TRU announces new master of data science program

Photo: TRU

Dr. Roger Yu, professor of mathematics and statistics and director of the Centre for Optimization and Data Science.

A new program is launching at Thompson Rivers University this fall: a master's in data science.

According to a news release, it'll be a two-year program that'll allow students to dig deep into interdisciplinary solutions, using mathematical, computational, statistical and algorithmic techniques to solve complex data problems.

Tom Dickson, faculty of science dean, says students will do a project or thesis that uses data to solve a problem faced by a business or industry.

The deadline to apply is May 1. 

"The demand for this (specialization) is going up 30 percent a year in the past few years," says Roger Yu, professor of mathematics and statistics and the director of the Centre for Optimization and Data Science, in the release. "Data is an ingredient or resource for this information age. Everything relies on data."

Everything, including fighting pandemics, notes the release. During these events, data scientists are needed to analyze health information on a global scale in order to produce accurate forecasts.

Interested students must have a foundation in math, statistics and computing science.

To learn more, click here.