MS Data Science

The MSDS program places a strong emphasis on applied, interdisciplinary experience, giving students access to one of the largest research ecosystems in the U.S.

Capstone & Applied Projects

• Students complete hands-on coursework with built-in projects using real-world datasets from industry, medicine, public policy, and science.

• Select courses involve external clients, such as healthcare systems, city governments, or nonprofit organizations.

• Capstone options include data science competitions, simulations, and final projects that demonstrate modeling, visualization, and predictive insight.

Research & Interdisciplinary Labs

Students can engage in research with labs such as:

• Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS)

• Center for Statistical Consultation and Research (CSCAR)

• School of Public Health Biostatistics Labs

• AI and ML labs within EECS

• Urban informatics and social research labs

Projects span domains like:

• Healthcare analytics

• Smart cities and mobility

• Education policy

• Social network analysis

• Climate and environmental modeling

Internships & Industry Collaboration

While not required, students are strongly encouraged to pursue summer internships or academic-year research assistantships.

U-M’s strong relationships with:

• Ford, GM, Amazon, Google, Meta

• Michigan Medicine, CDC, Blue Cross Blue Shield

• City of Detroit, Federal Reserve, U.S. Census
  provide exceptional experiential learning opportunities.

Students also participate in:

• Data Science hackathons

• U-M analytics consulting groups

• Competitions hosted by Kaggle, IDEAS, and MIDAS

Graduates of the Michigan MSDS program are distinguished by their strong quantitative skills, domain fluency, and ability to build and evaluate models in real-world conditions. The program cultivates professionals who can think critically about data ethics, communication, and algorithmic fairness.

Career Outcomes

Typical roles include:

• Data Scientist / Applied Scientist

• Machine Learning Engineer

• Data Analyst / BI Analyst

• Quantitative Researcher

• AI Product Manager

• Public Health Data Specialist

• Risk Analyst or Operations Researcher

Hiring Sectors

• Tech: Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, IBM

• Finance: JPMorgan, Citadel, Morningstar, Capital One

• Healthcare: Michigan Medicine, Flatiron Health, Pfizer

• Government & NGOs: U.S. Census Bureau, WHO, Brookings Institution

• Automotive & Industry: Ford, General Motors, Bosch, Siemens

• Research Labs: Argonne, NIH, Los Alamos, U-M affiliated centers

Graduate Study & Research

Outstanding students continue on to:

• PhD programs in statistics, machine learning, computer science, or biostatistics

• Public policy or health analytics fellowships

• Dual-degree paths (MSDS + MBA or MPP)