Data Science Masters

Recruiting MSDS students is an exciting process for everyone involved. Our staff and faculty are here to guide employers and facilitate a productive and positive recruiting experience. The followings tips and guidelines are a useful resource to help you establish a pipeline from the MSDS program to your organization.

Key Recruiting Dates and Timelines

  • New Graduates: MSDS students graduate at the end of winter quarter every year. Although individual circumstances may vary, new MSDS graduates are generally available to begin working on a full-time basis at the end of March.
  • Summer Internships: The academic year ends in mid-June. MSDS students are available to begin a full-time summer internship a few days later at the earliest.
  • Academic Year Internships: Many of our students are eager to complete an internship during the academic year. The academic year begins in late September every year and operates on a quarter system. Please consult the 2024-2025 Academic Calendar for more details.

If you would like to share an internship and employment opportunity with MSDS students, please email uwmsds@uw.edu.

Compensation Recommendations

The MSDS program recognizes that a number of factors influence compensation. The following salary data is compiled from responses of students and alumni who share their internship and employment information. We urge employers to use this data judiciously. Salary ranges should be used as only one factor in determining compensation for our students and alumni.

  • Employment Compensation: Alumni base salaries for the class of 2019 range from $91,000 to $186,000. This range does not include signing bonuses, stock bonuses, performance incentive awards, or relocation expenses.
  • Internship Compensation: Summer internship compensation for MSDS students ranges from $3,000/month to $7,650/month.

Annual Data Science Career Fair

The MSDS program co-sponsors an annual Data Science Career Fair every February. The event is a great way to connect with MSDS students and recruit them for permanent full-time positions and summer internships. Check this page in summer/fall 2024 to register for the February 2025 Data Science Career Fair or contact us at uwmsds@uw.edu to connect with our career team.

Partnering with the MSDS Program

The MSDS program is excited to partner with your organization to facilitate career and networking opportunities for our students and alumni. If you are interested in developing professional relationships with our students and alumni, please review the Partner With Us page.

How to Start an Internship Program

The MSDS program welcomes proposals from companies to develop paid internship programs. Proposals are welcome from all industries. Work accomplished during the internship program is expected to be data science-focused, challenging, and of value to the host company. The host company should provide the MSDS students selected for the internship program with compensation for the duration of the internship experience.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please include a brief description of your organization, internship location, possible internship title and duties, expected compensation range, specific skills/qualifications required, and contact phone and email.

Proposals should be submitted to Deborah Alterman, Director of Program Operations, at uwmsds@uw.edu.