Master Programme
Master of Arts in Statistics and Data Science
Berkeley's professional MA in Statistics and Data Science (MASDS) is an intensive two-semester programme for careers in industry rather than PhD preparation. In the fall, students take advanced probability (STAT 201A), advanced statistics (STAT 201B) and statistical computing in Python, SQL and other tools (STAT 243). The spring brings linear models (STAT 230A), a capstone course on data analysis and machine learning for real-world decisions (STAT 214) built around team projects with a written report and presentation, and an approved graduate elective in areas such as machine learning, causal inference, NLP, optimisation or time series. Students also pass a three-hour comprehensive exam on 201A and 201B in January. The programme is STEM OPT eligible.
University
University of California, Berkeley
Country
United States
Level
Master
Field
Data Science
Duration
10 months full-time (fall and spring semesters; at least 24 units plus a comprehensive exam)
Language
English
Campus
Berkeley
Degree
Master of Arts (MA) in Statistics
Intake
Fall semester only (an optional two-week Summer Prep Program runs beforehand)
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry: the application opened on 24 September 2026 and the deadline is 6 January 2027; no updates can be made after the deadline. You may apply to only one Berkeley degree programme per cycle. Apply through the UC Berkeley Graduate Division online application (opened 24 September 2026). The non-refundable application fee is US$155 for international applicants (US$135 for US citizens and permanent residents), plus a 4.22% payment processing fee. Upload scanned transcripts and degree certificates for every post-secondary institution, with certified English translations where needed
Tuition Information
2026-27: the MA in Statistics is a professional degree. Berkeley's registrar bills nonresident students, including international students, a semester's tuition of US$6,861, a US$672 student services fee, a US$904.75 campus fee, a US$236 transit fee, a US$141 instructional resilience and enhancement fee, US$6,122.50 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and US$4,103 for SHIP health insurance (waivable with equivalent cover), plus US$14,659 in Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition, for US$33,699.25 a semester or US$67,398.50 for the year (new students also pay a one-time US$119 document management fee). Financial Aid and Scholarships' 2026-27 professional graduate budget for living off campus adds US$19,920 for housing and utilities, US$9,962 for food, US$782 for books and supplies, US$3,376 for personal costs and US$3,920 for transport (US$37,960 for the nine-month year), so the year costs about US$105,400 (our total of the official figures). The Statistics department says it makes departmental financial support available to reduce financial barriers
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor's degree (usually with at least a 3.0 GPA) and substantial coursework in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, probability theory and theoretical and applied statistics, plus at least one statistical system or language such as R or Python. STAT 134-level probability is a prerequisite for the first course, STAT 201A
- Application materials: statement of purpose, personal history statement, CV or resume, three letters of recommendation, a descriptive list of all upper-division and graduate statistics, mathematics and other quantitative courses, and the department's GPA calculation worksheet. GRE scores will not be accepted for fall 2027 applicants
- English proficiency (Graduate Division; needed if your bachelor's degree is from a country where English is not the main language of daily life and instruction, unless you have a degree from an accredited US institution or a year of full-time US coursework with grades of B or better): TOEFL iBT 90 for tests taken from 1 June 2025 to 20 January 2026, or 5 overall with at least 4.5 in Speaking and Writing for tests from 21 January 2026; or IELTS Academic (or IELTS Online) 7 overall, with Speaking and Writing of at least 6.5 for tests from 21 January 2026. Duolingo, TOEFL ITP, MyBest scores and the IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted, and for fall 2027 tests taken before 1 June 2025 are not accepted (TOEFL code 4833)