Name: Master's
Price: 52126 USD

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QS Rank:

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver

British Columbia

Canada

Program Rank

Overview

UBC’s Vancouver campus Master of Data Science program covers all stages of the value chain, with an emphasis on the skills required to apply meaning to data. Over 10 months, you will learn how to extract data for use in experiments, how to apply state-of-the-art techniques in data analysis, and how to present your findings effectively to domain experts.

Program Benefits

Highlights Across All MDS Programs:

10-month, full-time, accelerated program offers a short-term commitment for long-term gain
Condensed one-credit courses allow for in-depth focus on a limited set of topics at one time
Capstone project gives students an opportunity to apply their skills
Real-world data sets are integrated in all courses to provide practical experience across a range of domains

Highlights Specific To Vancouver Campus Option:

Curriculum designed by combined computer science and statistics experts with input from local industry
A coordinated approach blending computer science and statistics education in order to give students a broader skill set
Courses are taught by a core team of faculty dedicated to teaching MDS full-time and providing support to students during the program.
A cosmopolitan city, sprawling campus, and a cohort of up to 100 students, offer an engaging, culturally enriched university experience
Strong connections with industry partners in public and private sectors, start-ups, and leading tech companies offer a wide range of networking/career opportunities

Curriculum

The program structure includes 24 one-credit courses offered in four-week segments. Courses are lab-oriented and delivered in-person with some blended online content.

At the end of the six segments, an eight-week, six-credit capstone project is also included, allowing students to apply their newly acquired knowledge, while working alongside other students with real-life data sets.

Total Tuition Fees

$52,126

Duration

10 Months

Median Salary

$1,01,352

Ranking

#46

QS World University Rankings

Intake

Fall ( Sept - Nov )

Class Profile

Class Size

200

Average Age

Average Work Experience

2 Years

Language Test Scores

Minimum Score

100 / 120

Minimum Score

7 / 9

Minimum Score

65 / 90

Rentention Rate

Diversity

Others:

Ontario:

10%

Others:

20%

British Columbia:

45%

Alberta:

12%

Quebec:

Admissions

Application Deadlines

Fall

Round	Deadline	Decision
Standard Deadline	Jan 31	NA

Eligibility Criteria

All UBC Master of Data Science (MDS) applicants must meet the same rigorous admission standards.

As an international applicant, you can apply online through the same admissions process as Canadian residents or Permanent Residents of Canada. However, there are a few additional requirements that you must meet and documents you must provide.

If you are an international applicant you must obtain a study permit in time for a September start. As there are no deferred admissions for the program, you should consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website on study permit processing times prior to applying for the program. Please note that application fees are not refundable.Language Requirements

If your last (undergraduate or graduate) degree is from a university where a language other than English was the official language of instruction, you must have taken and met the minimum required scores in one of the following English language proficiency exams within the past 24 months.

Score Submission

TOEFL

TOEFL scores must be issued to UBC directly from the Educational Testing Centre.
Please ensure that you include the following on your TOEFL sheet:
use the University of British Columbia's institution code (Vancouver and Okanagan campuses): 0965
give the reason for taking TOEFL "to enter a college or university as a graduate student"
UBC accepts either an official paper score report sent directly to the university from the testing centre or an electronic submission.

IELTS

UBC requires an official score to be sent to us directly from the test centre.
On the IELTS application form you will be asked to specify institutions where you would like the results sent to. To ensure UBC receives your results correctly, you have to use the following details on the application:

Additional Documentation Requirements

As an international student, you will need:

A valid passport. Please make sure that your passport is valid for the entire length of your studies in Canada. If your passport expires while you're in Canada, all of your immigration documents, your health care coverage and your Social Insurance Number will expire at the same time.
A study permit: You require a study permit for the duration of the year-long program. Student permits can take up to four months to process, so it’s essential to apply as soon as you accept your UBC offer.
A temporary resident visa (TRV), depending on your country of origin. For example, you will require a TRV if you are a citizen of China or India. Please visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada website to see if you require a TRV.
Documentation for your family if they are coming to Canada with you.

Application Requirements

What Really Matters When Applying

Passport
Required
TOEFL
Required
IELTS
Required
PTE
Required
Transcript
Required
Degree Certificate
Required
Personal History Statement
Required
Resume
Required
Academic LOR
Required
Academic LOR
Required
Professional LOR
Required
Application Fee
168

Career Outcomes

Median Earnings After Graduation

$1,01,352 / year

Graduation Rate

62%

Job Placement

88%

Prospective Job Roles

Product Manager

Data Engineer

Advertising Manager

Database Administrator

Data Scientist

Business Analyst

Operations Manager

Project Manager

Data Architect

Marketing Manager

Data analyst

Business Intelligence Analyst

Top recruiters

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

$52,126 / year

Overall Cost

$70,466 / year

Funding Options

Department Funding

Scholarships

As soon as you receive an offer of admission to UBC, you’ll automatically be considered for these merit-based awards. Consideration is based on your demonstrated academic achievement and your extracurricular involvement.

