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What are the best 5 online unaccredited masters programs in data science and why are they successful?
Hello and thank you for your question in regards to the best 5 online non-accredited master programs in data science and why they are successful. In short, based on research, the best 5 online non-accredited master programs in data science are Coursera's with John Hopkins, Lewis University's Masters program, Saint Mary's College's program, Berkeley's Masters program, and Bay Path University's program. These programs are successful as they offer students flexibility in the learning schedule as well as provide them with a range of tools, courses, and real-world applications in their learning.
METHODOLOGY
To accurately address the question, I have ensured to limit my research to reputable sources such as educational websites, user forums and reviews, industry publications, and media sites. In my findings below, the best programs are defined to be the ones that appeared the most in my research with the best reviews and ratings. Please note that I was unable to find the number of students enrolled in each program as that information was not made available. I have included the requested information for each program where it was available. The program partners were not indicated on most of the programs listed. The student ratings were also not always available for the specific programs and their online versions; therefore, I have added the school ratings instead.
FINDINGS
The best 5 online non-accredited masters programs in data science are as follows:
BERKELEY: This school offers the Online Master of Information and Data Science in Berkeley through their School of Information. It consists of 27 credits and can be completed in 20 months, while an accelerated option allows students to complete it in 12 months. Some of its key topics include the best practices for collecting, storing, and retrieving data. It also focuses on research design, communicating results, statistical analysis, and data visualization. Some of the software tools that are used in this program include Amazon Web Services and IBM’s big data platform.
Examples of its courses include Statistics for Data Science, Storing and Retrieving Data, Applied Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. The cost of the program is $2,333 per unit with an additional annual fee of $537.25. Its prerequisites include a bachelor's degree and knowledge of data structures, linear algebra, algorithms and analysis of algorithms, as well as a programming language such as Java or Python. There were no specific job guarentees mentioned at the completion of the program. The program is cohort as it starts 3 times a year, in January, May, and in September. The program has a 5 star rating by students with some of the major aspects that they enjoy being the courses, the layout of the teachings, and the challenge it presents. In regards to partners, there were no clearly identified partners to the program.
COURSERA'S AT JOHN HOPKINS: John Hopkins Master of Science in Data Science provides the student with the option to study completely online or to incorporate online and on-campus. It teaches students the fundamentals of computer science, statistics, data visualization, and applied mathematics. It also incorporates real-world examples within its teachings. Their required courses include foundations of algorithms, principles of data systems, data science, data visualization, statistical methods for data analysis, introduction to optimization, statistical models and regression, as well as computational statistics. Further to that, students choose 2 electives.
The programs' industry partners are Yelp and SwiftKey. It consists of 10 courses that must be completed within 5 years at the maximum. It requires undergraduate prerequisites in multivariate calculus, discrete mathematics, as well as courses in Java or C++, and finally, a course in data structure. The program is cohort based beginning with either the Fall or Spring semesters of the year. The program has an application fee of $75, while the program cost is approximately $3,880 per course. There were no job guarentees associated with this program. The school has a ranking of 4.5 stars.
LEWIS UNIVERSITY: This Online Master of Science in Data Science program provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge in data mining, data visualization, predictive analysis, and data management. The program requires the completion of 36 credits which generally takes 18-24 months in duration. It consists of 8 core courses and 4 concentration courses. These core courses include Concepts of Statistics, Encryption and Authentication Systems, Data Modeling, Large-Scale Data Storage Systems, Mathematics for Data Scientists, Data Mining and Analytics, and Statistical Programming. It offers 2 concentrations Computational Biology and Bioinformatics and Computer Science. In terms of guarentees, the program does offer services such as helping students find employment in their chosen area of expertise which is an attractive option for students.
Students are able to utilize computing and software resources such as SAS, SPSS, R, Rapid Miner, or Weka. Additionally, they are also able to develop data analysis and visualization solutions in languages like Python and Java. The program's prerequisites include an undergraduate mathematics coursework in Calculus. There were no clearly identified partners associated with the program. The program costs $795 per credit. Furthermore, the school has a 4.5 star rating.
SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE: This Online Master of Science in Data Science is offered by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Saint Mary's College in Indiana. It consists of 36 credits and its duration averages at 2 years. The program is cohort and begins in the Fall semesters. It costs $804 per credit with an additional annual graduate student fee of $475. The program's prerequisites include a bachelor's degree in mathematics, business, computer science, information systems, sciences, health science, quantitative social science, or any related work experience. The program is entirely online but will require students to come in for a weekend session each August. Some of the programming and language softwares that will be used include DataCamp, Python, Octave, Java, Spark, Hadoop, Tableau, and Amazon Web Services. Some of the program's guarentees include the successful analysis of large and complex data sets, the ability to evaluate and implement the application of technology solutions for data analysis.
Some examples of their courses are applied linear algebra, data analytics and outcomes improvement, database systems, professional and technical writing, data mining, as well as data processing and visualization. The student rating on this school is 4.5 stars.
BAY PATH UNIVERSITY: This school offers a Masters in Applied Data Sciences online. The classes are offered a fast-tracked 8 week format with the program beginning in February and October of every year. It can be completed in 1-2 years and consists of 36 credits (12 courses). Students who take 2 courses per 8 week period will be able to finish their program in one year. Its prerequisites include a bachelor's in math, statistics, computer science, engineering, finance, or a related field. The cost for this program is $815 per credit.
Examples of the courses involved in this program include linear algebra, data exploration and visualization, data mining, case analysis capstone, strategies of information management, and applied research strategies. The key areas it focuses on is analyzing complex data sets, applying industry-specific tools for decision making, as well as communicating results with the use of advanced visualization applications. There are no specific guarentees involved with job help for graduate students. Additionally, no partners were identified with this program. The school has a rating of 4.5 stars by students.
REASON FOR SUCCESS
Based on the analysis of the programs above, these masters programs are successful as they offer students flexibility in the learning schedule with full-time, part-time, and accelerated options. They also provide them with a range of software tools, various courses, and real-world applications in their learning to better equip them for their future careers. Additionally, offering some form of aid with finding job opportunities following graduation can be very effective in attracting students to the program.
CONCLUSION
To summarize, the best 5 online non-accredited master programs in data science are Coursera's with John Hopkins, Lewis University's Masters program, Saint Mary's College's program, Berkeley's Masters program, and Bay Path University's program. These programs are successful as they offer students flexibility in the learning schedule as well as provide them with a range of tools, courses, and real-world applications in their learning.
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