data science phd nyu

PhD | Information Systems

Information Systems

The ph.d. in information systems.

Information Systems (IS) is a multidisciplinary field that is growing in importance as the information technology revolution transforms the scale of data, the nature of products, the organization of work, and the way people interact. The Stern IS department has played an active leadership role in defining the fields of data science and business analytics, engaging in cross-disciplinary scholarship in computer science, economics, machine learning, marketing, management science and urban science. Ph.D. students at Stern have the advantage of working with IS faculty who also maintain close research ties with the digital, banking, advertising and media industries, which gives our students access to unique “big data” for research as well as opportunities for experiential learning.

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NYU Center for Data Science

Harnessing Data’s Potential for the World

Master’s in Data Science

• Industry Concentration
• Admission Requirements
• Capstone Project
• Summer Research Initiative
• Financial Aid
• MS Admissions Ambassadors
• Summer Initiative

The  Fall 202 4   application deadline was Monday, January 22, 2024, 5pm ET.

The Fall 2024 MS Admissions Information Session took place Thursday, October 19 at 10am.

Please note that we do not have Spring Admissions for the MSDS.

Admission to NYU’s Master of Science in Data Science is extremely competitive. This speaks both to the popularity of the field of Data Science and to the very high calibre of students who we seek as part of our program.

Without exception, you must submit the following to support your application for admission:

• TOEFL or IELTS; however, TOEFL is preferred (Required for all applicants whose native language is not English and who have not received a university degree in an English-speaking country)
• Official college transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation (we prefer all letters on letterhead)
• Statement of Academic Purpose
• (optional) Personal History Statement
• (optional) GRE scores

For more information, visit the graduate schools  application resource center .

Educational Prerequisites

Successful applicants to the MSDS come from many different undergraduate backgrounds, including degrees in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Economics, Business, Biology, Physics and Psychology. In the 2023 intake cycle, the average GPA was 3.80. Our students’ transcripts usually include As and Bs (only), and we expect stronger grades in more relevant subject matter (see below) from those coming from less selective institutions. Regardless of degree, we require specific and substantial knowledge of certain mathematical competencies, and some training in programming and basic computer science.

To be considered for the program, you will be required to have completed the following (or equivalents, e.g. MOOCs certification or course credit):

• Calculus I: limits, derivatives, series, integrals, etc.
• Linear Algebra
• Intro to Computer Science (or an equivalent “CS-101” programming course): We have no set requirements as regards specific languages, but we generally expect serious academic and/or professional experience with Python and/or R  at a minimum .
• One of Calculus II, Probability, Statistics, or an advanced physics, engineering, or econometrics course with heavy mathematical content

Preference is given to applicants with prior exposure to machine learning, computational statistics, data mining, large-scale scientific computing, operations research (either in an academic or professional context), as well as to applicants with significantly more mathematical and/or computer science training than the minimum requirements listed above.

Work Experience

Many of our students join us directly from undergraduate, but we also very much welcome evidence of relevant work experience—and clear employment goals once the MSDS is completed—in data science.  Past experience and career aspiration goals can be related to commercial industry, government, academia or some other sector.

Standardized Tests

GRE General Test is optional. If submitting, please note: we do not accept “out of date” scores (see FAQs here ); nor do we accept scores of other, similar tests.  

If submitting scores for the GRE General test with your application, please upload a PDF of the unofficial scores, which are made available upon completion of your test, to the “Additional Information Section” of your application. This is in addition to sending your official scores to the Graduate School of Arts and Science.

We also require evidence of proficiency with English as a second language for certain students who must provide it. For those students, we recommend a TOEFL score of at least 100 overall (and have strong preferences for better scores).

For additional information regarding standardized testing please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Science’s FAQ Page .

Three Letters of Recommendation

Recommendations for admitted students are invariably excellent, with references holding applicants in the highest esteem relative to other students or employees with whom they have interacted in the past several years. References from professors or employers who can comment directly and in a detailed way on the applicant’s case, aptitude for, and attitude to data science projects are treated with the most weight. Though not required, we prefer all letters on letterhead.

For additional information regarding letters of recommendation please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Science’s FAQ Page .

International Students

Answers to common questions that international student applicants may have can be found in the Graduate School of Arts & Science’s Application Resource Center . 

In particular, questions regarding what degree must an applicant have in order to enroll are addressed here . If you have further questions about your degree eligibility, please contact the GSAS Graduate Enrollment Services team at [email protected] . 

Information about international transcript evaluations and other information about being an international student at NYU can be found here .

