ROLLA, Mo. – To meet the state and country’s growing demand to make sense of large amounts of statistics and data, Missouri University of Science and Technology plans to add a new bachelor’s and master’s degree in data science. 

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved Missouri S&T’s proposal to create the new bachelor of science and master of science degrees during the board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20. The degree proposals will now go before the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education for approval.

“We are extremely excited to get this program approved so we can start recruiting and teaching students,” says Dr. John Harris, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Missouri S&T. “The degree will fit the university perfectly due to S&T already offering almost all of the courses necessary to put together the data science program, with S&T’s other STEM offerings supporting it.” 

The proposed degree will draw on Missouri S&T’s expertise in statistics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and computer programming to help address a projected growth in the field, as seen by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The multidisciplinary program will be offered jointly through S&T’s mathematics and statistics department and computer science department.

Data scientists generally use various computational methods to make sense of large sets of data by combining computer science and mathematics to gain insights and analyze trends. 

“Data scientists are needed in fields such as health care, banking and finance, research and development, information technology, and more,” says Harris. “Our program is unique in that it will prepare students through cross-disciplinary courses and flexibility with advanced elective courses in various disciplines.” 

For more information about Missouri S&T’s degree programs, visit futurestudents.mst.edu.