MPS Data Visualization and Communication

The MPS Data Visualization and Communication (DVC) program is tailored to fit those who are not afraid of a world overloaded with information. We give you the fundamental dataviz and interactive storytelling tools to not only confront that world but also to change it. Learn to use data to influence decisions and provoke action. With your compelling designs, you could become a leader in the next generation of data visualization experts.

Why We Stand Out
Our program features a unique hybrid approach to design and data, teaching you advanced design skills as well as the ability to penetrate complex data and to code engaging interfaces.
We are integrated into the New York City business, agency, and analytics communities, so you will meet industry leaders and become part of the New York City dataviz network.
You’ll get the latest insights and techniques, and you’ll learn to define the next trends from faculty who have industry insights and experiences.

More About the Department The MPS Data Visualization and Communication program aims to impart fundamental skills in data visualization and interactive storytelling tailored for a world overloaded with information. While other master's programs focus on data engineering, coding, and business intelligence, very few programs train students in design and communication. This program will combine all of these areas. The MPS DVC program emphasizes the cultivation of job-ready skills and professionalism to broaden career prospects.
 
Students will learn design methods and coding skills for creating data visualizations for use across practices and mindsets. The initial semesters enhance design skills by applying design and code know-how through collaborative problem solving and polished presentations. The third semester focuses on crafting a thesis to use as a standout portfolio piece.

Currently, data visualization is mainly taught in data science, data engineering, and business analytics schools, which focus on data engineering and analysis with limited emphasis on data visualization. Despite various formats for teaching design and data storytelling, there's a lack of comprehensive graduate programs covering this hybrid area. This gap represents a significant opportunity, especially as the intersection of design thinking and data communication becomes increasingly valuable in our information-saturated world.

Creativity and design will soon become the most sought-after skills in the data industry because AI will replace technical skills. Recent studies show that AI has increasing importance in dataviz. We give students a unique ability that is the qualitative difference between those designers who rely on AI and those who use it to their advantage. That distinctive ability comes from being able to present data creatively in a way that uses human stories to build a connection between the audience and the information. Our program will integrate the usage of AI to increase efficiency and to extend the skills of our students, teaching AI tools primarily as a way of understanding, structuring, and engineering data. By using AI to enhance our students’ coding capacity and framework integration, we position AI as a tool to aid creativity rather than replace it.

Through this hybridized approach, we prioritize human connection over technical complexity. Students will master the art of transforming abstract data into meaningful stories that speak to both hearts and minds. Armed with both creative design principles and cutting-edge tools, students will emerge as the next generation of data communicators who can make the invisible visible and the overwhelming understandable, crafting visualizations that inspire empathy and drive positive change.