2026-2027 Catalog

Requirements

The curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of data science, with training in multiple core competencies and in several disciplines. Students must complete 1 core course in computer science, 1 core course in statistics, and 12 additional units in data science electives for a total of 20 units of coursework. The 20 units of coursework must come from at least 3 different departments. The electives must span at least 3 out of the 4 core competencies outlined above.

Minor

 

Required Course:

 
COMP 131Fundamentals of Computer Science

4 units

Students who pass out of COMP 131, demonstrating proficiency without receiving credit (e.g., through the self-placement test) are required to take an additional 4 units of credit from the data science electives.

One of the following statistics courses:

 
BIO 268Biostatistics

4 units

COMP 146Statistics

4 units

MATH 150Statistical Data Analysis

4 units

POLS 300Research Methods in Politics and Public Policy

4 units

PSYC 201Statistics in Psychological Science

4 units

SOC 305Quantitative Research Methods

4 units

Students may take a second statistics course from the list above and count it as an elective. A maximum of two of the listed statistics courses can be applied to the minor.

Electives:

Three elective courses from the following, satisfying at least 3 out of the 4 core competencies across electives. There is no limit to the number of core competencies satisfied by a given elective.

Students may petition the Data Science minor chair to count up to 4 credits from directed research, independent study, or special topics courses toward the minor.

 

Data Preparation Core Competency

 
BIO 260Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems

4 units

BIO 268Biostatistics

4 units

BIO 326Molecular Phylogenetics

4 units

BIO 373Computational Biology

4 units

BLST 263/SOC 263Du Boisian Social Theory and Analysis

4 units

CHEM 201Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry

4 units

CHEM 300Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics - Kinetics

4 units

COGS 201Empirical Methods in Cognitive Science

4 units

COGS 255Data Analysis and Visualization

4 units

COMP 331Natural Language Processing

4 units

COMP 373Databases

4 units

ECON 272Applied Econometrics

4 units

ECON 306Advanced Econometrics

4 units

ECON 307Economic Data Analysis

4 units

LING 351Phonetics

4 units

MATH 332Mathematical Statistics

4 units

PHYS 107Waves

4 units

PHYS 110Introductory Mechanics

4 units

PHYS 115General Physics I

4 units

PHYS 125General Physics II

4 units

PHYS 230Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

4 units

PHYS 240Foundations of Modern Physics

4 units

PHYS 315Advanced Laboratory I

2 units

PHYS 316Advanced Laboratory II

2 units

POLS 300Research Methods in Politics and Public Policy

4 units

PSYC 200Methods in Psychological Science

4 units

PSYC 201Statistics in Psychological Science

4 units

SOC 305Quantitative Research Methods

4 units

UEP 150Geographic Information Science I

4 units

UEP 160Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science

4 units

UEP 305Urban Data Analysis

4 units

 

Data Analysis and Interpretation Core Competency

 
BIO 260Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems

4 units

BIO 268Biostatistics

4 units

BIO 326Molecular Phylogenetics

4 units

BIO 373Computational Biology

4 units

BLST 263/SOC 263Du Boisian Social Theory and Analysis

4 units

CHEM 201Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry

4 units

CHEM 300Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics - Kinetics

4 units

COGS 201Empirical Methods in Cognitive Science

4 units

COGS 243Computational Neuroscience: Minds, Math and Machines

4 units

COGS 255Data Analysis and Visualization

4 units

COGS 346Cognition and Deep Learning

4 units

COMP 146Statistics

4 units

COMP 331Natural Language Processing

4 units

COMP 347Machine Learning

4 units

ECON 272Applied Econometrics

4 units

ECON 306Advanced Econometrics

4 units

ECON 307Economic Data Analysis

4 units

LING 351Phonetics

4 units

MATH 150Statistical Data Analysis

4 units

MATH 330Probability

4 units

MATH 332Mathematical Statistics

4 units

MATH 370Numerical Analysis

4 units

PHYS 107Waves

4 units

PHYS 110Introductory Mechanics

4 units

PHYS 115General Physics I

4 units

PHYS 125General Physics II

4 units

PHYS 230Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

4 units

PHYS 240Foundations of Modern Physics

4 units

PHYS 315Advanced Laboratory I

2 units

PHYS 316Advanced Laboratory II

2 units

POLS 300Research Methods in Politics and Public Policy

4 units

PSYC 200Methods in Psychological Science

4 units

PSYC 201Statistics in Psychological Science

4 units

SOC 305Quantitative Research Methods

4 units

UEP 150Geographic Information Science I

4 units

UEP 160Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science

4 units

UEP 305Urban Data Analysis

4 units

 

Data Science Theory Core Competency

 
BIO 268Biostatistics

4 units

BIO 326Molecular Phylogenetics

4 units

BIO 373Computational Biology

4 units

CHEM 201Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry

4 units

COGS 243Computational Neuroscience: Minds, Math and Machines

4 units

COMP 146Statistics

4 units

COMP 229Data Structures

4 units

COMP 331Natural Language Processing

4 units

COMP 347Machine Learning

4 units

COMP 373Databases

4 units

ECON 272Applied Econometrics

4 units

ECON 306Advanced Econometrics

4 units

MATH 214Linear Algebra

4 units

MATH 330Probability

4 units

MATH 332Mathematical Statistics

4 units

MATH 370Numerical Analysis

4 units

PHIL 150Formal Logic

4 units

PHIL 252Intermediate Formal Logic

4 units

PHYS 110Introductory Mechanics

4 units

PHYS 315Advanced Laboratory I

2 units

PHYS 316Advanced Laboratory II

2 units

POLS 300Research Methods in Politics and Public Policy

4 units

PSYC 200Methods in Psychological Science

4 units

PSYC 201Statistics in Psychological Science

4 units

UEP 305Urban Data Analysis

4 units

 

Applying and Communicating Data Science Core Competency

 
BIO 260Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems

4 units

BIO 268Biostatistics

4 units

BIO 326Molecular Phylogenetics

4 units

BIO 373Computational Biology

4 units

CHEM 201Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry

4 units

COGS 201Empirical Methods in Cognitive Science

4 units

COGS 255Data Analysis and Visualization

4 units

COGS 346Cognition and Deep Learning

4 units

COMP 331Natural Language Processing

4 units

COMP 347Machine Learning

4 units

ECON 272Applied Econometrics

4 units

ECON 306Advanced Econometrics

4 units

ECON 307Economic Data Analysis

4 units

MATH 150Statistical Data Analysis

4 units

MATH 214Linear Algebra

4 units

MATH 330Probability

4 units

MATH 332Mathematical Statistics

4 units

MATH 370Numerical Analysis

4 units

PHIL 331Philosophy of Technology

4 units

PHYS 107Waves

4 units

PHYS 110Introductory Mechanics

4 units

PHYS 115General Physics I

4 units

PHYS 125General Physics II

4 units

PHYS 230Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

4 units

PHYS 240Foundations of Modern Physics

4 units

PHYS 315Advanced Laboratory I

2 units

PHYS 316Advanced Laboratory II

2 units

POLS 300Research Methods in Politics and Public Policy

4 units

PSYC 200Methods in Psychological Science

4 units

PSYC 201Statistics in Psychological Science

4 units

SOC 305Quantitative Research Methods

4 units

UEP 150Geographic Information Science I

4 units

UEP 160Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science

4 units

UEP 305Urban Data Analysis

4 units