MS Data Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

Prepares students for industry roles across many disciplines, including leadership roles directing research or developing analytic and computational tools.

Faculty: School of Data and Information Sciences | Duration: Three semesters (30 credit hours); may be extended, e.g. to complete a research thesis | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

30 credit hours of foundational coursework, professional development and specialisation tracks, finishing with either a capstone project or a research thesis.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme. Programme-specific: Students may also extend their studies, if necessary, particularly if they complete a research thesis in preparation for admission to a Ph.D. program.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration. The GRE is not required for the Master of Applied Professional Studies.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

Explore more study programmes

Engineering