Data Science Programs in Indiana

The state of Indiana provides a number of strong educational programs in data science that are primarily available online. Outside of Indiana University's Master of Science in Data Science, most options require some sort of residency period on-campus.

Other higher education online and directly linked to Data Science is also offered at Notre Dame University and Saint Mary's in Notre Dame. Business Administration opportunities also exist at these universities, along with Valparaiso University with Business Intelligence certification and Purdue University with Business Analytics specialization.

Featured Online Data Science Programs

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Master of Science in Data Science

Online Data Science Programs in Indiana

Indiana University

Students have various programs to choose from at Indiana University that relate to data science. Through the School of Informatics and Computing, there is a Master of Science in Data Science that can be completed online, on-campus in Bloomington, or a combination of both. The curriculum and faculty are the same regardless of the option chosen, just the delivery is different. There is an optional residency weekend at the Bloomington campus for students to meet face-to-face with faculty, other students, and professionals in the data science industry.

30 credits are divided up into 15 electives, 6 core credits, 6 domain area credits, and a culminating capstone project worth three credits. The four domain areas, or concentrations, to choose from are Data Analytics and Visualization, Intelligent Systems Engineering, Precision Health, and Cybersecurity. The school recommends prior coursework in Python and R programming, math, and probability, but there is a special Data Science Essentials course that can fulfill this need.

For those needing to acquire some new data science skills or accelerate their career, a Graduate Certificate in Data Science is also available online. The program can be completed between one to two years and requires any 12 credits of coursework from the full program. This offers flexibility for any specific career path.

An alternative to the Data Science degree is getting the Master of Science in Business Analytics through the Kelley School of Business. This gives students the ability to manipulate data and develop analytical models to make decisions that can improve the business. This also requires 30 credits to complete and it takes anywhere from 15 months to 3 years. There are two week-long residencies that are required during the program (before and after the core courses), which will give students the ability to meet with faculty, solve real-world business problems, and network with professionals.

University of Notre Dame

An online Master of Science in Data Science is offered through the College of Science at Notre Dame. Online classes will be both live in smaller sessions and in the evening to benefit those that are still working while taking the program. Part-time students should expect to complete the program within 21 months. The entire program can be completed online with the lone exception of a required immersion weekend on the South Bend campus at the beginning of the program each fall. Optional immersion weekends take place throughout the curriculum.

14 courses are taken to complete the degree and is completely structured without electives. A sampling of the courses include data security, probability and statistics, R and Python programming, ethics and policies, and data visualization. Case studies and projects with the latest in data science innovation take place toward the end of the program. An Executive Certificate in Data Science is a 10-week program that offers five live online courses with a combination of five days residency at the South Bend and Silicon Valley campuses.

Saint Mary's College

The Saint Mary's campus in Notre Dame offers a Master of Science in Data Science that is primarily completed online. All courses in the curriculum are available away from campus, but there is a short residency each year. 36 credits are required to complete the program -- 30 of them will be on coursework, three are reserved for the practicum, and the remainder are for more practicum experience or electives. Example courses offered are Applied Statistics, Database Systems, Professional and Technical Writing, Data Mining, and Research Methods.

Courses will have either live meetings or self-paced coursework, and how the lectures are distributed are completely up to the instructor, either with video conferencing technology or recorded videos. It is recommended for students to have a Windows or Mac-based computer with a webcam and microphone when required. This program requires students to have a Bachelor's degree or work experience in the data science field.

Scholarship Opportunities within Indiana

At Saint Mary's College, the Lilly Endowment Scholarship is given to graduate students enrolled in a Master of Science in Data Science with high academic achievement. This only qualifies to those who are a resident of the state of Indiana or have completed an undergraduate program at an Indiana university.

For those looking into a full-time MBA program at the Kelley School of Business in Bloomington, there is merit-based scholarship given to those that have high academic performance, GMAT scores, and professional experience. This award can be anywhere from $10,000 to full tuition. An additional fellowship in the school has awards that range from $7,500 to $30,00 each academic year.

Data Science Careers in Indiana

Indiana sits at 21st nationally for employment in the tech industry with well over 184,000 workers according to CompTIA.

Nearly half of this comes from the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metro area and continues to grow at a steady pace. Jobs in IT services have seen a 3.2 percent year-over-year growth, but manufacturing has seen a 1.8 percent drop.

Average salary in the state is at $64,850, which is on par with neighboring Kentucky, but on the lower end when compared to most of the Midwest.

Data Science Events, Meetups, and Conferences in Indiana

Indy Big Data Conference

Indy Big Data Conference Website
Since 2014, this conference in Indianapolis covers the latest innovation in the data science field and how this can help any organization thrive. Different tracks attendees can observe are Advanced Technologies, Trust, the Internet of Things and Automation, and Infrastructure. Prior sponsors of the conference include Experian, Merrill Bank, and Geico.

Data Science Indy

Over 1,000 members are a part of this Indianapolis-based data science group that teaches and exchanges ideas and information on big data and analytics. They have had a steady monthly meetup in recent years with most of them happening on the second Wednesday of each month.