Internal Transfers/Current NYU Students

We do not allow internal transfers from other NYU graduate programs. If you are a current NYU graduate student and you would like to be a part of the NYU Data Science MS program, please note that you are required to submit a new application.

Ready to Apply?

If your background meets the majority of these requirements, and you have a desire to develop the methods to harness the potential of data, then we encourage you to begin the application process. Please proceed to the Graduate School of Arts and Science webpage to apply for admission . 

Prior to starting your application please review the Graduate School of Arts and Science’s general application policies page .

For more questions, email us at  [email protected] .

Deferral Requests

The Center for Data Science will not approve a request for deferral of admission. If an admitted student wishes to delay enrollment, it will be necessary to turn down the offer of admission and reapply for admission the following year. A completely new application will be required. The new application will be considered along with all other applications at that later time.

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Neural Science PhD Program

Supervising faculty.

• Program Structure

Current Students

• Application

NYU Shanghai, in partnership with the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science and the NYU Center for Neural Science, invites applications from exceptional students for PhD study and research in Neural Science.   Participating students are enrolled in the NYU GSAS Neural Science PhD program, complete their coursework at the NYU Center for Neural Science in New York, and then transition to full-time residence at NYU Shanghai where they undertake their doctoral research under the supervision of NYU Shanghai faculty.

Highlights of the Program

• NYU degree upon graduation
• Graduate coursework at the NYU Center for Neural Science in New York
• Research opportunities with and close mentorship by NYU Shanghai faculty
• Access to the vast intellectual resources of NYU GSAS and NYU Center for Neural Science
• Cutting-edge research environment at NYU Shanghai, including the Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, activities such as a regular program of seminars and visiting academics, a thriving community of PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates, and links with other universities within and outside China
• Financial aid through the NYU Shanghai Doctoral Fellowship , including tuition, fees, and an annual stipend
• Additional benefits exclusive to the NYU Shanghai program, including international health insurance, housing assistance in New York, and travel funds

Xinying Cai

Neural Mechanisms of Economic Decision-Making, Reward and Working Memory, Neuropsychiatry of the Prefrontal-Basal Ganglia Loops

Human Perception and Action, Eye-Hand Coordination, Virtual Reality

Computational Neuroscience, Network Models for Learning and Memory

Zhong-Lin Lu

Visual Perception, Perceptual Learning, Attention, Amblyopia, Myopia, Adaptive Testing, Brain Imaging, Hierarchical Bayesian Models

Speech and Language, Sensorimotor Integration and Transformation, Memory, Mental Imagery

