North Carolina Data Science Degree Programs

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There are over 10 different data science programs in North Carolina, with the most popular degree being the Masters in Data Science degree.

Data science programs are available in a wide range of locations, from traditional college towns like Chapel Hill to large cities such as Charlotte. State universities and private universities offer multiple degrees.

All degree levels are available at North Carolina universities. For a Bachelors degree, you may have to veer towards a related degree program such as a Bachelor of Information Technology or Bachelors in Computer Science. In addition, there are data science certificate programs available for those starting out in data science.

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Are there online data science programs in North Carolina?

Yes. Here is the list of some of the best online data science degree programs in North Carolina that we have found so far.

University Program Location

East Carolina University

Online MS in Data Science Online

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Online Master of Applied Data Science Online

Full List of the Best North Carolina Data Science Degrees

Here is the list of some of the best data science programs online and at campuses in North Carolina..

University Program Location

Appalachian State University Walker College of Business

M.S. in Applied Data Analytics
Boone
Analytical specializations include health care, marketing, supply chain, and sustainability. Students use various tools and data sources to provide evidence-based solutions. Offers general business knowledge and leadership skills at the executive and managerial levels.

Duke University Information Initiative at Duke and the Social Science Research Institute

Master in Interdisciplinary Data Science
Durham
Capability to customize analytical and technical skills in big data toward certain industries. Opportunities include government, history, health care, political science, and more. Advocates for critical thinking skills when analyzing comprehensive or incomplete data sets. Strong communication skills when partnering or reporting on various topics.

Duke University Fuqua School of Business

Master of Quantitative Management
Durham
Four tracks to choose from include the categories of finance, forensics, and marketing. Also focuses on identifying trends and patters with quantitative statistics.

East Carolina University College of Engineering & Technology

Online MS in Data Science
Greenville
Incoming students should have background in data structures, probability, statistics, and computer programming. This program is available in an online and on-campus format. 3.0 GPA or higher needed for graduation within a five-year time limit.

Elon University Computing Sciences

Bachelors in Information Science
Elon
Data Science minor requires two levels of foundational computer science topics. Also explores data visualization, database systems, and machine learning. Discover latest innovations used in the analytical process for data storage and management.

NC State University Institute for Advanced Analytics

Master of Science in Analytics
Raleigh
One of the first general analytics program offered in the country. Degree offers customization for students to fit into any industry or field. Specific concepts offered instead of traditional core courses and elective options. Topics include analytical methods and software tools used.

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Information and Libra

Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics
Chapel Hill
6 of 12 total credit hours needed must be topics related to Public Health Informatics. These courses emphasize database and information management within public health data.

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Online Master of Applied Data Science
Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina - Charlotte Computing and Informatics

Doctorate: Computing and Information Systems
Charlotte
Concentrations available to pursue the PhD include Bioinformatics, and Software and Information Systems. Can also consider the comprehensive Business Information Systems and Operations Management concentration. An interdisciplinary option can blend or customize various fields. Must have at least a Bachelor's degree in computer science or computer engineering.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Graduate Certificate in Data Science and Business Analytics
Charlotte
Requires an overview of big data analytics, design, and business intelligence topics. Electives may include machine learning, consumer analytics, and decision modeling. Some of the courses are available online, but geared for on-campus education. Option for part-time or full-time enrollment with up to four years to complete the program.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte College of Computing and Informatics, College of Health and Human Serv

Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics
Charlotte
15 credit hours needed to complete this graduate certification. Offers foundational topics in understanding the US health care system and health informatics. Other subjects explored in this program include programming, database management, and data analysis.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte Belk College of Business

M.S. in Data Science and Business Analytics
Charlotte
Eight required courses featuring advanced topics in machine learning and business intelligence. Internship gives individuals opportunity to apply what they have learned in their academics. Nine total credit hours needed for electives. At least one course must be in both categories of data science and business analytics.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte Department of Mathematics and Statistics

M.S. in Mathematics with Concentration in Applied Statistics
Charlotte
21 total credit hours needed in the program. Statistical theory, along with linear and multivariate analysis, are core subjects. Remaining nine credit hours are for electives approved by the program. Example courses include Probability Theory, Numerical Linear Algebra, and a Research Seminar.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Professional Science Master's (PSM) in Data Science and Business Analytics
Charlotte
Required practicum or internship session, which differs from the traditional program. Designated by the Professional Science Master's organization. Hundreds of programs have received this designation at over 150 institutions.

University of North Carolina - Greensboro UNCG Bryan School of Business and Economics

Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics
Greensboro
Required courses include Principles of Predictive Analytics and Visualizing Data to Design Strategy. Also requires an elective topic picked by the student. Admission requirements include submitting official transcripts, updated resume, and three letters of recommendation. Statement of purpose details professional goals.

University of North Carolina - Greensboro Graduate School

M.S. in Informatics and Analytics
Greensboro
Concentrations available in this program include Computational Analytics, Bioinformatics, and Cultural Analytics. Program culminates with capstone project solving organizational issues with data science methods.

University of North Carolina - Wilmington College of Arts and Sciences

M.S. in Data Science
Wilmington
36 total credit hours for this program ends in three semesters with two eight-week terms each. Course topics students explore in the degree are linear methods and machine learning. Practicum sessions to apply technical and analytical skills.

