“If You Know How to Analyze the Data, You Can Find the Answers You Need.”
The University of Houston’s Department of Computer Science introduced a data science minor to their current offerings for undergraduate students. This minor will offer an opportunity for students in different disciplines to learn skills that are in great demand in today’s data-driven world.
Data Science: Making Sense of Massive Amounts of Data
With the advent of new technologies, data is becomingly increasingly more prevalent and valuable. From browsing patterns to wearable technology to metrics about everything from shopping choices to weather patterns, the amount of available data has increased exponentially.
Data science is an interdisciplinary field that makes sense of this information by automatically extracting patterns and making predictions.
“Data science is a critical toolkit for the 21st century,” said Jaspal Subhlok, a professor in computer science.
Skills to Apply Data Science to Different Disciplines
The minor sequence consists of four required courses, plus an elective at the 3000 or 4000 level. The coursework spans the fundamentals of computer science and data science, including computer programming, data visualization, statistical modeling, and machine learning.
Required courses are Computer Science & Programming, Data Programming, and Data Science I and II. This minor teaches the necessary skills for applying data science to different disciplines.
“Every field has challenges involving data science,” Subhlok said. “In the last decade, there is so much more data on everything. If you know how to analyze the data, you can find the answers you need.”
The data science minor is made possible by the support of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute, as well as funding from ConocoPhillips.
- Rachel Fairbank, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics