Program Tracks

Ph.D. Data Science Program

University of the Philippines, Diliman

There are three program track options for the PhD Data Science graduate program:

Option 1: Straight PhD. This is a track for those admitted to the program with a BS degree. A total of 58-60 units are required including dissertation units
Option 2: Regular PhD. This is a track for those admitted to the program with a master’s degree*. A total of 37 units are required including dissertation units.
Option 3: PhD by Research. This is a track for those admitted with a master’s degree, with research experience beyond the master’s or equivalent degree, and with at least three (3) published papers in data science and related fields, at least one of which as lead/primary-authored publication. A total of 26 units are required inclusive of the dissertation units.

Notes:

*Master’s degree refers to Master’s degree in science or engineering with at least 24 units of graduate courses from a recognized institution of higher learning. Additional requirements will be imposed for those with professional master’s degree and/or may be required to take relevant credit courses before as non-degree being admitted to the program.

Table 1: Total number of units of the courses to be taken in the PhD DS program for different track options: Straight PhD (Option 1); Regular PhD (Option 2); and PhD by Research (Option 3). The requirements are also added for completeness of comparison. The Qualifying exam for Option 2 and Option 3 is waived due to MS degree.

Option 1: Straight PhD Track

This option is for those with a bachelor’s degree in the sciences and engineering, or in other fields relevant or data science. Under this program track, students are required to take graduate courses in mathematical, computational, and statistical methods. These courses, together with DS 301 (Foundations of Data Science), serve as foundational courses so students acquire the necessary minimum competencies to do advanced studies in data science. Compared to Option 2, this program track has more units required for elective courses. These additional units for electives allow the students to appreciate the many applications of data science and further their areas of interest (domain).

Option 2: Regular Ph.D. Track

This option is intended for students with a master’s degree. Students applying for the program are expected to already have the necessary competencies to do advance studies in data science as well as the necessary background and skills in the practice of data science particularly in their domain expertise. Thus, relative to Option 1, this program track has fewer electives and does not require the foundational courses in mathematical, computational, and statistical methods. Applicants with master’s degree without the appropriate level of mathematical, computational, and statistical background may either opt to take Option 1 or enroll in non-degree course/s to attain the required level of competencies.

Option 3: Ph.D. by Research Track

This one is for those with a graduate degree and are proven capable of doing independent research in data science or related disciplines. The student is required to have a research plan prior to enrollment into the program. Under this program track, the student is not required to take any elective course; instead, they shall be enrolled in laboratory and seminar courses to focus their work on research studies and/or publication requirements.

If you are not sure which is the best applicable track for you, you may email the Data Science Graduate Committee (datascience.upd@up.edu.ph). Alternatively, you may also see your identified potential mentor for the program. A view of how a typical program of study looks like is also found in this website.

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