Accelerated Program
The Data Science program offers an accelerated BA/BS-MS program for current undergraduate students. Students should apply for the MS in Data Science program during their junior year through the Office of Graduate Admissions.
The accelerated Master of Science in Data Science program streamlines and accelerates the application process for current Loyola undergraduate students while reducing the combined total tuition costs. The accelerated program is a great option for Loyola undergraduates to complete both an undergraduate and master’s degree in just five years at Loyola.
Loyola undergraduate students accepted into the program may take a maximum of three graduate-level classes during their senior year, which are then eligible to be cross-applied toward both the completion of an undergraduate degree as well as towards the Master of Science in Data Science program. Below are the recommended three graduate-level classes that may be cross-applied toward both the undergraduate and master’s degree.
- CS703 - Programming for Data Science (in place of DS303)
- DS851 - Business Intelligence and Data Mining (IS358)
- ST710 - Statistical Computing (ST310)
The following courses apply towards both programs: CS737 (CS 484); ST765 (ST 465); ST767 (ST 472); GB/DS736 (IS460); GB/DS739 (IS353).
The courses in parentheses can be satisfied with the graduate courses. The graduate version can be double counted for both graduate and the undergraduate courses but not vice versa.
For example, ST710 can be counted for both ST710 and ST310.
For students accepted in the Accelerated Program, to be able to complete the degree in an additional year, two of the three courses taken as an undergraduate must be CS703 and ST710. It is recommended that most students also take DS851 as an undergraduate. If a student has previously taken one of the undergraduate versions of these courses, the course is waived from the graduate program by the Academic Program Director (APD), but must be replaced with an additional graduate elective. This policy applies to only one of the three courses.
All cross-applied courses are billed at the standard undergraduate tuition rate effectively reducing the total cost of completing an undergraduate degree and Master of Science in Data Science degree at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø. The remaining graduate-level courses in the program may be taken following the successful completion of a student’s undergraduate senior year at the Master of Science in Data Science tuition rate.
Benefits of the Accelerated Program
- Complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in just five years
- 15% Double Greyhound tuition discount for Loyola alumni
- Students may count a maximum of three courses (9 credits) towards both their undergraduate and graduate degrees
- Application fee waiver
- Transcript submission waiver
Prerequisites
To apply for the accelerated program, a student is expected to have taken the following undergraduate courses:
- CS151 - Computer Science through Programming or IS352 - Introduction to Programming in Python
- MA251 - Calculus I
- ST210 - Introduction to Statistics, ST265 - Biostatistics, EC220 - Business Statistics, or PY292 - Research Methods II (with Lab)
Students are strongly encouraged to take additional mathematics courses, for example, MA295/CS295 or MA395, MA301, and MA252.
Admission Process
Accelerated admission to the Loyola MSDS program requires the following:
- Current enrollment as a degree-seeking undergraduate student at Loyola
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 overall and for all Data Science-related courses taken
- Satisfactory completion of remaining bachelor’s degree coursework, maintaining the minimum GPA requirements
- Successful completion of assigned pre-program course sequence as determined by the admissions committee
Students should apply for accelerated admission to the MSDS program early in their junior year. If offered admission, students should expect to begin taking graduate coursework in spring of their junior year. An unofficial transcript will be required at the time of application, and acceptance decisions will be dependent upon receipt of official transcripts upon graduation. Final transcripts must reflect the criteria stated above.
Additional Application Information
Students interested in applying to the BA/BS-MS program may do so by going to the Office of Graduate Admission and completing the online application. The admission requirements also include two letters of recommendation (both of which must be from Loyola faculty members) and an essay. Official transcripts are automatically requested and the $60 application fee is waived for all current students.
For questions or inquiries regarding the program please request information below, email graduate@loyola.edu, or call 410-617-5020.