Master of Science (MS) in Data Science

Program Overview

The MS in Data Science is an advanced program designed to prepare students for professional careers centered on the analysis and use of large-scale data. The program develops competencies in extracting meaningful patterns, building predictive models, applying machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, and effectively visualizing insights to support organizational decision-making. Students gain experience working with diverse data modalities, including structured business data, unstructured text, and image data.

The curriculum provides a rigorous integration of applied mathematics, machine learning, data engineering, and business analytics. It balances theoretical foundations with hands-on practical training to ensure that graduates possess both a solid background and strong practical implementation skills. The program is suitable for students from a broad range of academic backgrounds, including information technology, computer science, engineering, economics, management information systems (MIS), and related disciplines.

The program is available in a campus-based education modality.

• Duration: One year (full-time) or up to three years (part-time).
• Number of Courses: 12 courses (36 US credits).
• Attendance: Classes run Monday to Thursday, from 18:30-21:30. Fridays are reserved for make-up classes and other academic activities, such as master classes, workshops, lectures, and talks.
• Admission Points: New students are admitted at the start of the fall, winter, and spring terms.

Unique Program Features

• NECHE Accreditation
• Hands-on experience and practice in lab settings
• Free software through Microsoft alliance
• Instructors with international teaching and research experience
• Appropriate for students with non-IT backgrounds with preparatory bridge courses
• Students are provided with access to a virtual machine hosted on a college server

Program Structure (Curriculum)

Program Level Competencies Upon successful completion of this program, participants should be able to:

• Critically evaluate the techniques for storing and processing big volumes of data, including transaction business data, text data, and images and to apply the relevant tools.
• Analyze basic machine learning techniques and apply the relevant tools.
• Articulate business problems using data science techniques.
• Design a comprehensive data science solution and assess it from both a technical and business perspective.
• Successfully complete a research project in big data or in data science.
• Formulate ideas and arguments and communicate them effectively both in writing and orally in an academic or business context.
• Undertake programming at an advanced level: use advanced algorithms, practice distributed computing, and employ no-SQL databases.

Tuition & Scholarships

Tuition

Tuition is payable on a course-by-course basis.

Merit Scholarships

The School of Graduate & Professional Education offers scholarships covering a portion of the cost of tuition to all applicants who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance in their undergraduate studies.

Financial Assistance

The American College of Greece (ACG) has a long history of providing assistance to students needing help in meeting their educational expenses, enabling access to high-quality education regardless of financial circumstances.

Discounts

All ACG alumni are entitled to a 10% tuition fee discount on top of any other scholarship or financial assistance program that may apply. Corporate discount programs are available to two or more employees from one organization who wish to study in graduate programs.

Student Profile

The program is ideal for recent university or college graduates in information technology, engineering, economics, and science, or for working professionals in IT seeking to advance their careers in data science or big data. Students from different backgrounds, such as business or social sciences, are encouraged to apply.

• Average Age: 29.99 years
• Gender Distribution: Female 31%; Male 69%
• Student Nationality: Domestic: 92%; International: 8%
• First Degree Obtained From: Greek AEI (59.72%); ACG-Deree (12.50%); International University (23.61%)

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program pursue careers in the field of data science and analytics, including roles such as Business Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Scientist, and Big Data Engineer. They find employment in companies specializing in information technologies, finance and insurance, retail settings, professional services, manufacturing, start-ups, and more.

Faculty

• Dimitris Vogiatzis, Full-time Faculty – School of Science and Technology, Computing and Mathematics
• Georgios Drakakis, Part-time Faculty – School of Science and Technology, Computing and Mathematics
• Ioannis Christou, Full-time Faculty – School of Science and Technology, Computing and Mathematics
• Maira Kotsovoulou, Associate Faculty – School of Science and Technology, Computing and Mathematics
• Evgenia Vagianou, Full-time Faculty – School of Science and Technology, Computing and Mathematics

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Economics, or Business with an average grade of B or better. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in other disciplines may still be admitted after completing some pre-required courses.
2. Evidence of strong motivation to undertake graduate-level study in Data Science, judged through an interview and personal statement.
3. Proficiency in the English language, evidenced by standardized tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, Proficiency, or Duolingo English Test (minimum required score 125). Graduates from DEREE College and other accredited English-speaking institutions are exempt from this requirement.

Credit Transfer: Credit transfer from previously attended graduate degree programs of accredited institutions may be allowed up to a maximum limit of 9 credits and will be examined on an individual basis.

The American College of Greece (ACG) is an independent, non-profit, non-sectarian, co-educational institution founded in 1875 in Smyrna (Izmir), Asia Minor, by missionaries from Boston, Massachusetts. Following the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the college relocated to Athens in 1923 and has operated there ever since. It is the oldest and largest U.S.-accredited, comprehensive educational institution in Europe, with over 150 years of transformative education and a long-standing role in fostering intellectual and cultural ties between Greece and the United States.