International Major Entrance Scholarship

International Major Entrance Scholarships (IMES) are awarded to exceptional international students entering undergraduate programs at UBC. Students receive their IMES when they enter their first year at UBC, and the scholarships are renewable for up to three additional years of study. The number and level of these scholarships awarded each year vary, depending on available funding.

For the 2024/2025 academic year, IMES awards will be valued at $10,000 – $20,000/year.

Eligibility

To be considered for the IMES, you must:

Be new to UBC, entering directly from secondary school.
Be an international student who will be studying at UBC on a Canadian study permit (student visa). (Changes to your citizenship status will affect your IMES eligibility.)
Demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and intellectual promise, as well as impressive extracurricular and community involvement.
Not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars award.

Outstanding International Student Award

The Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award is a one-time, merit-based entrance scholarship awarded to qualified students when they are offered admission to UBC. Students selected for this award show strength academically and display involvement outside of the classroom.

For the 2024/2025 academic year, OIS awards will be valued at $10,000 – $25,000.

Eligibility

To be considered for an OIS Award, you must:

Be new to UBC, entering directly from secondary school or post-secondary (university or college).
Be an international student studying at UBC on a Canadian study permit (student visa). (Changes to your citizenship status will affect your scholarship eligibility.)
Demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and strong extracurricular involvement.
Not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars award.

How to apply?

If you apply to UBC by the admissions deadline, you will automatically be considered for the International Major Entrance Scholarship and the Outstanding International Student Award.

The University of British Columbia

FAQs

The UBC MDS Vancouver and Okanagan campuses as well as the Computational Linguistic program offer the same merit-based entrance scholarships: $25,000 CAD awarded to a Canadian student and an international student. The admissions committee makes the selections based on the strength of students’ applications. No separate applications or documents are required. Learn more. Vancouver Campus only scholarship: Master of Data Science Scholarship for Indigenous Students - Scholarships of up to the full cost of tuition have been made available annually by the Master of Data Science program for outstanding domestic or international students in the Master of Data Science program who identify as Indigenous. The scholarships are made on the recommendation of the Master of Data Science Admissions Committee. Master of Data Science Scholarship for Black or Person of Colour Students - Scholarships of up to the full cost of tuition have been made available annually by the Master of Data Science program for outstanding domestic or international students in the Master of Data Science program who identify as Black or a Person of Colour. The scholarships are made on the recommendation of the Master of Data Science Admissions Committee.
MDS will accept professional references instead of academic references but strongly encourages at least one academic reference. The goal of the reference should be to highlight your skills and suitability for the program. References should be selected based on how they can promote your abilities, not simply based on the reference's position or reputation.
The UBC Master of Data Science program does not require a GRE or any other academic test score for admission
If your undergraduate or graduate degree was not completed at an English-speaking university, proof of English-language proficiency is required as this program requires a significant amount of reading, writing and oral communication. See the International Students page for more information on which English language proficiency exams we accept.
The UBC MDS program is a very competitive program. The Admissions Committee will review and consider all applications as a whole, including the mandatory prerequisites, personal interest statements, transcripts for all current and previous post-secondary study, academic/professional references, resumes and other experiences and English language tests (if applicable)
While work experience is great in supporting your application package, we still require you to have university credit courses for the pre-requisites.
Because the MDS is a cohort-based program, we have only one intake per year in September. All of our courses are developed specifically for the program and build on each other. As such, all students start the program together, take the same courses in the same order and graduate as a cohort.
Offered at the Vancouver campus, the Computational Linguistic program is a degree tailored to those with a passion for language and data. Over 10 months, the program combines foundational data science courses with advanced computational linguistics courses—equipping graduates with the skills to turn language-related data into knowledge and to build AI that can interpret human language.
No, the MDS program is a cohort based program. All our courses are developed specifically for the program and build on each other. As such all students start the program together, take the same courses in the same order and graduate as a cohort.
The programs were both designed by computer science and statistics experts, with input from local industry, to give students the skills they need to succeed in a data science career. The curricula are very similar, with only minor variances in focus. The program at the Okanagan has a stronger emphasis on optimization and statistics, while the program at the Vancouver campus is designed to give students a broader skillset. The more significant differences are related to cohort size and specific industry partners. The Okanagan campus offers an intimate learning environment and tight-knit MDS cohort, which is limited to 60, leaving students with a strong network of peers. Industry partners include numerous organizations and companies within the Okanagan region, which is home to 2,000 tech start-ups, as well as organizations throughout Canada such as Interior Health, ScotiaBank, and Statistics Canada. The Vancouver campus offers an engaging, culturally enriched university experience on a 400-hectare campus, with a diverse cohort of up to 100 students. Its location in Vancouver provides strong connections with a wide variety of industry partners, resulting in diverse networking/career options.
If you receive a conditional offer of admission and wish to accept, you must: submit a non-refundable $3,000 deposit to confirm your acceptance of the admission offer (this deposit will be credited to your first tuition payment); arrange to have your official transcripts sent directly to the appropriate UBC Master of Data Science office; and fulfil any other conditions described in your conditional offer of admission. They will then send you an unconditional letter of acceptance.