Program Overview

Introduction to the Data Science Major

The Data Science major is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental components of Data Science, including statistics, mathematics, and programming. To declare the major, students must complete three courses that provide experience in these areas.

Data Science Major Requirements

The Data Science major requires 19 units of coursework, consisting of required related courses and required major courses.

Required Related Courses (8 units)

• Mathematics (5 units):
  • MATH 220-1 Single-Variable Differential Calculus
  • MATH 220-2 Single-Variable Integral Calculus
  • MATH 230-1 Multivariable Differential Calculus
  • MATH 235-0/STAT 228-0 Series and Multiple Integrals (Data Science majors should register for STAT 228-0)
  • MATH 240-0 Linear algebra
• Technical and Domain Science Electives (2 units): Designed to assist students in deepening their technical skills and/or subject matter knowledge.
• Ethics Elective (1 unit): Exposes students to ethical reasoning and considerations to become ethical data science practitioners.

Required Major Courses (11 units)

• Foundational Courses (4 units):
  • STAT 201-0 Introduction to Programming for Data Science
  • STAT 202-0 Introduction to Statistics and Data Science (or STAT 210-0)
  • STAT 320-1 Statistical Theory and Methods 1
  • STAT 320-2 Statistical Theory and Methods 2
• Data Science Core Courses (6 units):
  • STAT 304-0 Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms
  • STAT 305-0 Information Management for Data Science
  • STAT 303-1, 2, 3 Data Science 1, 2, 3 with Python or STAT 301-1, 2, 3 Data Science 1, 2, 3 with R
  • STAT 362-0 Advanced Machine Learning for Data Science
• Capstone Experience Course (1 unit):
  • STAT 390-0 Data Science Project

Data Science Major Declaration Requirement

Prior to declaring the major in Data Science, students are required to complete three courses that provide the student with experience in the fundamental components of Data Science:

• STAT 201-0
• STAT 202-0 or STAT 210-0
• One of the MATH courses required for the major (MATH 220-1, 2 or MATH 230-1 or MATH 240-0 or their equivalent courses) taken at Northwestern.

Students may begin the pre-advising portion of the declaration process for the major as soon as they have started the second of the three required courses. It is recommended that First Year students who wish to declare the major complete the three required courses in their first two quarters at Northwestern. Interested students are encouraged to join the Data Science Interest List, which helps the department communicate with students interested in the major/minor and prepare them for their declaration process.