ACG is chartered as a U.S. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity by the State of Colorado, and is governed by an independent board of trustees. Its motto — Non Ministrari, Sed Ministrare ("Not to be Served, but to Serve") — reflects its foundational commitment to education in service of society.

Three divisions:

ACG operates across three distinct academic divisions, each serving a different stage of education:

• Pierce: a pre-kindergarten through secondary school offering a Gymnasium, Lyceum and an International Baccalaureate Programme, with campuses in Aghia Paraskevi and a Pierce East Campus in Spata
• Deree: the undergraduate and graduate college, with all instruction delivered entirely in English, located on the main 64-acre campus in Aghia Paraskevi.
• Alba Graduate Business School: a specialized postgraduate business school located in downtown Athens, built on ACG's long-standing legacy of academic excellence.

Accreditation

ACG was first accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) in 1981, becoming the first U.S. institution abroad to achieve this distinction. In 2023, The American University of Greece (AUG) — ACG's newly incorporated U.S. affiliate — received full institutional NECHE accreditation, which includes ACG's operations in Greece through a validating agreement. This means Deree graduates hold degrees with the same credentials as graduates of other NECHE institutions, including MIT, Harvard, Brown, Boston College and Amherst.

Deree is also validated by The Open University (UK), providing graduates with an additional internationally recognized award pathway. In 2024, AUG launched a Global Campus offering fully online degree programs rooted in ACG's academic tradition.

Campus

The main campus in Aghia Paraskevi sits on the western slopes of Mount Hymettus, about ten kilometers from central Athens, and was originally designed by the renowned Greek architect Constantine Doxiadis. Its 64 acres include smart classrooms, science and STEM laboratories, fine art studios and exhibition spaces, a Center for the Arts with multiple performance venues including the Pierce Theater, a black box theater and the Irene Bailey Theater, a library, a gym, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a soccer and track complex, a chapel, and student lounges. The campus offers panoramic views of the Athens basin.

Student life

Student life at ACG is active and diverse. Students can join academic societies, a wide range of clubs, and student organizations including the Deree Student Association, the Research Scholars Organization, and the Student Emergency Response Force. Intercollegiate and intramural sports are organized under the Deree Griffins banner. Arts programming is extensive, with music, theater, dance and visual arts performances running throughout the academic year under the Arts at Deree initiative. An International Honors Program is available for high-achieving students, including a Stanford Summer component and a dedicated merit scholarship. Service learning projects connect students to the broader Athens community.

Research and institutes

ACG's research activity spans applied academic research and public policy engagement through four dedicated centers:

• ACG Research Center (ACG-RC): supports interdisciplinary applied research, with active projects including a study on the role of the Greek-American diaspora in bilateral U.S.-Greece relations from 1974 to 2024
• Institute of Global Affairs: hosts research, public events and publications on international policy and geopolitics
• Institute of Public Health: conducts public health research and runs an annual lecture series open to the wider community
• The Demos Center: dedicated to democratic values, civic discourse and public engagement

Sustainability

Sustainability is a core institutional commitment at ACG. The college has been listed among the Princeton Review's most environmentally responsible colleges for seven consecutive years, and is one of only four European institutions to appear on the list for 2025. In 2024, ACG was recognized as a top performer in five categories of the AASHE Sustainable Campus Index — Campus Engagement, Energy, Grounds, Purchasing, and Wellbeing and Work — making it the highest-ranked STARS institution outside the United States and Canada. ACG also received the 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award for the second consecutive year for sustainable electronics procurement, and was featured in Greece's inaugural Hellenic Impact Report for its integration of sustainability across academics, operations and partnerships. The college currently offers 149 sustainability-focused and sustainability-inclusive courses across undergraduate and graduate levels.

Student support services

• Student Academic Support Services (SASS): learning facilitation, peer tutoring and academic resources
• Career Services: career planning, internship placement, and employer connections including an annual ACG Career Days event
• Student Success Center: holistic advising and student wellbeing support
• Counseling and Health and Wellness Center: mental health services, wellness coaching and medical assistance
• Financial assistance: merit scholarships, grants, work-study, and access to U.S. Federal Loans and Veterans Aid for eligible students
• On-campus and nearby housing for undergraduate and study-abroad students

International reach

1. ACG welcomes study-abroad students from universities worldwide through semester, summer and intensive programs in Athens. Special programs include the Hellenic Studies Summer School, the Heritage Greece program, and a longstanding collaboration with Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies. Through its Outbound Study Abroad Programme, Deree students can study at partner institutions in cities including Stanford, New York, Boston, London, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai and Berlin. A parallel studies pathway also allows students enrolled in Greek public universities to earn a Deree degree simultaneously.