Rice University · Department of Computer Science

Master of Data Science (MDS), On-Campus

Awarded degree: Master of Data Science

Master'sMDSData science degree

Overview

A full-time, on-campus Master of Data Science in Houston, typically completed in three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, second fall), with five specialization tracks and a D2K industry capstone in the final semester. Admission is for fall only.

Official program name: Master of Data Science (MDS), On-Campus
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: Rice University — Department of Computer Science
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Location: Houston, TX
Specializations: Artificial Intelligence · Business Analytics · Energy Transition and Sustainability · Image Processing · Sport Analytics
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Required credits: 31-35 credit hours (10-13 courses)
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Duration: typically three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, second fall) (full-time)
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Applicants are admitted to either the on-campus or the online program, not both; the online MDS is a separate record.

Why this program is listed

Awarded degree is the Master of Data Science (MDS).

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: On campusClasses meet in person on campus.
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Full-time
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Capstone

D2K (Data to Knowledge) capstone with an industry partner in the final semester.
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Other

Professional Development requirement met by a course, an internship of 10 weeks to 6 months, or prior relevant work experience; an internship is not required.
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

Specializations, concentrations and tracks

Artificial Intelligence
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Business Analytics
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Energy Transition and Sustainability
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Image Processing
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Sport Analytics
Source: ga.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

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”.

Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — 3.0+ GPA
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredStatement of purpose
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredCV or resume
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: RecommendedRecommended, but not required.
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
February 10, 2027 · for Fall 2027
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026
Upcoming
Application deadlineDomestic applicants
July 1, 2027 · for Fall 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.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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.

Merit-based scholarships ScholarshipCompetitive
Eligibility: Top applicants; automatically considered upon application submission.
Source: cs.rice.edu · verified October 11, 2026

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)

None recorded for this program.

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.

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

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and format family, programs in Texas first. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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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.