In general, learners are expected to complete the MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science (SDS) in less than five years—though most learners should be able to complete it in less time.
The Course Certificates earned from each SDS MicroMasters course qualify you to take the Capstone Exam within five years of issue.
This means that if you pass your first SDS MicroMasters Course on the Verified (Paid) enrollment track—earning its Course Certificate—during the Fall 2025 semester, you would need to earn the Course Certificates for all of the other SDS Content Courses required to complete your chosen Program Track by the Summer 2030 semester to be eligible to take the Capstone Exam in the following semester (Fall 2030) without needing to retake any courses.
Note that, because the SDS Capstone Exam is not available in all three semesters, the time limit may be effectively shorter by at least one semester in some cases, depending on when you earn your first Course Certificate.
However, this 5-year time limit for obtaining the SDS MicroMasters Program Credential is not completely strict. It can be extended in certain situations. If you are concerned about reaching the 5-year limit, you should reach out to SDS Support—via the "Contact Us" button at the bottom of this page, or via email at sds-mm@mit.edu—within 1-2 semesters of the time limit. Please clearly communicate your request for an extension, specifying when you plan to take the SDS Capstone Exam. The SDS MicroMasters team will review all such requests for approval at the appropriate time.