How to Apply

Current undergraduate and graduate students apply here for Fall 2024 – Spring 2025.
Incoming students starting in Spring or Fall 2024 can apply here for Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 after you have accepted your Purdue offer and signed your housing contract.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • All students must be able to attend in person classes each week and reside in the U.S.
  • First-year students are strongly encouraged to live in Hillenbrand Hall or other Data Mine designated residence space.
  • Continuing undergraduate students are welcome to live in Hillenbrand Hall or other Data Mine designated residence space, but not required.

All undergraduate students are required to take the 1 credit hour data science seminar in fall and spring semester. You can choose to only take this class (general cohort) or add additional credits (see cohorts below).

A learning community is a group of students who live and learn together. They share a common interest or major and take classes and do extra activities together. There will be at least one faculty member who leads the learning community, and that faculty member will get to know the students through meals and activities.

The Data Mine is a learning community for students from any major who are interested in learning data science skills in a supportive environment. There are almost 1,300 students in The Data Mine, 12 staff members, over 125 teaching assistants, and dozens of faculty members.

  • Both fall and spring semesters, take a 1 credit hour data science computing seminar in Hillenbrand Hall. This seminar involves giving you practice working with huge data sets on a research computing cluster.
  • Attend special events like dinners with or talks by alumni and guests, participate in hackathons, and receive career mentoring.
  • Join one of the ~15 specialty cohorts, including the Corporate Partners cohort, for 3 additional credits of data science-related research or class. If you cannott fit 3 credit hours into your schedule, you can join The Data Mine general cohort, which is just the 1-credit seminar.
  • No matter what your major, data science will be important for your future success. Everybody needs to be data literate in a data-driven world.
  • Learn in a diverse, supportive environment right in your own residence hall.

Anybody! No background in data science required, just interest. Every major is welcome.

First-year students will live in Hillenbrand Hall or other Data Mine designated space, which is still being determined for AY 2023-24. More information to come.

You can participate all four years of your undergraduate studies and join at time. Graduate students are also welcome to join.

General Cohort

Students in the General Cohort only take the 1 credit hour data science seminar in the fall and spring semesters.

Corporate Partners

The Data Mine Corporate Partners cohort is the most popular cohort selected by students. It is a two semester commitment in the fall and spring semesters.

Each semester, students take the 1 credit hour data science seminar in the fall and spring semester. The 1 credit hour data science seminar is optional for graduate students.

Click here for an overview of the program. In academic year 2022-23, there are 70 available projects. We expect 85+ projects in academic year 2023-24.