Overview
Program Coordinator: Dr. Anna Lissitz
Program Delivery Format: 100% Online or Hybrid Low Residency, 8-week sessions
The hybrid low residency option requires a three-day campus residency each semester.
Total Credits: 30
Average Completion Time: 24 months
Admissions Cycle: Fall, Spring and Summer
Admissions Contact: Colin Hoover, Admissions Counselor, Graduate Enrollment Management (choover@mcdaniel.edu | 410-871-3139)
GPS Student Support Liaisons: gpsadvising@mcdaniel.edu | 410-857-2500
International Student Support: gpsdso@mcdaniel.edu
The data analytics program at McDaniel College provides graduate learners with the skills needed to be successful data analysts, operational analysts and leaders in a competitive global Information Technology arena. The curriculum is designed to provide a complete and thorough understanding of the main key technologies that constitute data science, statistics, data mining, problem analysis, big data and decision making. Students will also have hands-on experience to apply the theoretical foundation of Data Analytics. The program uses sound practices, current and emerging tools and technologies, and effective teamwork approaches.
Special emphasis is placed on real-world application and clear interpretation of results for shareholders using both prose and graphical methods; and the ethical collection, use, and storage of data. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to operate in data-rich environments, accessing data to drive decisions and enhance organizational performance. Students will develop the skills and knowledge needed by today’s quantitative professional through a curriculum that stresses practical applications and use. Students gain expertise in statistical methodology and database development and management. In the second year, students will have the opportunity to collect, study, and analyze data through a final capstone experience.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants to the program must:
- Complete an application for graduate study
- Submit an official transcript verifying completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.00*
- Provide a professional resume highlighting related work experience
*Please note: Students with less than a 3.0 GPA can be considered for provisional admission on a case-by-case basis but may be required to provide additional documents or participate in an interview. Admission may also require additional conditions.
International Students:
- English Language Proficiency: IELTS - 6, TOEFL - 79 ibit, Duolingo - 110. Students should have electronic reports sent directly to McDaniel College. A copy of the report can be uploaded for admission review, but an official score report must be received before I-20 documents can be issued.
- Please note: Options for Waiver of English Language Proficiency:
- Non-native speakers of English who graduated from post-secondary institutions in the US or who transfer from post-secondary institutions from within the US may be waived from this requirement as long as they have spent a minimum of two years in succesful full-time study.
- Non-native speakers of English who graduated from post-secondary institutions from outside of the US where the official language is English (as indicated on the U.S. Department of State website) may be waived from the English language test requirement provided they have spent a minimum of two years in successful full-time study and the language of instruction was English. A letter of verification from the institution on institutional letterhead will be required. A copy of the letter may be uploaded but an official copy will be required upon arrival to campus.
- WES or ECE transcript evaluation providing course-by-course evaluation with GPA may be required if McDaniel is unable to verify a four-year degree or calculate a cumulative GPA based on the submitted transcript. We strongly encourage all students provide a WES or ECE report to expedite the admission review process.
Other International Student Documents Requirements for I-20:
Prior to receiving an I-20 document, all international students seeking F1 visa status must provide the following:
- A completed and signed financial support verification form with an accompanying bank statement valid within three months of the date of application.
- A bank statement or letter from the financial institution (on letterhead with official seal) to verify availability of sufficient funds to cover one year of educational cost as indicated on the finanicial verification form. The bank statement or letter must be no older than three months prior to the date of application.
- If a student is using a sponsor to verify sufficient funds for attendance, the bank letter and statement must be in the name of the sponsor and the finanical verification form must provide sponsor contact information and be signed by the sponsor.
- All students must provide a copy of current passport, copy of most recent I-20 if applicable, copy of current Visa if applicable, I-20 transfer documents from the current university from which the student intends to transfer from if applicable.
Deadlines:
It is highly recommended that international students provide these documents simultaneously with all other documents required for admission. However, an I-20 cannot be issued until all documents are received. Seats in the cohort will be confirmed on a first-come-first served basis for admitted students who have been issued an I-20 and who verify receipt of the F1 visa.
All documents must be received by the following dates to assure timely processing of I-20 and to obtain F1 visa:
Students coming from outside the US
- June 1 for Fall start (August)
- November 1 for Spring start (January)
- March 1 for Summer start (May)
Students transferring from a school within the US
- July 1 for Fall start (August)
- December 1 for Spring start (January)
- April 1 for Summer start (May)
Degree Requirements: 30 credits
Practicum Requirement: 0 credit
This program requires all students to be actively involved in an experiential practicum throughout the entire program where candidates continually demonstrate practical understanding and applications of data science. This experiential requirement must be satisfied through either a job-embedded practicum or through a faculty-led practicum. All students will be required to be enrolled in zero-credit hour practicum/s each semester to satisfy this requirement, regardless of which method is used to fulfill the requirement. Students who intend to use a job-embedded practicum will be registered for a zero-credit hour practicum each semester of enrollment. Those students who seek to fulfill this requirement with a faculty-led practicum will be required to enroll in a zero-credit (0) practicum aligned with each enrolled course.
Students who are using job-embedded experience to fulfill the experiential requirement must have a position where responsibilities require continual demonstration of practical understanding and applications of data science throughout their time in the practicum. Students seeking to use job-embedded practicum to satisfy this requirement will be required to submit a job description and verification of employment for program coordinator approval. International students can use CPT for approved job-embedded practicum requirements.
State Authorization
McDaniel is an approved institutional member of the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). Membership in SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses/programs offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. For more information about SARA, including the states currently participating in the agreement, visit http://www.nc.sara.org.
SARA membership allows McDaniel to accept and deliver our programs/courses online to students in 49 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students who reside in California, currently the only state not a member of SARA, should contact the admissions office prior to application to verify if you are eligible to participate in the online program of interest.
For more information about state authorization requirements and complaint resolution, visit https://www.mcdaniel.edu/academics/graduate-professional-studies/state-authorization-requirements-complaints-resolution
