SUNY Polytechnic Institute offers a Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics through the College of Arts and Sciences in Utica, New York.
The 33-credit program is hybrid, with courses offered on campus and online depending on the electives a student chooses. Introduction to Machine Learning is a required core course. A second machine learning course and an artificial intelligence course are available as on-campus Computer Science electives, and the degree ends with an internship, project, or thesis.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Quick Facts
| Degree | MS in Data Science and Analytics |
| School | College of Arts and Sciences |
| Location | Utica, New York, with online coursework |
| Format | Hybrid; delivery depends on the elective specialization |
| Credits | 33 |
| Culminating Experience | Internship, project, or thesis |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| GRE | Not listed as a requirement |
| Tuition | $471 per credit for New York residents (2026–27) |
| Application Deadlines | July 1 (fall), December 1 (spring) |
| Sample Plan Length | Four semesters |
Official MS in Data Science and Analytics page
Curriculum
SUNY Poly does not offer a standalone master’s degree in machine learning or artificial intelligence. The MS in Data Science and Analytics is an interdisciplinary degree that covers statistics, programming, visualization, machine learning, and big data platforms, then lets students apply them in a chosen field.
Students complete 33 graduate credits consisting of:
- 18 credits of core courses
- 12 credits of specialization electives, four courses
- 3 credits of capstone work
Core Courses
- DSA 501 – Statistical Inference
- DSA 503 – Data Collection and Design of Experiments
- DSA 504 – Data Analytics Tools
- DSA 506 – Visual Analytics and Communication
- DSA 507 – Introduction to Machine Learning
- DSA 508 – Big Data Platforms and Analytics
DSA 504 covers programming in R and Python and is a prerequisite for the machine learning and big data courses. DSA 507 covers supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning, with an introduction to deep learning. DSA 508 covers distributed storage and processing with Hadoop and Spark.
Computer Science Electives
These courses are offered on campus:
- CS 540 – Artificial Intelligence
- CS 542 – Machine Learning
- CS 541 – Database Systems
- CS 523 – Parallel Computing
- CS 524 – Distributed Systems
- CS 538 – Special Topics in Algorithms
This is the only elective area with dedicated machine learning and artificial intelligence courses, so students who want more than the one required machine learning course should plan to take these in Utica.
Mathematics Electives
These courses are offered online or on campus:
- STA 510 – Regression and Analysis of Variance
- MAT 550 – Time Series Analysis
- MAT 515 – Mathematical Methods in Computational Science and Engineering
- MST 570 – Design and Analysis of Experiments
- MST 680 – Reliability and Quality Assurance
Other Elective Areas
Students may take all four electives in one area or mix areas with advisor guidance. The catalog also lists:
- Health Informatics (online only): seven courses, including HI 560 – Applied AI in Health Informatics and HI 640 – Clinical Knowledge Discovery
- Business Analytics (online only): five courses, including ACC 641 – Accounting Info Systems and Data Analytics and TIM 500 – Project Management
- Design and Digital Humanities (online only): six courses, including IDT 548 – Contemporary Trends in Data Visualization and IDT 534 – Information Design
- Social and Crime Analytics (on campus only): five courses, including SOC 531 – Social Network Analysis and SOC 533 – Crime Mapping and GIS
- Biology (on campus): BIO 505 – Data Analytics Tools for Bioinformatics
Capstone
Students choose one 3-credit capstone:
- DSA 597 – Internship
- DSA 598 – Project
- DSA 599 – Thesis
The internship requires at least eight hours a week on site and a final report. The project ends with a technical report and an oral presentation. The thesis involves original research and a public defense.
Cost and Tuition
SUNY Poly is a public university and charges different graduate tuition for New York residents and nonresidents. Students taking fewer than 12 credits in a semester are billed by the credit hour.
For the 2026–27 academic year, the graduate catalog lists:
| Category | Per Credit Hour (1 to 11 credits) | Per Semester (12 or more credits) |
|---|---|---|
| New York resident | $471 | $5,655 |
| Nonresident | $1,041 | $12,490 |
At 33 credits, tuition comes to about $15,543 for a New York resident and about $34,353 for a nonresident at the per-credit rate, before fees. Students also pay broad-based fees of $64.42 per credit hour, or $777.50 per semester when enrolled full time.
