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Data ScienceDegrees
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Rice University · Department of Computer Science

Master of Data Science (MDS) Degree, Online Program

Awarded degree: Master of Data Science

Master'sMDSData science degree Fully online

Overview

An online Master of Data Science with asynchronous course content plus weekly live sessions, three start terms per year, and specializations in Artificial Intelligence or Business Analytics (plus a Breadth option in the catalog). Tuition is charged per credit hour for a minimum of 31 credit hours.

Official program name
Master of Data Science (MDS) Degree, Online Program
Awarded degree
Master of Data Science
Source: ga.rice.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.
School
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Location
Houston, TXWhere the university is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Specializations
Artificial Intelligence · Business Analytics
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Required credits
31-35 credit hours (10-13 courses)
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration
part-time within 2 - 3.5 years; full-time in 18-24 months with strong prerequisites; up to 5 years allowed (full-time vs. part-time)
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms
Fall, Spring, Summer
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)

Applicants are admitted to either the online or the on-campus program; up to 9 credit hours may be taken in the other modality with permission.

Why this program is listed

Awarded degree is the Master of Data Science (MDS); the online program has its own catalog entry, tuition and deadlines.

Source: ga.rice.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: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
In-person attendance
In-person requirements: not published
Class schedule
Mixed (live + self-paced)
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Study intensity
Part-time or Full-time
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

The pages we checked do not say whether any orientation, residency, exam or presentation must be attended in person. Ask the university before you apply — missing information is not “no requirement”.

Curriculum

Capstone

  • Capstone course DSCI 535 / COMP 549 Applied Machine Learning and Data Science Projects (4 credit hours).
    Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

  • The catalog lists six areas of specialization for the online program, including Breadth.
    Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Specializations, concentrations and tracks

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; a STEM field is preferred but not strictly required
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Minimum GPA
RecommendedMinimum 3 — Ideal applicant has at least a 3.0 GPA; exceptions possible
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Mathematics prerequisites
RecommendedAlgebra, trigonometry, college-level calculus, discrete math and boolean logic
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Work experience
RecommendedSome industry work experience recommended
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay
RequiredStatement of purpose
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — Two letters of recommendation
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV
RequiredResume or CV
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Application fee
Required$85 — $85 application fee
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test
Not requiredNot required with a 3.0+ GPA; required for applicants with a GPA below 2.9 unless an exception is granted.
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
TOEFL iBT
Required — minimum 90For applicants whose native language is not English; exempt with a degree from a university where English is the official language.
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
IELTS Academic
Required — minimum 7Alternative to TOEFL.
Source: cs.rice.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.

  • Scholarship deadline

    October 1, 2026 · for Spring 2027

    Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
    Passed

  • Final deadline

    November 1, 2026 · for Spring 2027

    Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
    Upcoming

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
All students$1,700per creditEstimated tuition$52,700 = 31 credits × $1,700 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required in-person sessions, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Estimated total tuition: $52,700 (31 credits × $1,700 per credit)

Comparison basis: All students, academic year not stated. Excludes mandatory fees, books, living costs and any rate changes during the program. How we calculate

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

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — 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 Texas.

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. cs.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs/online-mds — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  2. cs.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs/online-mds/admissions — Official admissions page, verified October 11, 2026
  3. ga.rice.edu/programs-study/departments-programs/engineering/data-science/data-science-mds-online/ — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  4. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile

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Data Science Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Rice University. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the university.