Applied Data Science and Decision Making Online Master's Degree

Preparing Professionals to Lead Data-Driven Decisions

Artificial intelligence and data science are transforming how organizations operate, yet many initiatives stall at the prototype stage because teams lack the expertise to move from experimentation to production. Across industries, employers need professionals who can pair statistical rigor and machine learning with governance, ethics, and sound decision-making to build systems that are trustworthy, scalable, and sustainable. This program addresses that gap by preparing graduates to engineer, evaluate, deploy, and govern AI-powered, data-driven solutions built on complex, large-scale data—ensuring analytics delivers real-world impact in practice, not just in theory.

Program Snapshot

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About the Program

Rather than treating data science, AI, and decision-making as separate domains, this program integrates them to equip graduates to turn data into evidence-based, repeatable decisions that organizations can trust and scale. Through real-world datasets and project-based coursework, students move beyond dashboards and proofs of concept to deliver analytics that works in practice. Graduates are prepared to design and evaluate AI-powered systems responsibly, operationalize analytics in production environments, govern data and AI with transparency and accountability, and communicate technical insights clearly to business, policy, and organizational stakeholders.

You'll develop expertise in:

  • Applied statistics, modeling, and causal reasoning
  • Machine learning and AI system design
  • Data engineering and cloud-based data pipelines
  • Machine learning operations (MLOps) and production deployment
  • Data governance, ethics, and responsible AI frameworks
  • Translating analytical results into strategic, decision-oriented insights

To tailor your focus, you will select one elective in an emerging specialization area:

  • Responsible AI and large language models (LLMs) in analytics
  • Data strategy and decision analytics

What Sets Brandeis Apart

The Master's of Science in Applied Data Science and Decision Analytics program is distinguished by its integration of applied data science, responsible AI, sustainability, and decision-making. While many programs focus narrowly on theory or engineering, we prepare interdisciplinary practitioners who can bridge analytics, operations, governance, and strategy. The curriculum puts responsible and sustainable technology front and center, recognizing that modern data systems must be not only accurate and scalable, but also transparent, energy-conscious, and socially responsible.

Key differentiators include:

  • A strong emphasis on responsible and ethical AI, embedded throughout the curriculum
    Applied training in AI-ready data, governance frameworks, and sustainable infrastructure
  • Stackable, 12-credit professional certificates in applied machine learning, responsible AI, and business and decision analytics—providing flexible pathways for working professionals
  • Alignment with strong regional and national workforce demand across healthcare, finance, technology, research, government, and public policy