Fitchburg State University offers a Master of Science in Computer Science with a Data Science Concentration through its Computer Science Department and the School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education.
The 33-credit degree is offered in the evening on the Fitchburg campus and fully online. It is a computer science master’s with a four-course data science block. Machine Learning for Data Science and Data Mining and Predictive Analytics are required in the concentration, alongside an 18-credit computer science core.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Quick Facts
| Degree | MS in Computer Science, Data Science Concentration |
| School | Computer Science Department, School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education |
| Location | Fitchburg, Massachusetts or Online |
| Format | Campus (evening) or 100% online |
| Credits | 33 |
| Culminating Experience | None required |
| Minimum GPA | 2.8 (general graduate admission standard) |
| GRE | Not required |
| Tuition | $347 per credit including mandatory fees, plus a $58 per credit online program fee |
| Typical Length | As few as two years; six years allowed |
Official Data Science Concentration, Computer Science, MS page
Curriculum
Fitchburg State does not offer a standalone master’s degree in machine learning or data science. Students earn the MS in Computer Science and direct their electives into a concentration. The university lists three concentrations: Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence.
Students in the Data Science Concentration complete 33 graduate credits consisting of:
- 18 credits of core courses
- 12 credits of data science concentration courses
- 3 credits of electives
The course lists below come from the 2025-2026 Graduate Catalog, the most recent catalog published when this page was reviewed.
Core Courses
- CSC 7013 – Advanced Mathematics for Computer Scientists
- CSC 7014 – The Practice of Computer Programming
- CSC 7050 – Theory of Computation
- CSC 7132 – Operating Systems and Networking
- CSC 7400 – Object Oriented Analysis and Design
- CSC 8050 – Design and Analysis of Algorithms
The core is the same for every MS in Computer Science student and contains no machine learning or data science course.
Data Science Concentration Courses
- CSC 7015 – Introduction to Data Science
- CSC 8008 – Data Exploration, Analytics, and Visualization
- CSC 8015 – Data Mining and Predictive Analytics
- CSC 8016 – Machine Learning for Data Science
All four courses are required. CSC 8016 is the only course in the concentration with machine learning in its title.
Electives
Students choose one 3-credit elective with advisor approval. Options in the catalog include:
- CSC 7500 – Database Design
- CSC 8100 – Cloud Computing
- CSC 8007 – Parallel Programming with CUDA
- CSC 8025 – Computer & Network Security
- CSC 7300 – Cybersecurity Management
- CSC 8205 – Advanced Java
- CSC 8901 – Internship
- CSC 9000 – Independent Study
- CSC 9600 – Topics in Computer Science
The catalog elective list also covers networking, operating systems, and computer hardware. It does not include courses in deep learning, natural language processing, or computer vision. With approval, students may count an additional 3 credits of internship, for a maximum of 36 credits.
Artificial Intelligence Concentration
The university’s program page also lists an Artificial Intelligence Concentration made up of four courses:
- CSC 7111 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- CSC 7650 – Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence
- CSC 8016 – Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing (course number not yet published)
This concentration did not yet have a catalog entry when this page was reviewed, so students interested in it should confirm its availability with the department. A dual concentration option lets students complete two of the three concentrations in a minimum of 45 credits.
Cost and Tuition
Fitchburg State is a public university. Graduate courses are billed by the credit, and the university lists the same rate for in-state and out-of-state students.
For fall 2026 through summer 2027, Student Accounts lists these graduate charges:
| Charge | Per Credit |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $195 |
| Educational Service Fee | $123 |
| Capital Projects Fee | $20 |
| Technology Fee | $9 |
| Total tuition and mandatory fees | $347 |
| Online program fee (MS in Computer Science) | $58 |
At 33 credits, tuition and mandatory fees come to about $11,451 at the $347 rate. The university lists the MS in Computer Science among the online programs that carry the $58 per credit online program fee. If that fee applies to every credit, the total is about $13,365.
Some courses carry a lab fee of $25 to $75, and the graduate application fee is $50. Costs are subject to change, so students should confirm current charges and how the online program fee applies with Student Accounts.
View Fitchburg State graduate tuition and fees
Admission Requirements
Applicants need the equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. No specific major is required, but preference is given to applicants with undergraduate majors in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or a related field.
Graduate Admissions generally requires a minimum 2.8 undergraduate GPA. Applicants below that may be considered individually.
All admitted MS in Computer Science students take a placement test in programming languages. Depending on the result, a student may be required to complete undergraduate or graduate prerequisite courses.
Application Materials
Applicants submit:
- graduate application and $50 application fee
- official transcript of a bachelor’s degree
- professional resume
- official transcripts of any graduate coursework
- proof of English proficiency and a course-by-course credential evaluation when required
The GRE is not required. Fitchburg State does not require graduate testing for any of its programs.
Application Deadlines
Fitchburg State does not publish a fixed application deadline for domestic applicants to this program.
For international applicants to the MS in Computer Science, the university lists these deadlines for a complete application:
| Entry Term | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall (applicants outside the United States) | June 1 |
| Fall (F-1 students transferring within the United States) | August 1 |
| Spring | November 1 |
| Spring (F-1 students transferring within the United States) | December 1 |
Applications that are incomplete at the deadline roll to the next eligible term.
Program Format
The university lists the concentration in two formats: 100% online and on campus in the evening. The catalog notes that most classes are offered in the evenings.
The published course rotation shows all six core courses and all four concentration courses offered every fall and spring, each with an online option. No courses are scheduled in the summer sessions on that rotation.
The program can be completed in as few as two years, and students have six years to finish. The MS in Computer Science is one of two master’s programs at Fitchburg State open to F-1 visa applicants.
Who Is This Program Best For?
Fitchburg State’s MS in Computer Science with the Data Science Concentration is a practical option for students who want a general computer science master’s with a data science and machine learning component at public university cost.
It may be especially appealing to students interested in:
- data mining and predictive analytics
- an applied introduction to machine learning
- data exploration and visualization
- a core in algorithms, theory of computation, and software design
- evening or fully online study while working
- admission without the GRE and one tuition rate regardless of residency
The degree is a computer science master’s first. Only 12 of the 33 credits are data science, one course carries machine learning in its title, and the catalog lists no deep learning, natural language processing, or computer vision course for this concentration. No capstone or thesis is required. Students who want a degree built around machine learning or AI, a research thesis, or a wider choice of advanced electives may want to compare other Massachusetts schools.
Official Fitchburg State University Program Links
- Data Science Concentration, Computer Science, MS program page
- MS in Computer Science program page
- Artificial Intelligence Concentration page
- Graduate catalog entry
- Course rotation
- Graduate Admissions
- International Admissions
- Tuition and fees
Related Machine Learning Programs in Massachusetts
Students can also compare Fitchburg State University with other master’s programs in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields offered in Massachusetts.
- Boston College – Chestnut Hill
- Boston University – Boston
- Brandeis University – Waltham
- Clark University – Worcester
- Harvard University – Cambridge
- Northeastern University – Boston
- Tufts University – Medford
- University of Massachusetts Amherst – Amherst
- University of Massachusetts Lowell – Lowell
- Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester