Data Science for Public Policy (MS)

Brooks School of Public Policy

Program Description

Recent decades have seen exponential growth in the collection and amassing of data. The explosion of data comes from an ever-growing variety of sources: administrative and institutional operations, internet, video, audio, sensor, and data from businesses. These new data provide new opportunities for making better informed decisions and provide better information to citizens, yet relatively few policymakers and public servants have the appropriate training to do so.

Professional degrees that allow students to learn about data science and gain computing and leadership skills are in high demand, but most of the training in data science is solely focused on technical computing skills and/or on the private sector. Moreover, regulation and policy have been unable to keep up with the fast-paced proliferation of data science tools, like artificial intelligence, and how they are used. Important issues about privacy, ethics, access, and accuracy have yet to be settled. Capably managing these new frontiers of technology will require a workforce that both understands the technical tools and underlying social science and policy analysis frameworks for their use.

Students trained in the Brooks School Master of Science in Data Science for Public Policy (DSPP) program will be well-equipped for careers at the local, state, national, and global levels across a range of sectors and industries, both in occupations (like data scientist) focused on utilizing data science tools and in those (like policy analyst) focused on managing or responding to the use of these tools.

Admissions Requirements

Each application is reviewed holistically and in the context of the overall applicant pool for that admission cycle. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit a complete application package as outlined below. 

  • Transcripts from all colleges or universities attended 
  • Two letters of recommendation 
  • Resume 
  • Statement of purpose 
  • Online video interview
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable 
  • Visit the Graduate School Admissions site for details on the English language proficiency requirement, including standing exemptions. 

Policies and Procedures

For details about Brooks School academic policies see the Brooks School policies page.  

Please review the university catalog policies regarding academic integrity and final exams. 

Petitions 

Course substitutions may be permitted based on prior mastery of a subject or to request a relevant course not listed within the catalog year’s curriculum requirements. These petitions must be approved by the Data Science for Public Policy Program Director.

Data Science for Public Policy students must be in-residence for all semesters of the program. They must also attend classes according to the modality offered by the course and cannot request an alternative form of attendance/participation.

Students who face an extenuating circumstance may petition the Data Science for Public Policy Director for an exception to a Data Science for Public Policy academic policy.

Good Academic Standing Requirements

The minimum academic standards are as follows:

  • A student must maintain a semester and cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
  • Students must receive a grade of C or better in all degree requirements. 
  • A student cannot carry more than two (2) incomplete grades simultaneously.
  • Students must complete at least 12 credits each semester unless they have received an approved petition to take fewer than 12 credits (e.g. for SDS accommodation)
  • Students must be in-residence unless they are participating in an approved off-campus activity, with written approval from the Program Director.
  • A student must be making “satisfactory progress” toward a Brooks School master’s degree.

Review Process

At the end of each semester, the Brooks School committee on academic status (CAS) reviews each Bachelor of Science and Professional Master student’s academic record to ensure that the minimum academic standards are met. The committee takes appropriate action for students whose academic achievement is considered unsatisfactory as defined by the criteria above.  To support every student’s success, the committee may take any of the following actions:

  • Withdraw the student permanently from the Brooks School and Cornell University.
  • Require the student to take a leave of absence for one or more semesters.
  • Issue a warning to the student at one of the following levels (these imply that if the student does not show considerable improvement during the semester, the committee may withdraw the student):
    • Severe warning with danger of being withdrawn
    • Severe warning
    • Warning
  • Add the student’s name to a review list; students with this status are monitored by the committee throughout the semester.
  • Return the student to good standing.

Any of the above actions may be accompanied by a semester credit limit or a requirement for the student to meet with an academic advisor by a date set by the committee. 

Students placed on a required leave must appeal to CAS to return. This appeal occurs at the end of the required leave period. Students who have been withdrawn may appeal the decision before the committee during the pre-semester appeals meeting. 

All students with an academic warning status automatically will be reviewed for specific criteria at the end of the subsequent semester. Students put on warning, severe warning, or severe warning with danger of being withdrawn status will be informed of conditions that they are expected to fulfill to return to good standing. 

Students who have been previously placed on a required leave and wish to return to the Brooks School must submit a plan of study to the committee before being rejoined. The student should contact the Registrar in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services, and Career Management to discuss the process and due dates. 

Students who have been withdrawn from the Brooks School by CAS may request that they be readmitted. Such students have three years from the date they were withdrawn to make this appeal with assistance from an advisor in the Brooks Office of  Admissions,  Student Services, and Career Management. After three years, a former student must apply for readmission through the Brooks School admissions process. A student applying for readmission should discuss their situation with an advisor in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management  The student also should talk with others who may be able to help—faculty mentors, instructors, or a member of the university medical staff. Any information given to the committee is held in the strictest confidence.