Editor's Note: This story first appeared in The Daily Texan's February 26 print edition.

UT’s Department of Statistics and Data Science started the first semester of a virtual master’s program for data sciences this spring. 

The Master of Science in Data Science provides foundational knowledge in statistics, computer science and modern data science tools, said Kate Calder, chair of the Department of Statistics and Data Science. The degree program is taught entirely online with no on-campus components. Approximately 300 students are currently enrolled, Calder said. 

The program offers 10 classes at $1,000 per class, according to the program website. The degree is available to international students, who don’t need to apply for a visa because the program is fully online, according to the website.

“Our goal was to offer affordable and accessible training in this high-demand field to students from across the state of Texas and around the world,” Calder said.

The statistics department developed the program with the Department of Computer Science to be entirely virtual even after UT resumes in-person classes, Calder said. 

Applications for the fall semester are open until May 1 with a priority deadline of April 1, according to the website.

Program applicant Brianna Swan said she works as a contract negotiator and hopes to earn a degree through the program to help her take on a more technical role. Swan said she appreciates that the program can be completed anywhere in the world. 

“It just seemed really awesome that it's 10 courses, you do it online and you could do it full-time,” Swan said.

Mathematics professor Peter Müller said the online teaching experience for the program works well. Müller said he does not have to accommodate social distancing requirements or hybrid instruction methods. 

“It's almost easier now to teach online than in the classroom,” said Müller, who co-teaches Probability and Inference, the first course developed specifically for the program. 

Mary Parker, associate professor of instruction in statistics and the course’s other co-teacher, said the class is designed to instruct up to 1,000 students.  

Calder said the department is looking to develop more electives for the program’s future semesters to allow students to customize the degree to their interests. Calder said she looks to build an academic community alongside the online experience.

“We’re developing opportunities for students to connect with each other and build their professional network through interactions with their peers,” Calder said.