Work closely with faculty
The Rice MDS cohort is small by design, so the faculty who teach your courses know your work and can guide your capstone and your next career move.
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Why Rice for your MDS?
Rice's Master of Data Science prepares you to lead where data and AI are headed. Spend three consecutive semesters of intensive, on-campus study in Houston. Work with faculty on real industry problems, from raw data to actionable insights for teams and executives.
Make the data make sense
Specializations are taught by departments and schools across Rice, so you can apply data science to business, energy, imaging or sports and learn to explain what the data means to the people who act on it.
Put data to work in Houston
Few cities give a data scientist as many places to start. Houston brings together energy, health care, aerospace, space exploration, and a growing tech and startup community, with the beautiful Rice campus right at the center.
Where can a Master of Data Science take you?
The Rice MDS prepares graduates for leadership roles in data science across industries. The majority of students secure paid internships during the program, and many leverage their capstone work into full-time roles.
Career paths:
- Data science
- Business analytics
- Sports analytics
- Energy and sustainability analytics
- Image processing
Recent internship employers
JPMorgan Memorial Hermann AWS Chevron
Capstone project partners
NASA Texas Children's Hospital Baylor College of Medicine AWS Chevron Houston Fire Department
Program Overview
Choose one of five specialization tracks and work directly with faculty on active research that matters to your career.
Artificial Intelligence
Master the algorithms, training and deployment of AI systems that power modern applications.
Business Analytics
Develop skills in data-driven decision-making and statistical modeling for leadership and strategy.
Energy Transition and Sustainability
Apply data science to energy systems, climate challenges and sustainable business transformation.
Image Processing (on-campus only)
Study computational techniques for analyzing, processing and interpreting visual data across industries.
Sports Analytics (on-campus only)
Leverage data science to drive team performance, player development and competitive advantage in sports.
The Rice Master of Data Science is a 31-semester-hour, non-thesis degree that takes three consecutive semesters to complete.
The curriculum combines graduate-level statistics and computer science with advanced coursework in your specialization area. Your final semester culminates in the D2K (Data to Knowledge) capstone, working with a real industry partner on an actual business problem.
COMP 543
Graduate Tools and Models for Data Science
Big data foundations and practical tools for working with large datasets.
COMP 549
Applied Machine Learning and Data Science Projects [Capstone]
Capstone course working with real industry partners on actual business problems.
COMP 557
Artificial Intelligence
Foundations of AI techniques and applications across domains.
Program Details
- Degree
- Master of Data Science
- Format
- On campus in Houston
- Degree type
- Non-thesis
- Program length
- Typically three semesters (fall, spring, second fall)
- Enrollment
- Full-time
- Admission Intake
- One per year (fall admission only)
What are the admission requirements for the Rice MDS?
Applicants should prepare:
- Undergraduate transcripts
- 3.0+ GPA
- CV or resume
- Statement of purpose
- Three letters of recommendation
- $85 application fee
- GRE recommended, but not required
Tuition and Financial Aid
Merit-based scholarships are available from the university to top applicants, who are automatically considered for them upon application submission. Additionally, students may explore outside loans and other financial resources through the Rice Office of Financial Aid.
Explore Tuition & Financial ResourcesThe Rice MDS is a non-thesis master's degree. The D2K capstone project, in which you work with a real industry partner on an actual business problem, serves as your degree capstone experience.
Three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, second fall) is the typical timeline. If pursuing an external internship, these are typically taken during the summer between semesters.
Rice offers five MDS specialization tracks: Artificial Intelligence, Business Analytics, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Image Processing (on-campus only) and Sports Analytics (on-campus only).
The Image Processing, Energy Transition and Sustainability and Sports Analytics specializations are only offered in the on-campus program.
The D2K (Data to Knowledge) capstone takes place in your final semester. You'll work with a real industry partner on an actual business problem, building a portfolio piece that demonstrates impact.
No. The Professional Development requirement can be met through an internship, a relevant course or existing post-baccalaureate work experience.
Yes. Applicants apply to and are explicitly admitted into either the online or the on-campus program, not both.
Review the application requirements and deadlines for the Rice MDS through the Rice graduate application process.
The department offers four additional non-thesis master's programs:
The following deadlines apply to the On-Campus MDS program.
Fall 2027
February 10, 2027: Early application deadline for scholarship consideration.
July 1, 2027: Domestic application deadline.
Applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Notification Dates
You can expect to hear about an admission decision within 2–4 weeks of the final application deadline.
Fall 2027
Late March / Early April
Decisions begin rolling out in March.
For more detailed information about admissions, please visit Graduate Program Admissions.
Ready to take the next step?
Start your application today, and discover how an advanced computer science education can prepare you for what's next.
Questions? Register for an information session.
Request more information, or contact us at mds@rice.edu.