University of California, Berkeley

How this program compares

Budget-wise, $82.1K puts this master's program at the 90th percentile on cost — about 91% above the $42.9K average across 394 comparable listings. It is one of the 54% of programs in our database offered fully or partly online.

Admission Snapshot

Typical admitted student: A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a strong quantitative background in statistics, programming, or related fields is required; relevant work experience is preferred for this professional master's program.

About This Program

Berkeley's online Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is delivered by the School of Information and blends applied machine learning with the data engineering, experimentation, and communication skills that production data science demands. It is designed for working professionals and taught by Berkeley faculty.

The cohort-based, live-online format and Berkeley's Bay Area employer network make MIDS a strong choice for professionals targeting senior data science and ML roles without relocating.

Career Outcomes

Graduates of University of California, Berkeley's Online Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) most often target Data Scientist roles, where reported compensation runs around $120,000. Its focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning maps directly to how employers screen for specialized skills rather than generic degrees. Federal projections for this occupational area point to roughly 36% growth this decade — verify the current figure on the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook before you rely on it.

• 1. Data Scientist
• 2. Machine Learning Engineer
• 3. Data Engineer
• 4. Analytics Manager

What You'll Learn

• Design research studies and clean large-scale datasets for analysis.
• Engineer data pipelines and apply machine learning models to extract insights.
• Visualize complex data and communicate findings effectively.
• Address ethical, privacy, and policy issues in data science applications.

Curriculum Highlights

The multidisciplinary curriculum covers data engineering, research design, and AI, including an on-campus immersion and a hands-on synthetic capstone course.

Top Employers

Top employers include tech giants like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, along with data-driven firms in finance, healthcare, and consulting.

Admissions

Admission to University of California, Berkeley's Online Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) generally expects a bachelor's degree. The GRE is optional here — a growing norm among AI programs — so applicants can often lead with coursework, projects and recommendations instead. Deadlines, testing policies and funding change year to year, so confirm the current requirements on the official program page before applying.

Application Materials

• Statement of Purpose: Required
• Letters of Recommendation: 2
• Resume: Required
• Transcripts: Official transcripts required

Frequently Asked Questions