Master Programme
Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS)
UW's MS in Data Science is a professional master's for people starting or advancing a data science career. Evening classes on the Seattle campus cover statistical modelling, data management, machine learning, data visualisation, software engineering, research design, data ethics and user experience. The curriculum has eight core courses and a two-quarter capstone project on a real data science problem for an outside organisation. Full-time students take two courses a quarter on two evenings a week. The program holds an annual data science career fair, and alumni work at companies such as JP Morgan Chase, IBM, Toyota, Northrop Grumman and Zillow.
University
University of Washington
Country
United States
Level
Master
Field
Data Science
Duration
1.5 years full-time (45 credits over 5 quarters); part-time about 2.5 years
Language
English
Campus
Seattle
Degree
Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS)
Intake
Autumn only (once a year)
Application Deadline
Autumn 2027 entry (US$90 application fee; international F-1/J-1 applicants cannot get fee waivers): Deadline A is 19 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, with decisions in mid-March, and students who need an F-1 visa must apply by this deadline. Deadline B is 8 April 2027, with decisions in mid-June. No late applications or materials are accepted, except recommendation letters up to two weeks after the deadline, and there is no rolling admission
Tuition Information
2026-27: the MSDS is a self-sustaining, fee-based program at US$1,244 per credit for everyone (no separate resident or international rate). With 45 credits, estimated tuition is US$55,980, and the program suggests budgeting about 5% more for students entering in autumn 2027. Quarterly UW fees are extra (around US$423 a quarter for full-time students in 2024-25, about US$2,115 over five quarters). International Student Services estimates graduate living expenses at US$9,371 a quarter (US$28,113 for three quarters) for 2026-27, plus the required ISHIP health insurance at US$537 a quarter. International students cannot get US federal aid; the program offers some partial merit scholarships to top admitted students
Admission Requirements
- A four-year US bachelor's degree or equivalent (3-year degree holders should check with the Graduate School) and a minimum 3.0 GPA over the last two years of graded study; strong candidates below 3.0 can explain this in the application
- Documented computer science and mathematics prerequisite skills, through graded coursework or a technical endorsement. GRE and GMAT scores are not used and not accepted
- Two short essays, unofficial transcripts, a short resume (ideally one page) and two letters of recommendation, submitted through the UW Slate application
- English proficiency (higher than the Graduate School minimum): TOEFL iBT 5.0 overall and in each section on the new scale (106 overall with 25 per section on the old scale), Duolingo 125 or IELTS 7.5. A degree taught entirely in English, with documentation, removes the need for a test