Fast Track Your Career in the Data Economy

November 4, 2025

Blue, yellow, and red dots showing data visualization over computer screen

The Brooks School’s new 12-month, Ivy League Master of Science in Data Science for Public Policy (DSPP) equips you with the analytical tools, ethical frameworks, and career-ready skills to lead in a data-driven world. Grounded in public policy—and built for the complexity of now and what comes next—this accelerated professional Master’s degree was designed for people who want a career jumpstart or have a desire to retool and reposition themselves in their current careers.

Graduates of the DSPP program step into roles in the public and private sectors that demand both technical know-how and strategic policy insight. Whether you’re developing AI governance and assessing risk in finance, managing strategy and operations in healthcare and consulting, shaping AI ethics at a federal agency, advancing data transparency in city planning, or optimizing social impact for global nonprofits, you’ll be equipped to lead. Brooks alumni pursue careers wherever data serves people and organizations: in the private sector, policy consulting, civic tech, government, international organizations, and more.

The program’s innovative and condensed degree timeline allows for an intensive, intimate, and immersive academic experience as well as a quick re-entry into the workforce. Located at Cornell, a world leader in AI, data science, and emerging technologies, you’ll be surrounded by peers who share your goals and passions. Beautiful Ithaca, New York, situated in the heart of the Finger Lakes wine country region, offers the comforts of a small, sophisticated city amidst inspiring natural surroundings.

In a market where the need for data scientists with technical know-how is strong, the demand for people who can bridge the gap between those skillsets and decision-making, analysis, and leadership roles across the private, civic and government sectors, is even higher. The Brooks School’s STEM-designated DSPP is a cutting-edge and unique program that offers you a chance to build the skillset of the future, accelerate your professional journey, and make a difference.

Scholarship aid is available for qualified candidates.

MS-DSPP Degree Highlights

Solving Real-Life Problems
Work on real policy-relevant problems with real partners, from the private sector and international NGOs to the U.S. Census Bureau. Your year culminates in a hands-on capstone project, applying data science tools to challenges like climate resilience, urban equity, and public trust in AI.
Deep Expertise in Data and Machine Learning
Build technical fluency in coding, statistical methodologies, and machine learning through a curriculum that emphasizes real-world application. Through labs and projects, you’ll sharpen your ability to wrangle data, develop models, and translate analysis into action.
Learn from Faculty Driving the Field Forward
You’ll learn from Cornell faculty and seasoned practitioners at the intersection of data and public good; economists, political scientists, social researchers, and data scientists shaping how policy-relevant decisions are made with technology.
Ethics, Equity, and Emerging Technology
Prepare to lead in a world of fast-moving tech. You’ll examine how tools like AI and predictive modeling intersect with questions of fairness, privacy, human behavior, and accountability, so you’re equipped to use data responsibly and with impact.