Concentration
Data Science
Mathematics majors with a concentration in data science are equipped with skills to extract and analyze information from large datasets.
The concentration in Data Science equips students with skills in data-oriented programming languages, visualization software, data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets.
Program Goals
The courses in the Concentration in Data Science - and the Data Science Minor - have been designed with a constructivist approach, emphasizing hands-on, experiential learning opportunities where students engage with real-world datasets and problems. Students will build their understanding of data science concepts through experimentation, problem-solving, and reflection. For experiential learning, the program requires an on-campus practicum (MATH 405) as well as an internship experience (MATH 498).
The programmatic goals are to:
- Equipping students with foundational knowledge in statistics, mathematics, and computer science.
- Developing proficiency in data manipulation, analysis, visualization, and interpretation using relevant tools and technologies.
- Cultivating critical thinking, problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making skills through hands-on projects and real-world applications.
- Fostering collaboration, communication, and teamwork abilities essential for effective interdisciplinary work in data science contexts.
- Promoting ethical awareness and responsible conduct in handling data, considering privacy, security, bias, and societal implications.
- Preparing students for diverse career pathways in data science, including roles in industry, academia, government, and non-profit sectors.
Program Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Formulate and refine data science questions relevant to a given problem.
- Collect, clean, and transform data from a variety of sources.
- Perform exploratory data analysis to generate insights and inform model selection.
- Evaluate model performance using appropriate metrics.
- Communicate findings effectively through presentations.
- Write a report based on hypotheses, datasets, models implemented, and outcomes of the work.
- Work effectively in teams to manage and execute data science projects.
Career Pathways
Graduates with a Concentration in Data Science are positioned to:
- Secure employment as a Data Scientist/Data Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Business Intelligence Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Architect, Research Scientist or Data Consultant;
- Attend graduate school for masters or doctoral degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science or Statistics.
