Georgetown’s Certificate in Data Science prepares you with the technical and analytical skills required to collect, clean, model, and present data. As a student, you’ll use the Python programming language and industry-standard tools to help create and present data analytics, machine learning models, and visualizations. Throughout the program, you’ll also hone your communications skills and learn strategies for effective data presentation.
Led by academics and professionals within the data science community, our program incorporates hands-on coursework as well as group work focused on real-world data science projects. By the time you complete the program, you’ll have the well-rounded expertise that enables you to tell powerful stories with data and create an impact on organizational decisions.
Ideal for: Entry & mid-level professionals
Ideal for
Entry & mid-level professionals
Duration: 4 months
Duration
4 months
Tuition: $7,496
Tuition
$7,496
Format: Online
Format
Online
Enrollment: Weekly evening Zoom session
Enrollment
Weekly evening Zoom session
Semester of Entry: Fall, spring, summer
Semester of Entry
Fall, spring, summer
Upon successful completion of the certificate, you’ll be able to:
Apply the data science pipeline to analytical workflows
Express effective programming practices for analytics
Utilize and query relational and NoSQL databases
Ingest and wrangle data for deeper insights
Conduct statistical hypothesis testing and analysis
Georgetown is a proud partner of District Data Labs, a data science research institute, data product incubator, and open source collaborative founded by two of our faculty members.
Testimonials from current students and alumni.
The Data Science Certificate provided me with knowledge and confidence necessary to embrace the challenge of transitioning into a new role at my organization. Moreover, learning from faculty members who are industry professionals helped me gain invaluable insights and develop relationships which will inspire me for the rest of my professional career.
You must successfully complete all eight modules of Data Science (XBUS-750) for a total of 10.80 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which is equivalent to 108.0 contact hours. The program must be completed in sequence as a cohort.
Foundations of Data Analytics & Data Science
Software Engineering for Data
Data Sources & Storage
Data Ingestion & Wrangling
Data Analysis I: Statistics
Data Analysis II: Machine Learning
Visual Analytics
Applied Data Science
Self-Directed Learning Plus (SDL+)
Self-Directed Learning Plus (SDL+) courses are learning experiences designed by Georgetown University instructional designers to maximize flexibility for your weekly learning schedule, while also providing opportunities for real-time engagement and networking with our faculty and other professional learners.
There is a required Zoom class session each week. Professional learners who cannot attend the class session will have the opportunity to satisfy the course requirement by making arrangements with the instructor, watching the recorded video, and responding to discussion questions. In order to maintain flexibility, the dates/time of the weekly Zoom lesson will be confirmed at the start of the course and will depend upon the location of the professional learners in that cohort.
Each course module will have assignment and assessment deadlines to support students in progressing in a timely manner to the successful completion of the certificate.
Driven by a desire to build large systems with a large number of users that have a big impact, Benjamin focuses on products and services that can learn from real-time ... Read more
Samuel Goodgame
There is no biography available for Samuel Goodgame.
Allen Leis
Allen is an adjunct faculty at Georgetown University and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Computer Science at the University of Maryland at College Park with an emphasis on ... Read more
Kristen McIntyre
Kristen McIntyre is an experienced Machine Learning Engineer and Data Scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she applies her background in machine learning and statistical analysis to develop cutting-edge capabilities ... Read more
How to Apply
Spring Cohort
Application Opens—Jun 11
Deadline—Jan 20
Summer Cohort
Application Opens—Sep 1
Deadline—Feb 15
Fall Cohort
Application Opens—Jan 1
Deadline—Aug 5
Program Prerequisites
Completion of at least two college-level math courses
Familiarity with Python, a general-purpose programming language used for data analysis
A computer with video capability for class meetings and coursework
Computer Programming Prerequisites
Students who have limited or no programming experience are strongly encouraged to gain basic skills in Python prior to enrolling in the program. Python Basics for Data Analysis (XBUS-490) is a free introductory course offered to all accepted Data Science students.
Computing Requirements
Students will be expected to use a personal laptop to complete analytics and programming workshops and a Capstone project. Students should have administrative access and be able to install required course software and libraries. We recommend the following minimum computing requirements:
A laptop with at least a dual-core 1.8 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 20 GB free hard disk space (e.g. a laptop purchased in the past two years).
A modern operating system: Windows 10 or newer (updated to the latest semi-annual channel version), OS X 10.15 Catalina or newer, or Ubuntu 20.04 or newer (or an equivalent Linux distribution). OS X and Linux are strongly encouraged.
Administrator access on your system to install new software.
Python 3.8 (or later) or Anaconda 2020.07 (or later) installed on your system.
A command prompt available (Powershell on Windows, Terminal on OS X or Linux).
Please note that computing requirements and software dependencies may change. Students should check the course syllabus for the latest updates to the computing requirements.
Please review the refund policies in our Student Handbook before completing your registration.
Degree Requirement
You must hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in order to enroll in our certificate programs. For each cohort, an application review committee offers admission to a diverse group of students to enrich the classroom experience.
Tips for the Online Application
Our online application securely stores your information and saves your progress so you can update and complete your information at your convenience
Click the “SAVE” button at each stage of the application process to ensure that your work and documents are uploaded
International Students
International students who enter the U.S. on a valid visa are eligible to enroll in certificate courses. However, Georgetown University cannot sponsor student visas for noncredit professional certificate programs.