Recent Publications by NYU Shanghai Faculty

• Rustichini, A, Conen KE, Cai X and Padoa-Schioppa C (2017). "Optimal coding and neuronal adaptation in economic decisions." Nat Commun 8(1): 1208
• Murray JD, Bernacchia A, Freedman DJ, Romo R, Wallis JD, Cai X , Padoa-Schioppa C, Pasternak T, Seo H, Lee D, Wang XJ (2014) A hierarchy of intrinsic timescales across primate cortex. Nature Neuroscience 17, 1661–1663
• Chen, R.R., Stone, L.S., & Li, L.* (2021). Visuomotor predictors of batting performance in baseball players. Journal of Vision, 21(3):3, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.21.3.3
• Kuai, S.*, Shan, Z.K.D., Chen, J., Xu, Z.X., Li, J.M., Field, D.T., & Li, L.* (2020). Integration of motion and form cues for the perception of self-motion in the human brain. Journal of Neuroscience, 40(5), 1107-1119.
• Sun, Q., Zhang, H.H., Alais, D., & Li, L.* (2020). Serial dependence and center bias in heading perception from optic flow. Journal of Vision, 20(10):1, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.20.10.1
• Xie, M.Y., Niehorster, D.C., Lappe, M., & Li, L.* (2020). Roles of visual and non-visual information in the perception of scene-relative object motion during walking. Journal of Vision, 20(10):15, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.20.10.15
• Li, L.* , Ni, L., Lappe, M., Niehorster, D.C., & Sun, Q. (2018). No special treatment of independent object motion for heading perception. Journal of Vision, 18(4):19. DOI: 10.1167/18.4.19
• Rushton, S.K.*, Niehorster, D.C., Warren, P.A, & Li, L.* (2018). The primary role of flow processing in the identification of scene-relative object movement. The Journal of Neuroscience, 38(7),1737-1743
• Gao, Mang, Sukbin Lim , and Alexander A. Chubykin. "Visual Familiarity Induced 5-Hz Oscillations and Improved Orientation and Direction Selectivities in V1." Journal of Neuroscience 41.12 (2021): 2656-2667.
• Gu, Jintao, and Sukbin Lim . "Unsupervised learning for robust working memory." bioRxiv (2021).
• Lim , Sukbin . "Hebbian learning revisited and its inference underlying cognitive function." Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 38 (2021): 96-102.
• Lim S , Mechanisms underlying sharpening of visual response dynamics with familiarity, eLife 8, e44098 (2019)
• Lim S , McKee JL, Woloszyn L, Amit Y, Freedman DJ, Sheinberg DL, Brunel N, Inferring learning rules from distributions of firing rates in cortical neurons, Nature Neuroscience 18, 1804-1810 (2015)
• Lim S , Goldman MS, Balanced cortical microcircuitry for spatial working memory based on corrective feedback control, Journal of Neuroscience 34, 6790-6806 (2014)
• Dorr, M., Kwon, M., Lesmes, L., Miller, A., Kazlas, M., Chan, K., Lu, Z.-L ., Hunter, D. G. & Bex, P. J. (2019). Binocular Summation and Suppression of Contrast Sensitivity in Strabismus, Fusion and Amblyopia, Frontiers in Neuroscience, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00234
• Gaut, G., Li, X., Lu, Z.-L . & Steyvers, M. Experimental Design Modulates Variance in BOLD Activation: The Variance Design General Linear Model, Human Brain Mapping, 40, 3918–3929. (2019)
• Gaut, G., Li, X., Turner, B., Cunningham, W. A., Lu, Z.-L . & Steyvers, M., Predicting Task and Subject Differences with Functional Connectivity and BOLD Variability, Brain Connectivity, in press. (2019)
• Golubitsky, M., Zhao, Y., Wang, Y. & Lu, Z.-L ., Predicting Percepts from the Symmetry of Generalized Rivalry Network Models, Journal of Neurophysiology, in press. (2019)
• Molloy, M. F., Bahg, G., Lu, Z.-L . & Turner, B. M.,Individual Differences in the Neural Dynamics of Response Inhibition, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, in press. (2019)
• Wang, K., Banich, M. T., Reinberg, A., Willcutt, E., Cutting, L., Thompson, L., Tufo, S. D., Opfer, J., Lu, Z.-L . & Petrill, S. A., Characterizing and Decomposing the Brain Correlates of Individual Reading Ability in Adolescents with task-based fMRI, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 37, 100647. (2019)
• Zhao, Y, Lesmes, L. A. & Lu, Z.-L . (2019). Efficient Measurement of the Time Course of Perceptual Sensitivity Change, Vision Research, 154, 21-43.
• Li, S., Zhu, H., & Tian, X . (2020). Corollary discharge versus efference copy: Distinct neural signals in speech preparation differentially modulate auditory responses. Cerebral Cortex, bhaa154.
• Mei, N., Flinker, A., Zhu, M., Cai, Q., & Tian, X . (2020). Lateralization in the dichotic listening of tones is influenced by the content of speech. Neuropsychologia, 140, 107389.
• Teng, X., Ma, M., Yang, J., Blohm, S., Cai, Q., & Tian, X . (2020) Constraint structure of ancient Chinese poetry facilitates speech content grouping. Current Biology, 30(7), 1299-1305.
• Yang, F., Zhu, H., Yu, L., Lu, W., Zhang, C., & Tian, X . (2020) Multi-scale predictions distinctively modulate tone perception in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations. bioRxiv, 204495.
• Yang, J., Cai, Q., & Tian, X . (2020). How do we segment text? Two-stage chunking operation in reading. eNeuro, 7(3), 0425-19.2020.
• Zhang, W., Liu, Y., Wang, X., & Tian, X . (2020). The Dynamic and Task-dependent Representational Transformation Between the Motor and Sensory Systems during Speech Production. Cognitive Neuroscience.
• Liu, X., & Tian, X . (2018). The functional relations among motor-based prediction, sensory goals and feedback in learning non-native speech sounds: Evidence from adult Mandarin Chinese speakers with an auditory feedback masking paradigm. Scientific Reports, 8:11910. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-30399-5
• Tian, X ., Ding, N., Teng, X., Bai, F., & Poeppel, D. (2018) Imagined speech influences perceived loudness of sound. Nature Human Behaviour, 2, 225–234. doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0305-8

Selected Faculty and Student Features

" Neuroscience of Speech and Language Workshop Fosters Interdisciplinary Collaboration " (Xing Tian)

