Information and Data Science

The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is a premier, online, part-time professional degree program designed to train the next generation of data science leaders. Ranked as the #1 data science program in the nation, MIDS combines UC Berkeley’s world-class academic rigor with the flexibility of a digital campus. The program is specifically crafted for professionals who want to derive deep insights from real-world data, utilizing the latest computational tools and analytical methods to solve complex, high-stakes problems across industries. 

Students attend weekly live ("synchronous") sessions with classmates and instructors via an online platform as well as engaging with online ("asynchronous") videos and assignments on their own time.

The core curriculum combines deep technical training in computer programming, statistics, data engineering, and machine learning with research design, ethics of data privacy, and leadership.  Students may select from a wide variety of elective courses, covering topics such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), LLMs, natural language processing (NLP), business strategy, and statistical forecasting. MIDS features a project-based approach to learning and encourages the pragmatic application of a variety of different tools and methods to solve complex problems.

Graduates of the program will be able to:

• Imagine new and valuable uses for large datasets;

• Retrieve, organize, combine, clean, and store data from multiple sources;

• Apply appropriate data mining, statistical analysis, and machine learning techniques to detect patterns and make predictions;

• Design visualizations and effectively communicate findings; and

• Understand the ethical and legal requirements of data privacy and security.
  

The I School also offers a master's in Information Management and Systems (MIMS), a master's in Information and Cybersecurity (MICS), and a doctoral degree Ph.D in Information Science.