The Bursar lists a lower nonresident rate of $565 per credit for programs registered as exclusively online. The Data Science and Analytics degree is listed as hybrid, so out-of-state students planning to study online should confirm their rate with the Bursar. Rates can change each year.
View SUNY Poly graduate tuition and fees
Admission Requirements
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. No specific undergraduate major is required.
The program requires a B average, a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Applicants must also show undergraduate coursework in:
- statistics
- matrix methods
- basic calculus
- introductory computer programming
Applicants without this background are considered case by case and may be invited to take a bridge course. The catalog lists DSA 500 – Introduction to Statistics and Matrix Methods for this purpose.
Application Materials
Applicants submit:
- online graduate application and $60 application fee
- official transcripts from all colleges attended
- resume
- contact information for at least one professional or academic reference
- proof of English proficiency when required
The program’s admission page does not list the GRE, and the international admissions page lists it as optional for this degree. Transcripts from outside the United States need a course-by-course evaluation with a calculated GPA from a NACES member.
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | July 1 |
| Spring | December 1 |
| Spring (international applicants) | November 1 |
SUNY Poly describes these deadlines as firm and reserves the right to close admission earlier. Supplemental materials must arrive within 10 days of the deadline.
Program Format
SUNY Poly describes the degree as a hybrid program, with courses offered on campus in Utica and online depending on the specialization.
The catalog lists the six core courses and the capstone as available online or on campus. Mathematics electives are also offered both ways. Health Informatics, Business Analytics, and Design and Digital Humanities electives are online only, while Computer Science, Biology, and Social and Crime Analytics electives meet on campus.
The program’s sample plan spreads the 33 credits over four semesters, with nine credits in each of the first three and six in the last. Part-time study is permitted.
Who Is This Program Best For?
SUNY Poly’s MS in Data Science and Analytics is a practical option for students who want an applied data science degree at public university tuition, with machine learning as one required part of a broader analytics core.
It may be especially appealing to students interested in:
- statistical inference and experimental design
- R and Python for data analysis
- data visualization and communication
- big data platforms such as Hadoop and Spark
- applying analytics in health informatics, business, or crime analysis
- entering data science from a non-computing major
- a choice of internship, project, or thesis
This is a data science degree, not a machine learning degree. Only one machine learning course is required, and the additional machine learning and artificial intelligence electives are taught on campus, so online students have little room to go deeper. The catalog lists no dedicated courses in deep learning, natural language processing, or computer vision. Students who want a curriculum built around machine learning or AI, or a fully online route with advanced machine learning, may want to compare other New York schools.
Official SUNY Polytechnic Institute Program Links
- MS in Data Science and Analytics program page
- Graduate catalog entry
- Course descriptions
- Admission requirements
- Sample plan of study
- Graduate application and deadlines
- Graduate tuition and fees
- Online tuition and fees
Related Machine Learning Programs in New York
Students can also compare SUNY Polytechnic Institute with other master’s programs in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields offered in New York.
- Binghamton University – Binghamton
- City College of New York – New York
- Clarkson University – Potsdam
- Columbia University – New York
- Cornell University – Ithaca
- Fordham University – New York
- Hofstra University – Hempstead
- Long Island University – Brooklyn
- Manhattanville University – Purchase
- Marist University – Poughkeepsie
- Mercy University – Dobbs Ferry
- New York University – New York
- Pace University – New York
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Troy
- Rochester Institute of Technology – Rochester
- St. John’s University – Queens
- Stony Brook University – Stony Brook
- SUNY Buffalo State University – Buffalo
- SUNY New Paltz – New Paltz
- SUNY Oswego – Syracuse
- Syracuse University – Syracuse
- University at Albany – Albany
- University at Buffalo – Buffalo
- University of Rochester – Rochester
- Utica University – Utica
- Yeshiva University – New York