Wake Forest University School of Business

M.S. in Business Analytics
Winston-Salem
37 total credit hours complete the analytical program across three terms. Begins with foundational coursework in systems and statistics in the summer semester. Optional concentration in consulting to use big data analytics in many different industries.
Notice a missing or inaccurate program? Our data is hand-collected and edited. If you notice a missing data science program, please email schools at datascienceprograms.org to enter a program to be reviewed or to adjust a current listing.

Review of Online Data Science Programs in North Carolina

East Carolina University MS in Data Science

The College of Engineering and Technology offers a Master of Science in Data Science that can be completed either online or on campus at Greenville. In order to get into the program, there are six types of courses that needed to be completed in undergrad study: high-level programming (like Python or Java), algorithms, discrete structures, integral and differential calculus, probability and statistics, and linear algebra. There are two courses that can satisfy this requirement (Programming and Data Structures Foundations, Discrete Structures and Algorithmic Foundations) and at least a B grade is needed to be admitted into the program.

There are four separate dates that students can enter for easy flexibility to start the degree. The curriculum requires 30 hours of coursework (or 38 with the additional two courses), including a practicum involving the completion of a real-world situation by a sponsored organization. There are nine core courses and there is one elective to choose: Design and Analysis of Algorithms, Data Mining, Digital Image Analysis and Understanding, Software Project Management, Software Architecture and Design, Software Construction, and Cloud Computing.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Masters in Business Analytics

Offered by the Kenan-Flagler Business School, students can obtain an online Master of Business Analytics. 62 credit hours are needed to complete the degree and it can be finished between 18 to 36 months depending on enrollment time. Specializations to consider are Data Analytics and Decision Making, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, and Strategy and Consulting. The full curriculum is similar to the on-campus option and coursework is mostly completed online, but students will have to attend at least two global summits.

These events are held once per quarter and take place on campus, in large cities, or internationally. Example locations outside of campus include Lima, Peru; Helsinki, Finland; and Warsaw, Poland. Graduates completing the MBA agree have seen a 24 percent average salary increase. Of the over 37,000 that have graduated from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, nearly 1,350 have reached C-suite employment, and nearly 500 have become CEOs.

North Carolina State University MS in Analytics

A Master of Science in Analytics through the Institute for Advanced Analytics was one of the first programs in the country geared toward data science. The curriculum is unique in the fact that there is no separate core and elective courses to choose from. Instead, it is a large 10-month interactive course where students team up and receive independent coaching from faculty. The practicum is an eight-month program that showcases what the student has learned with a presentation to sponsors at the end. An online option for students is pursuing a Master's or graduate certificate in geospatial information science.

Scholarship Opportunities within North Carolina

  • The Thomas M. Carsey Scholarship offered at UNC-Chapel Hill is open to graduate students that are in the data science field. They will pay those who opt into a real-world data project with a commitment to 20 hours of research per week.
  • The Fischer Family Fund Fellowship at UNC-Charlotte is a $2,000 award for those pursuing a Master's degree for Data Science and Business Analytics. Students must maintain a high academic GPA and be a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • For those enrolled in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University, their general scholarships helps cover tuition and other related expenses for those going for a Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics.
  • An added perk of being admitted into the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at Wake Forest University is being automatically eligible for an endowed scholarship award. These various scholarships varies in award based on the donors recognized.

Data Science Events, Meetups, and Conferences in North Carolina

Data Science North Carolina Conference

Data Science North Carolina Conference Data Science North Carolina Conference Website
The two-day event in Raleigh holds speaker presentations from many high-level data science professionals and various specialty area workshops: Data Visualization with R, Python for Data Science, Deep Learning, Text Analytics and NLP, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, and Executive Data Science that focuses on statistics, implementation, and ethical implication. Workshops took place at North Carolina State during the 2019 event.

Speaker presentations take place the following day, and Raleigh Union Station hosted the prior event. Guest speakers have represented companies such as The Walt Disney Company, Cisco, Fidelity Investments, SAS, Microsoft, and more. Culminating the event is a two-hour job fair for a perfect networking opportunity.

Research Triangle Analysts

Research Triangle Analysts Research Triangle Analysts Website
Nearly 2,500 members are a part of this emerging group in Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, that features meetups at least once per month, generally the third Tuesday, and a lunch on the first Wednesday. The goal is to provide lessons on how to better implement data science to improve the community regardless of what software the person uses. Most meetings are free to join in.

Data Science Careers in North Carolina

North Carolina is the 13th-most populated state in terms of employment in the tech sector with just over 354,000 workers. However, it is the fourth-fastest growing state in the nation according to CompTIA, and they host a couple of the booming metro areas like Raleigh (roughly 90,700 employees) and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia that stretches into South Carolina (over 101,000 employees). The national salary average is just over $79,000, which is only bested by Georgia in the Southeast.

Unlike many states, cybersecurity occupations have a high rate of employment in the state, and both IT services and engineering have seen around a 5 percent year-over-year growth. The impact of these tech jobs in the state have generated $46 billion, which is 9.3 percent of North Carolina’s economy. Statisticians and operations analysts are two of the top growing job positions with over a 140 percent growth rate.