Data Science, Minor

Although it is an ancient academic discipline, mathematics is still one of today’s most dynamic and influential fields. One aspect of mathematics consists of abstract ideas and challenging problems; recent successes include the proofs of the Poincaré Conjecture, the Sphere-Packing Conjecture, and Fermat’s Last Theorem. The other aspect of mathematics is its use in other human endeavors, where its impact is stunning. Mathematics has always been indispensable in commerce, physics, and engineering. In recent years, mathematics has driven developments in telecommunications, medicine, computers, finance, insurance, weather forecasting, car and airplane design, and many more. All of the mathematics courses in the major introduce new ways of thinking and develop discipline in thinking carefully and expressing this thought through problem solutions or carefully written arguments.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in mathematics are expected to:

• Understand what mathematics and statistics are, how they are done, and how they relate to other disciplines;
• Use the language of mathematics and statistics to communicate basic ideas, techniques, and results;
• Objectively and critically evaluate information and assess performance, using mathematical ideas;
• Demonstrate appreciation for the beauty, utility, and impact of mathematics and statistics;
• Apply mathematical problem-solving techniques in novel situations;
• Use appropriate technology to attack a wide variety of mathematical tasks successfully.

Data Science integrates mathematics, statistics, and computer science to prepare students to fill the rapidly expanding need for data scientists. The data science, statistics, and programming coursework gives students a foundation in data collection, manipulation, exploration and visualization that are relevant for analyzing and manipulating voluminous and/or complex data.

The set of courses that fulfills the minor requirements will total 15 hours. Depending on their major, students may also need to complete prerequisite courses in order to take the courses that fulfill the minor requirements. Prerequisites are listed below in parentheses.

Courses used to fulfill Data Science minor requirements may not be used to fulfill major requirements. Students, especially those majoring in one of Data Science’s main constituent areas (Mathematics, Computer Science, Business), should work with an advisor to ensure that they complete a sufficient number of minor courses that do not also count in the major.