Frequently Asked Questions

The DAAS degree consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours), of which seven are core courses, including a capstone project class, and four are specialized electives. The seven core courses cover essential methods and tools in data analysis, applied statistics, computing, data visualization, and communication.

The DAAS degree's core foundation in statistics provides our students with the skills needed to assess the comparative advantages and limitations of various methods of analyzing data. It emphasizes interpretation of analyses for evidence-based decision-making and predictions. The core curriculum's courses in statistical computing provide students the skills needed to develop effective analysis programs and take advantage of contemporary programming languages and packages. 

Please see our course list and descriptions for more information on our courses. 

The DAAS program in Falls Church is only offered part-time. Most students take two 3-credit courses each semester for five to six semesters. 

Currently, we are teaching classes online due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. When classes are held in person, they take place at our Northern Virginia campus (NVC) in Falls Church, VA. The NVC campus is within walking distance from the Metro - Orange line West Falls Church station. Parking is available for students who drive.

We have designed our curriculum with the working student in mind, so our semesters blend one synchronous class, one evening per week, and one asynchronous course. We want to maximize learning time and minimize commuting time. Students interact with their classmates and instructors through our interactive learning platform, Canvas, Zoom, and other shared cloud-based services.

The Capstone project gives students experience solving complex data-driven problems from real-world data sets. This approach gives students experience using the skills and knowledge acquired during their course of study and provides them with a robust portfolio piece to show future employers. 

Students can begin their degree in the Fall semesters. Semester start dates are set by the Virginia Tech University calendar. 

That is hard to say. Workload will differ from class to class, and students will naturally learn at different paces. Generally, we expect that students will spend 6 -10 hours per week working on coursework. 

The degree was approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) in June 2015.  We currently offer the degree in Blacksburg as a simultaneous master’s degree for current master's and Ph.D. students.  

Students are encouraged to contact the Graduate Student International Students office for more details. Please note, however, that since we are a part-time-only program, we are not F-1 visa eligible. 

The program is 30 credits. Currently, the State of Virginia has set tuition at $1075 per credit ($3,225 per 3-credit course). You can learn more about our tuition and course fees by visiting the VT Bursar's office. 

No. Because we are a designated part-time program, we do not have GTA/GRA positions available. If you are interested in pursuing a full-time master's degree program with our department, we would suggest the M.S. degree in Statistics at the Blacksburg campus. Please get in touch with the Statistics department at the Blacksburg campus about GTA/GRA availability with that program.