The opportunities for data science professionals are endless-be it in the U.S. or India. As per a report by Market and Markets, the data science platform market size is expected to grow from $37.9 billion in 2019 to $140.9 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 30.0% during the forecast period. As a result, professionals trained in data science and artificial intelligence capabilities will be able to work with cutting-edge technologies at leading firms and lead a rewarding career.

While businesses are recruiting for data science professionals, they are ideally looking for someone who has a solid grip on the fundamental concepts as well as the tools needed to execute analytics projects. In addition to technical knowledge, employers also look for business acumen. 

To make students responsible for such challenging job roles, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies has introduced an M.S. in Data Science Programme in collaboration with Great Learning. The program will provide world-class education from Northwestern University, ranked 9 among U.S. universities (U.S. News & World Report 2022). 

Northwestern University has a proven record of over 160 years in educational excellence. It ranks 24 in the Global University Rankings 2022 ( The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022) and hosts students from over 75 countries.

This MS in data science is a globally recognised degree programme, designed and delivered by experienced faculty with industry experience. The course will teach theoretical concepts and offer hands-on experience in popular programming languages, frameworks, and libraries. These skills have helped alumni of this course secure jobs with some of the best global organizations.

Key Program Highlights

Joining this course comes with many benefits that make it stand out from the rest. Some of them include:

• Master’s degree from a top global university and Northwestern alumni status
• Online learning with live sessions delivered by Northwestern faculty
• Best-in-class faculty with industry experience
• Peer learning opportunities with professionals from diverse backgrounds and varied work experience
• Networking opportunities with two in-person learning programs in India
• Placement support and comprehensive career services
• Knowledge of relevant tools and languages like R, Python and TensorFlow

The course has been created keeping working professionals in mind. As they have a strict schedule and often face a time crunch, the program provides the flexibility to study part-time from their home (students should plan to spend around 15 – 20 hours every week) while continuing their current jobs.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Articulate analytics as a core strategy of data science
• Transform data into actionable insights
• Develop statistically sound and robust analytic solutions
• Demonstrate leadership
• Formulate and manage plans to address business issues
• Evaluate constraints on the use of data
• Assess data structure and data lifecycle

Curriculum and Projects

The first four terms (12 months) will cover foundation courses that will teach data science theory to students. Students will complete industry-relevant coursework in Artificial Intelligence from the fifth term onwards. There will be a capstone project towards the end of the degree programme. In addition to this, the students will work on a diverse portfolio of projects throughout the program, which can be leveraged during placements. 

The course will cover areas such as maths for data scientists, applied statistics with R, data science in practice, Python for data science, practical machine learning, database systems and data preparation, data governance, ethics and law and decision analytics. The course will also teach students topics like NLP, Artificial intelligence, deep learning, and computer vision.

Faculty Profile 

Students will be able to take advantage of live classes with top-ranked faculty from Northwestern University and get hands-on exposure through quizzes, assignments and projects. All faculty members come with rich industry experience and a stellar academic profile.

Student Demographics

This Programme’s batch consists of students from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of work experience, for enriched mutual learning. The students in the current batch are employed in industry-leading organizations across nations, and some of their current employers are Google, Amazon, Flipkart, Cisco, TCS, HP, Indian Army, Accenture, Qualcomm, among others.

Learner Experience

The students currently pursuing the course are finding it greatly beneficial for their career. Some common points that learners are happy about include:

• Faculty support during the live sessions focused on concepts, practical implications and the much needed hands-on experience provided throughout the course.
• Best-in-class professors who come with high-depth of knowledge, crystal clear vision and gunshot points of clarification.
• Abundance of learning resources – both internal resources and external references. 
• Highly responsive program team for resolving student queries and doubt clarifications.

On-campus Residency Sessions

The two one-week long residency programmes are unique because they provide an in-person experience designed to boost the online Masters in Data Science Programme. In addition, residencies are a great way to network with peers and faculty in a campus-style setting. During the residencies, Great learning conducts numerous career-support activities as well. 

The capstone project presentations, a crucial part of the curriculum, will be held during the residencies. It will allow students to gain exposure to each other’s work and approach to solving data science problems.

GL Excelerate – Career Support

GL Excelerate is a career support program designed exclusively for its learners. It aims to empower its learners with everything they need to succeed in their careers. In addition, it provides students with various facilities to help them grow in their careers. 

• Student Placement – Great Learning has over 1200 hiring partners and runs a dedicated process to place students with well-known domestic and global organizations.
• Curated Jobs – Access to specialized jobs, relevant to learners’ experience and domain.
• Interview preparation-Workshops conducted by industry experts, to help the students prepare for technical interviews.
• 1:1 Career mentorship-Expert 1:1 career mentorship personalized to the student’s experience and industry.

Admissions

All applicants are required to submit an online application. Applicants can check the status of their application at any time by logging into the online Self Service Center portal. 

On completing the program, students will be able to attend an “in-person” graduation ceremony and obtain an MS degree from the prestigious Northwestern University that adds immense value to participants’ resumes.

Program Fee and Flexible Payment Options

The estimated tuition is $13,000 (approx Rs 9.36 Lakhs) and can be paid in six quarterly instalments of $2,167 each (payable at the start of every term). There is also the option of taking educational loans as Great Learning has tied up with financial institutions. Additionally, the students will have to bear the cost of travelling, boarding/lodging, and other expenses for the residency sessions.

If you want to study at one of the best universities globally and learn data science from the best minds to build a rewarding career, the MS in data science from Northwestern University School of Professional Studies is the right choice for you.

What are you waiting for? Click here to apply.