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Accelerated Data Science Program

Take your career prospects to the next level. Develop your analytical skills and prepare for your future with an accelerated degree in data science.

Program Snapshot

Degree Type

Accelerated Degree

Time to Complete

4.5 Years

Campus

Salem, Portland

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A person looking up in a classroom

Our Accelerated MS in Data Science Program

The accelerated data science program is designed to prepare you to enter a constantly evolving field. By earning both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just four years and a summer, you will benefit from the breadth of our undergraduate offerings and the strengths of our graduate courses. Jumpstart your career and enter one of today’s most in-demand fields with our accelerated degree program. Students must be currently enrolled as Willamette College undergraduate students prior to applying for this program. 

Why pursue an accelerated bachelor's/MS degree in Data Science at Willamette?

  • Flexibility for you. Graduate courses are offered during the day in Salem and in the evenings in Portland so you can learn in a convenient location. 
  • Increase your earning potential. With the accelerated data science program, you will graduate in four years instead of the usual five, giving yourself an extra year of earning power. 
  • Access to unique benefits. Join specific career events for data science through our School of Computing and Information Sciences.

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Student Success

Accelerated Data Science student Spencer Veatch BA/BS '24, MS '24 presented research alongside Willamette faculty members at the Consortium for Computing Sciences Northwest Conference.

Spencer's Story

Willamette students and faculty shine at regional computer science conference

Spencer received first place in the poster competition for his project on using computer vision to differentiate types of skin cancer. The project was a result of work he completed in one of his data science courses which sparked his interest in applying machine learning to existing challenges.

View Story
Spencer Veatch and professors
The conference gave Spencer the opportunity to network with professionals who are working with machine learning and gain insights into the field he was preparing to enter post-graduation.

Alumni Stories

Data science alumni have applied their skills and expertise to a variety of fields such as medicine, business, and environmental science. They’ve accepted positions with major companies and built impressive careers. Find out more about how data science graduates are having an impact using new and evolving technology.

  • Zach Haroian BS/MS ’21

    Advancing Data Science at PitchBook
    Zach Haroian, the first graduate of Willamette University’s 3+1 BS/MS in Data Science program, secured a position as an associate machine learning engineer at PitchBook before even graduating. Haroian is using his skills to build models that analyze text data for financial insights, applying much of what he learned during his dual degree program.

    Zach Haroian

Introducing Some of Our Faculty

Our faculty is comprised of experienced professionals actively working in their respective fields. Because of this, they are able to offer students the most up-to-date industry insights. Through one-on-one mentorship, professors provide personalized support and access to professional networks.

  • Meet Dr. Kristen Gore

    Professor Gore brings extensive experience from her tenure at HP Inc., where she led statistical data strategies and quality systems for advanced technology platforms. In addition, she has a passion for STEM outreach, serving as a LEGO robotics volunteer.
    Portrait of Kristen Gore

  • Meet Dr. Calvin Deutschbein

    Professor Deutschbein, an expert in computer security and systems. Their research has gained recognition from industry leaders like Intel and the Semiconductor Research Corporation, as well as at prominent hardware security conferences.
    Photo of Professor Deutschbein

  • Meet Dr. Heather Kitada Smalley

    Professor Kitada Smalley, Willamette’s Albaugh Assistant Professor of Statistics, is an applied statistician with expertise in survey methodology and data visualization using R. Her work has been recognized nationally, and her research explores bias estimation in public opinion surveys, experimental design, and educational rese
    Kitada Smalley headshot

Curriculum

Our data science BS and MS programs cover everything from technical skills to critical thinking. While undergraduate courses create a foundation of knowledge, graduate courses go further in depth, building your proficiency with systems and programs. The curriculum of both programs will help students gain the expertise they need to prepare for an evolving field.

  • DATA 503 Fundamentals of Data Engineering

    Learn to work with data that is both clean and structured, and dirty and unstructured. Students in this course learn the ways that data is stored and processed, giving them tools to work with databases. 

  • DATA 505 Applied Machine Learning

    Explore machine learning through practical applications like personalized recommendations, image processing, and speech recognition. With lectures, cases, and programming projects, you'll learn to solve real-world problems, run evaluations, and interpret results using existing machine learning libraries.

Program Requirements

Students will work with an advisor to follow an accelerated pathway. In the accelerated degree program, students will spend their senior year completing graduate level coursework. There are distinct pathways for students who major in Data Science and students who major in another discipline.

A glass meeting room where a professor is chatting with students

Admissions Information

Earn your bachelor’s degree and an MS in Data Science on an accelerated timeline. Open to students in any major, the program helps you build advanced data skills and enter the workforce sooner. Explore admission requirements for the Accelerated MS in Data Science.

Professor Kristen Gore chatting with a student

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Students who choose the Accelerated MS in Data Science program continue to receive their undergraduate financial aid for eight semesters and are charged the undergraduate tuition rate. They are then charged a fixed Summer Semester Tuition rate.

A student writing on a white board in Ford Hall

FAQs

In Willamette’s accelerated data science program, you will spend your senior year of undergrad completing both your Bachelors and the MSDS. Only already admitted Willamette College students are eligible to apply for the accelerated program. Accelerated MS in Data Science students join the graduate cohort and have access to the resources and opportunities available to graduate students in their senior year, as well as a specially designed career course sequence led by an experienced Career Advisor.

Students can keep their undergraduate financial aid during their senior year. The summer of graduate-level study ending the program is billed at the BS/MSDS Summer Semester Tuition Rate.

Willamette students interested in joining the Accelerated MS in Data Science  Program should speak with their advisor, and follow this path:

  1. Apply to the Accelerated MS in Data Science  as a junior to reserve your spot
  2. Complete most of your required undergraduate courses by the end of your junior year
  3. Begin graduate coursework in fall of your senior year as part of the MSDS cohort
  4. Finish remaining graduate courses in the summer

Here's what students can expect their senior year to look like:

Fall

  • Data Visualization
  • Technology Careers 1
  • Graduate level Data Science Topics Course
  • Undergraduate Course
  • Undergraduate Course

Spring

  • Data Engineering
  • Machine Learning
  • Data Ethics
  • Technologies Careers 2
  • Undergraduate Course

Summer

  • Data Capstone
  • Advanced Data Engineering
  • Advanced Machine Learning

A degree in data science equips you with skills to analyze, interpret, and leverage data for decision-making across various domains. Here are some career paths and roles available to you with a degree in data science: 

  • Data Scientist
  • Data Analyst
  • Machine Learning Engineer
  • Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst
  • Data Engineer
  • Quantitative Analyst
  • Operations Analyst
  • Healthcare Data Analyst
  • Marketing Data Analyst
  • Product Analyst
  • Risk Analyst
  • Data Science Consultant
  • Academic Researcher
  • Data Privacy Officer
  • Entrepreneur/Startup Founder
Students study in Salem for their undergraduate course requirements. Graduate instruction during the fourth year can occur in either Salem or Portland. Students who need to take undergraduate course requirements during the fourth year must take them in Salem.

Willamette University

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