BS Data Science

Across business, industry, government, and nearly all scientific efforts, the explosion of data and data collection drives a growing need to manage, analyze, and extract insight and knowledge from the data produced. Not only must scientists and engineers grapple with Political Science vast volumes of data, but throughout business and industry, from entry-level technician to executive, the ability to reason effectively using data continues to grow in importance. The skillset required to excel in that environment lies at the intersection of mathematics, statistics, and computational science. The emerging discipline of Data Science addresses that interdisciplinary space, and the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has identified this discipline as a critical enabler for tackling many real-world problems. 

The BS in Data Science provides students the opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary, data-focused skillset and then apply those skills to real-world challenges. The program provides strong preparation in critical aspects of working with data by thorough grounding in mathematics and statistics and the foundations of computer science as related to data and data processing. The program provides an early focus on foundational competencies across the spectrum of the science of data. Once that baseline is established, students are expected to apply those skills in specific domains of interest to them, with a significant component of the curriculum based on team projects and experiential learning. 

In addition to the major in Data Science, the Mathematics Department offers separate majors in: 

• Mathematics, with more emphasis on abstract mathematics and proof, including coursework that helps students to prepare for graduate study in math or statistics. 
• Applied Mathematics and Statistics, which provides a broader range of courses applicable to many business, engineering, and industrial math applications.