Master of Data Science

You will build your skills in data science, including data mining; data warehousing and database management; extraction, transformation and loading (etl); machine learning and artificial intelligence (ai); statistical modelling, scripting and data visualization. 

A diverse and comprehensive Master of Data Science (MDS) degree

• Canada invests billions of dollars each year in data science, one of North America's top 15 digital jobs. The need for qualified, well-trained data science professionals spans virtually every industry. The Master of Data Science (MDS) prepares you for a career making data something that can Improve Life by providing a diverse and comprehensive understanding of core data science skills with an ethical lens.
• CEPS Dean’s Graduate Excellence Entrance Scholarships (DGEES) are available to CEPS’s course-based students for the 2025-26 academic year who meet the entry requirements for the program and a minimum 70% admission average. For MDS, up to $5,000 is available for international and domestic students.

If awarded, a DGEES will be included in your offer of admission, and it will be applied to your account in the first semester. 

• Unique data focus- Our unique emphasis on spatial-temporal data differs from other programs and supports analysis of industry data over time and across geographic regions.
• Embedded ethical practice- An ethics-first approach will allow you to apply data science practice through an ethical lens, providing a competitive advantage.
• Vector Institute affiliation- Students become part of the Vector Institute’s community. Benefits include scholarship access, networking and events.

Why a degree in data science?

• The MDS is unlike any other program in Canada. Through hands-on training, flipped classroom design, case studies and peer collaboration, you will analyze diverse datasets and be primed to become computationally-skilled and ethically-minded data analysts. Our focus is to prepare you for direct entry to a successful career in data science that directly targets industry needs.
• Data scientists leverage business knowledge, statistical and modelling techniques, predictive analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), and common programming languages to uncover patterns in complex data. Using data visualization to present results from these analyses, data scientists support decision-makers with the information to solve business problems.

Here are just a few careers our alumni pursue:

• Data Scientist
• Data Engineer
• Business Intelligence Developer
• Data and Reporting Analyst
• Machine Learning Researcher
• Software Engineer
• Statistician

Degree Details

• The MDS is a full-time, in-person, course-based interdisciplinary program offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics that can be completed in 12 to 16 months. You will complete six core data science courses, and two elective courses. In addition, you may complete a research- or industry-led project placement in your final semester.

Hands-on Learning

• Apply your learning to a real-world setting with the optional one-semester elective course, DATA*6700 Data Science Project. Your research or industry-led project can address any part of the data life cycle, from data acquisition to complex analytics, and provide invaluable hands-on experience and networking opportunities while being supervised by an MDS-affiliated faculty member.

Students We Attract

• The need for qualified, well-trained data science professionals spans virtually every industry. Our students are top domestic and international students from undergraduate programs that include: Biostatistics; Business; Computer Sciences; Computer, Electrical, Electronic, Environmental, Information Technology, Software, and Systems Engineering; Finance; Mathematics and Statistics; and Physics.

What you will learn - course outline

• DATA 6100 [0.50] Introduction to Data Science
• DATA 6200 [0.50] Data Manipulation and Visualization
• DATA 6300 [0.50] Analysis of Big Data
• DATA 6400 [0.50] Machine Learning for Sequential Data Processing
• DATA 6500 [0.50] Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Data (capstone)
• DATA 6600 [0.50] Applications of Data Science (capstone)*
• DATA 6700 [1.0] Data Science Project