A TOEFL examination is not required for non-native speakers of English but students are expected to read, write, and comprehend English at the graduate level to fully participate in and gain from the program.
Students from most countries may register for our online certificate programs, however, due to international laws, residents of certain countries are prohibited from registering.
Tuition & Funding
Tuition
Tuition varies by course. Total program tuition for all 8 courses is $7,496. Most course materials are included.
Funding
Noncredit professional certificates do not qualify for federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, or needs-based aid. However, several finance and funding options do exist, as listed below.
Some employers offer funding for employee education or professional development. If an employer guarantees payment for employee education and training, Georgetown will accept an Intent to Pay form. If you are using employer sponsorship or training authorizations, you must submit an Intent to Pay form with your registration.
If your employer will pay for your tuition, select “Third-Party Billing” as your method of payment when you register for courses online. Please submit an Intent to Pay form indicating that your employer or another third party should be billed for tuition. Invoices will not be generated without this form on file.
Eligible Georgetown employees may use their Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) benefits to fund 90% of the certificate program tuition—employees will be invoiced for the remaining 10% of tuition and must pay any other charges associated with their certificate program. Employees using TAP benefits may work directly with the HR Benefits Office to ensure payment prior to the start of any course. This payment option is only valid if registration occurs at least 10–14 business days prior to the start date of the first course. Any fees incurred due to course withdrawal are the student’s responsibility and are not funded by Georgetown University TAP. For questions regarding TAP benefits, please contact the HR/Benefits Office at tapbenefits@georgetown.edu or (202) 687-2500.
SCS is registered with GoArmyEd.com to accept SF-182 training authorization forms. GoArmyEd.com is the virtual gateway for all eligible active duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve soldiers to request Tuition Assistance (TA) online. GoArmyEd.com is also the virtual gateway for Army Civilians to apply for their Civilian education, training, and leadership development events.
The professional certificate programs offer an interest-free payment plan for certificate programs that are more than one month in duration and for which the total tuition is greater than or equal to $4,000. The payment plan is structured in the following manner:
Payment #1: A down payment of 25% of the total tuition balance must be paid online (within 72 hours after you register and select Payment Plan) via the Noncredit Student Portal. Please submit your down payment as soon as possible.
Payments #2, #3, and #4: Your remaining balance will be due in three (3) equal monthly installments beginning 30 calendar days after your down payment is processed. Your monthly payments must be paid via credit card in the Noncredit Student Portal. You will be able to access each invoice and payment due date in your student account.
PLEASE NOTE: Automatic Payment Service is not available. You must make each subsequent payment via the Noncredit Student Portal.
A number of tuition benefits are available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and under various parts of the GI Bill®. Please visit the Resources for Military Students page for additional information and instructions.
Some students choose to finance certificate programs with private education loans. Students are responsible for contacting lenders directly to find out if a noncredit professional certificate program is eligible for a loan. While Georgetown University will not recommend specific lenders, it will certify loans for eligible programs from approved lenders.
For eligible noncredit professional certificate programs, Georgetown University will certify loan amounts up to the full cost of tuition for the program. Tuition does not cover books, travel, or living expenses. Please see individual program pages for tuition rates.
Georgetown University has a unique campus code for Sallie Mae. Our Sallie Mae branch code is 001445-99.
You must be approved for a loan before registering for courses. Follow these steps to pursue a loan option:
Check the list of lenders that have offered private education loans in the past to Georgetown University students.
Contact the lender and confirm your program is eligible for a private education loan.
Obtain the necessary paperwork and apply for the loan.
Georgetown will certify loan amounts based on the information below. Please note that our branch code is 001445-99.
If approved, register for courses:
Payment sent to Georgetown: Select “Third-Party Payment” at the time of registration if the lender is sending funds directly to Georgetown.
Note: It is your responsibility to contact Georgetown University Noncredit Student Accounts at noncreditaccounts@georgetown.edu to ensure that your loan is processed.
Tuition Discounts
Only one tuition discount may be applied at the time of registration. Tuition discounts cannot be combined. Tuition discounts are not applied retroactively. Please contact pdcprograms@georgetown.edu with any questions.
Georgetown University alumni and SCS certificate completers are eligible to receive a 30% tuition discount for many certificates offered within SCS’s Professional Development & Certificates (PDC) portfolio. When registering for an eligible certificate through the SCS website, you will see the "30% Georgetown Alumni Discount" as an option. The Enrollment Team will then verify your eligibility status as a Georgetown University alumnus or certificate completer.
Georgetown SCS offers a 20% discount for eligible certificates to organizations that register 5 or more employees for the same certificate cohort at the same time. Eligible organizations include government agencies, nonprofit agencies, and for-profit businesses. Please contact pdcprograms@georgetown.edu for steps and procedures to ensure your group has access to the discount.
Employees of companies that belong to the EdAssist education network may receive a 10% tuition discount on select programs and courses. Contact EdAssist directly to find out if you qualify.
Eligible federal employees across the country receive a 10% scholarship applied to the current tuition rate for all SCS degree programs and professional certificate programs each academic semester. Please contact pdcprograms@georgetown.edu for steps to be added to this discount group.
