprograms.brown.edu/graduate-program/data-science-policy-governance-society-online-scm — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  4. DAPIP — NECHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  5. sfs.brown.edu/tuition-and-fees/online-masters-tuition-and-fees — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 11, 2026

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