" How do You Measure Measurement? " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" Neuroscience + Mathematics: Better Understanding How We Learn and Memorize " (Sukbin Lim)

" Probing the Corollary Discharge Mechanism: New Insights into Sense of Agency " (Xing Tian, Hao Zhu)

" NYU Shanghai Chief Scientist Explores Current Directions in Visual Perceptual Learning " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" NYU Shanghai Grants First Tenure Awards to Neuroscience, Physics Faculty Members " (Xing Tian)

" Stop Saying “Follow Your Heart” - NYU Shanghai Scientist Finds “What” is Really Behind Your Choice " (Xinying Cai)

" NYU Shanghai Researcher Wins Grant from Joint Sino-German Research Program " (Li Li)

" NYU Shanghai Awards First PhD in Neural Science " (Xiaoyue Zhu)

" NYU Shanghai Chief Scientist Builds First Mathematical Model for How We ‘See’ the World " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" Li Li: Follow Your Heart and Let the Data Speak for Themselves " (Li Li)

" New Research Finds It Possible to Predict Batting Performance in Baseball Players " (Li Li)

" NYU Shanghai Launches Center for Brain Imaging Jointly with ECNU to Facilitate “China Brain Project” " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" Is It Worth the Wait? NYU Shanghai Researchers Investigate How Time Perception Affects Decisions " (Jeff Erlich)

" NYU Shanghai Researchers Uncover Pathways Between Speech Perception and Production " (Xing Tian)

" Who Can Become an Expert? NYU Shanghai Researcher Says General Perceptual Learning Ability Matters " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" NYU Shanghai Chief Scientist Develops a New Method for Visual Field Mapping " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" Using Ancient Chinese Poetry to Study Speech Perception " (Xing Tian)

" NYU Shanghai Professor Identifies New Areas of the Brain Related to Human Locomotion " (Li Li)

" Top Neuroscientist to Lead Research at NYU Shanghai " (Zhong-Lin Lu)

" Studying Rodents to Understand How We Make Decisions " (Jeffrey Erlich, Liujunli Li, Joshua Mōller-Mara , Xiaoyue Zhu)

" Neural Science Researchers Find Brain Region and Process that Turns Decisions to Actions " (Xinying Cai) 

" Testing Your Patience: Professor Digs into How We Decide If it's Worth the Wait " (Jeffrey Erlich)

" Researchers Identify a Brain Region that Integrates Physical Effort into Decision-making " (Xinying Cai)

" Research Gains Insights into Mechanisms for Second Language Acquisition " (Xing Tian)

" Xinying Cai Awarded NSFC Grant " (Xinying Cai)

" Finding a Drive to Drive in Gaming " (Li Li)

" Rats Show Importance of Gradual Accumulation of Evidence in Decision-Making " (Jeffrey Erlich)

Structure of Program

Participating students complete the PhD degree requirements set by the NYU Center for Neural Science and in accordance with the academic policies of NYU GSAS. Each student develops an individualized course and research plan in consultation with the Director of Graduate Study at the NYU Center for Neural Science and the student’s NYU Shanghai faculty advisor. A typical sequence follows:

Begin program with funded research rotation, up to 3 months preceding first Fall semester, to familiarize with NYU Shanghai and faculty as well as lay a foundation for future doctoral study.

Complete PhD coursework at Center for Neural Science alongside other NYU PhD students.

Return to Shanghai for second funded research rotation to solidify relationships with NYU Shanghai faculty and make further progress in research.

Under supervision of NYU Shanghai faculty advisor, pursue dissertation research and continue coursework. Depending on each student’s individualized course of study, return visits to New York may also occur. Complete all required examinations and progress evaluations, both oral and written, leading up to submission and defense of doctoral thesis.

To learn more about the NYU Center for Neural Science PhD program degree requirements, please visit this page .

Application Process and Dates

Applications are to be submitted through the NYU GSAS Application portal , within which students should select the Neural Science PhD as their program of interest, and then indicate their preference for NYU Shanghai by marking the appropriate checkbox when prompted. Applicants will be evaluated by a joint admissions committee of New York and Shanghai faculty. Application requirements are set by the NYU Center for Neural Science and are the same as those for all NYU PhD applicants; however, candidates are recommended to elaborate in their application and personal statements about their specific interests in the NYU Shanghai program and faculty. 

For admission in Fall 2024, the application deadline is December 1, 2023.

Interested students are welcome to contact  Vivien Du , PhD Program Manager, at  [email protected]  with any inquiries or to request more information.

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