Data Science Degree Programs in Missouri
Missouri’s affordability, higher education opportunities, and location make it a hot spot for data science jobs. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce ranked the state among the 10 states with the greatest potential for technology job growth in its Technology 2030 Report. This hopeful view of Missouri’s technology sector stems in part from world-class education opportunities at the University of Missouri and other universities. The expansion of data science opportunities in the Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas also make Missouri an attractive place for a new career.
Your search for a data science job may not immediately lead to the Show Me State. Missouri is home to 10 companies on the Fortune 500 along with nationally known sports teams like the St. Louis Cardinals. Fortune 500 companies like Edward Jones, Monsanto, and Panera Bread employ data professionals to stay competitive. Major national brands including Enterprise and Hallmark also create jobs throughout the state. With this background in hand, you can dig deeper into what it is like to be a data scientist in Missouri.
Career Outlook for Data Scientists in Missouri
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) paint a mixed picture for anyone interested in a data science career in Missouri. The bureau’s location quotient places Missouri at 0.43 compared to a national average of 1.0. This quotient means that Missouri’s job market has fewer data science jobs as a portion of all jobs compared to the national job market. In short, your search for a new job in Missouri may require more patience than in other states.
The average salary for a data scientist in Missouri is $99,010 compared to a national average of $119,570. This salary level places a data professional in the same range as a biology teacher ($100,660), a construction manager ($99,180), and a computer network architect ($97,120). The good news for an aspiring data professional in Missouri is that the state is known for its affordability.
The cost of living in Missouri is rated 92.5 compared to a national baseline of 100. While the state’s healthcare costs are higher than the national average, the state is a great place to buy a home due to reasonable housing prices. The median cost for a Missouri home is $150,500 compared to the national median cost of $216,200. Renters also benefit from affordable prices with a typical one-bedroom apartment available for $650 per month, while the national average for a one-bedroom apartment is $930.
Despite the cloudy forecast of the BLS, there were plenty of data science jobs in Missouri in March 2019. LinkedIn listed data science positions with major employers like Boeing, Monsanto, and U.S. Bank. Job seekers visiting Indeed found 578 available positions for data scientists in Missouri including jobs with Enterprise and IBM. Glassdoor compiled 465 data science jobs in the state at employers like 1904labs and Wells Fargo.
On-Campus Undergraduate Data Science Programs in Missouri
Your first step toward a data science career in Missouri is to build up your skills. New entrants into the profession typically need undergraduate degrees to demonstrate their expertise. Northwest Missouri State University’s B.S. in data science is an example of the undergraduate programs available in the state.
Northwest Missouri State University B.S. in Data Science
Northwest Missouri State University appeals to aspiring data scientists with a four-year program that allows students to choose their concentrations. You can select business, computer science, geographic information systems, or molecular biology when you choose data science as your major. Each concentration introduces specific classes into a student’s course schedule starting in the second year.
You can use the business concentration as an example of the rigorous data science curriculum at Northwest Missouri State University. A freshman majoring in data science starts with courses in information technology and computer programming. In the second year, the business curriculum balances math courses with data mining and economics classes. Your third year in the program adds business ethics, marketing, and management courses into the mix. Seniors on the data science track prepare for the workplace with international business, data mining, and finance courses.
Northwest Missouri State University considers high school GPA, test scores, and class rank when making admissions decisions. In general, you have a good chance at studying at the university if you have at least a 2.0 GPA and an ACT of 21 or SAT of 1060. An undergraduate student who attended during the 2018-2019 school year paid $9,805 in in-state tuition or $16,106 in out-of-state tuition. The university offers a variety of scholarship options to reduce the financial burden on undergraduate students. For example, the President’s Scholarship rewards students with high GPAs and test scores with $8,000 in scholarship funds.
On-Campus Graduate Data Science Programs in Missouri
A graduate data science degree or certificate can help you level up your career. A recent graduate with a B.S. in data science may decide to pursue a master’s degree to strengthen their resume. Current professionals also use graduate degrees to raise their career ceilings. Programs from the University of Central Missouri and the University of Missouri help students achieve these goals.
University of Central Missouri M.S. in Big Data Analytics and Information Technology
The University of Central Missouri’s Computer Information Systems and Analytics department touts the successes of its graduates and decades of course development. The department’s M.S. in Big Data Analytics and Information Technology draws on these assets to help you achieve success in the field. During the 2018-2019 school year, the M.S. program featured a student to teacher ratio of 19:1 that allows professors to ensure student success. The department offers the Chelsoft Solutions Co. Scholarship to promising graduate students each year to reduce tuition costs.
To gain admission to this program, you need a GPA of at least 2.5 in your undergraduate degree. The university requires a GRE score of at least 290 or GMAT of at least 500 unless you have IT work experience or a high GPA in a similar undergraduate program. Graduate applicants also need to demonstrate completion of coursework in business statistics, data communications, and programming. Your undergraduate coursework may be used to satisfy some or all of these requirements during the application process.
Your 30-credit journey to a master’s degree at the University of Central Missouri starts with five core courses. These courses anticipate the challenges of a data science career by teaching project management, information systems law, and application development. You choose four courses in concentrations like data architecture, resource management, and business intelligence to focus your studies. The program also allows each student to swap out an elective for an internship or self-guided readings to complete the degree. This flexibility provides you the room to make the most out of your graduate experience.
On-Campus Data Science Ph.D. Programs in Missouri
There are no Ph.D. programs specific to data science in Missouri. You can learn about data science Ph.D. programs throughout the country by clicking here.
On-Campus Graduate Certificate Programs in Missouri
Data scientists and business professionals in the Springfield area can expand their skill sets at Missouri State University. The school’s graduate certificate in data science is a four-class program ideal for professionals who need to know more about data mining and analysis. The four required courses deal with applied statistics, data mining, data analytics, and evolutionary computing. To receive the graduate certificate, you need to complete all four courses with a combined GPA of at least 3.0.
The Department of Computer Science requires applicants to hold undergraduate degrees with at least 2.75 GPAs. Each program participant also has to demonstrate completion of at least one course similar to the school’s data structures class. This one-year certificate cost $4,198 of in-state tuition and $7,582 of out-of-state tuition during the 2018-2019 school year. With this certificate in hand, you can show employers that you are keeping up with changes in this dynamic profession.
Online Data Science Degree Programs in Missouri
Your busy schedule may not allow you to sit in classrooms and complete projects in a traditional data science program. The University of Missouri is among several programs in the state that offer online degree programs for data professionals. The M.S. in Data Science & Analytics is a 34-credit online program with coursework completed using online lectures and collaborative platforms. You can complete this degree in two years and only need to visit campus one week each year.
The university splits its online data science program into 19 credits of core courses, nine credits of concentration courses, and six credits of case study and capstone work. You are able to maximize the value of this program by selecting one of five concentration areas. These areas include biotechnology, data journalism, geospatial data, high-performance computing, and human-centered design for data. After completion of the program, you can demonstrate your skills in a selected concentration during job interviews.
You can expect to pay about $17,000 per year in tuition if you pursue this online degree option. The admissions process is streamlined to accommodate students with a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. The University of Missouri requires each applicant to have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 and an undergraduate degree in hand to participate in the program. Students do not need to have degrees in data science fields nor do they need to submit GRE results.