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Data Science

Find Out More

  •   Advisor Names: Jeff Katz, Kimberly McMullen
  •   Advisor Email: Contact by email
  •   Advisor Number: 530-752-1053

Department Website

Major

The data science program will start accepting majors in Fall 2022. The interdisciplinary data science major — a collaborative effort between the College of Letters and Science and the College of Engineering — prepares students to collect, manage and analyze data, to consider the ethical and societal impacts of data science, and to communicate their discoveries effectively.

Real World Outcomes

Data science is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States, with projected job growth of 31% between 2019 and 2029, and 11.5 million job openings by 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data science graduates can apply their skills to a wide array of fields, including biological sciences, business, engineering, data and policy analysis in government, financial management, health care and education. The major will also prepare you for graduate study in data science.

Requirements

The data science major includes a foundations track focused on statistics, mathematics and computer science. An introductory course sequence has been added in “Statistical Data Science.” In computer science, new courses include “Databases for Non-Majors,” “Introduction to Algorithms for Data Science” and “Data Processing Pipelines.” Major requirements also include coursework in statistics, calculus, linear algebra and programming.