Data Science is one of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the need for data scientists will increase over the next decade by an astounding 36 percent, which is much faster than most occupations.
Although there are entry-level positions open to individuals with a bachelor’s degree in data science, far more opportunities for leadership roles and a competitive salary are available to job seekers with a master’s degree. For many people, an online degree is the most convenient and flexible way to earn a master’s degree, as it gives you more control over your schedule and may be more cost-effective.
There are many institutions offering online data science master’s programs with no GRE requirement. In this article, we’ll look at why the GRE is no longer used at many schools to evaluate students and discuss what you need to do to enter the best program for your own needs.
Why Colleges Are Phasing Out GRE Requirements
At one time, nearly all potential graduate students took the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), but those days have passed. The GRE measures skills such as critical thinking and analytical writing, but it doesn’t indicate if a student will succeed in graduate school.
In addition, the test, which was introduced in 1949, has been shown in studies to be discriminatory to women and minorities. In particular, there is little in the GRE to indicate potential success in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math—and it has been shown to penalize test-takers based on their gender and ethnicity.
Once these discrimination concerns were found to be valid, schools began phasing out the GRE tests. Instead, other factors were employed to help find the students with the most chance for success in a graduate-level program. Now, many schools use factors such as relevant work experience, a thorough interview process, and more to help them determine the best students.
How To Get into a Master’s in Data Science Program
So, if the GRE is no longer the determining factor for graduate school admission, what should you do to make yourself a desirable candidate? If you are interested in applying to an online data science master’s degree program, you will need to submit several elements to your chosen school. Let’s take a look at the most common of them.
Undergraduate transcript
Almost all schools will want to have a copy of your official transcript to help them understand your undergraduate career. There may be a minimum undergrad GPA, such as 3.0, that you will need to have achieved to be admitted to the program. Transcripts provide a comprehensive review of your academic performance, with information included on the courses you took and grades you received. Transcripts that show a steadily increasing or overall high level of achievement will be considered a good indication of your ability to excel in a rigorous academic environment.
Statement of purpose
The statement of purpose, or SOP, is a standard requirement for many graduate programs. This document discusses your academic background and outlines your academic and professional objectives. It is an opportunity to showcase your motivation, educational goals, and, if appropriate, research goals. It’s worth spending significant time crafting a solid SOP, as it can demonstrate your potential contributions to the field and your ability to attain your goals through graduate school and beyond.
Letters of recommendation
Another element that most schools require is several letters of recommendation—usually anywhere from three to five. Your letters of recommendation should come from individuals who can speak to your academic abilities, personal qualities, and potential for success in a graduate program. Think carefully about who you ask to write letters of recommendation for you. You should be certain that they will speak positively of you as a student and future professional. Good choices for your letters of recommendation include former professors or research advisors, as well as employers who have worked closely enough with you that they can attest to your character and work ethic. A strong letter of recommendation will highlight your intellectual abilities and suitability for your chosen field.
Professional resume
A professional resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is a short, heavily-formatted document that is an essential part of your admissions materials. It summarizes your educational background, research experience, internships, relevant coursework, publications, and professional expertise related to your field. This is another element worth spending significant time on, as it will provide your chosen school with an overall picture of your accomplishments to date. This is not the place to be creative or to use showy fonts or unusual formatting. Craft a document that is easy to read through quickly. This is the best place to showcase any professional experience you already have in the data science field. If your only experience is through internships you held during your undergraduate years, be sure to detail what you did and what you learned through interning. If you have any research experience from your undergraduate years, such as a capstone project undertaken in the data science field, be sure to include that as well.
Our Research
This list features some of the best online Master’s in Data Science programs (no GRE) in the country. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of the best online Master’s in Data Science programs (no GRE) to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The 50 Best Online Master’s in Data Science Programs (No GRE)
