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School of Data Science Welcomes New Class of Master’s Students
Sixty-eight students recently began an 11-month journey toward a master’s degree in data science, convening for orientation at the new home of the first-in-the-nation school dedicated to the field.
Over two days in June at the new School of Data Science building, students were given a crash course on their curriculum, learned about the many resources available to ensure their success, heard from faculty and staff, and toured the new facility.
In a school where fostering collaboration is a founding principle, students also had the chance to get to know one another and form relationships that have long been a central component of the residential master’s program experience.
In a video message to students, Dean Phil Bourne emphasized the mission of the School of Data Science, one that the new class would now be charged with advancing.
"We have a set of guiding principles here for the School, and you'll leave here, hopefully, with them firmly embedded," he said, citing transparency and openness as integral to the School's mission.
The master’s degree orientation marked the first student event held at the School of Data Science’s new building, which is located at the east entrance of Charlottesville’s Emmet-Ivy Corridor. A grand opening celebration for the facility was held in April, and faculty and staff moved in following the end of the academic year.
In the residential master's program, students complete 12 classes amounting to 32 credit hours in just under a year.
"In the span of 11 months, they will learn cutting-edge tools in AI and analytics, computer systems, and design while thinking critically about how their endeavors as data scientists would impact our community, our society, and our world," said Prince Afriyie, an associate professor of data science and residential program director.
Students also work in groups with a faculty mentor to complete a capstone project that tackles a real-world data challenge. Over the course of two semesters, the groups partner with an outside sponsor and then present their analysis at an event shortly before graduation.
The class of 2025 hails from 15 different U.S. states and territories and five different countries. Illustrating the breadth of the data science field, the new class includes students with bachelor’s degrees in 37 different majors.
"This cohort is especially diverse," said Afriyie. "They come from all over the world and all over the United States, and they come from all disciplines. This is what makes our program so rich, because regardless of their backgrounds, they all get to collaborate in data science and share ideas from diverse viewpoints."
The data science master’s program was established in 2014, then under the auspices of the Data Science Institute, which transformed into the first data science school in the country in 2019.
Next year’s graduation will mark 10 years since the inaugural class of UVA data science master’s students received their degrees.
