The major in Data Science provides students technical expertise in mathematics, statistics, and computer science and prepares them to seek employment or pursue graduate study in this rapidly growing field. This flexible major includes a senior project, practicum, and a cognate in a related academic area.
What is Data Science?
Data Scientists develop computational tools to pull usable information from large data sets. At any given time, about 50% of all human-created data worldwide is less than 2 years old. Data Scientists gather this "big data", use computers to process it into standard forms, apply statistical algorithms to detect patterns, and prepare reports on the meaning behind the numbers. For example, Spotify collects millions of observations of which groups of users are listening to which genres of music in order to recommend other songs a subscriber might enjoy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What are the Career Prospects for Data Science Degrees?
The Data Science profession has skyrocketed over the last decade. Glassdoor has listed data science as one of the top three “best jobs in America” every year since 2016. Job growth is expected to be 36% over the decade 2021-2031 (over 40,000 new jobs) with a median annual salary of $101,000*.
*https://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/data-scientists.htm
What Does a Degree in Data Science Prepare You to Do?
The program builds interdisciplinary expertise in mathematics, statistics, and computer science, preparing students to seek employment directly or to first pursue graduate study. The program also emphasizes the ethical use of data from a Christian perspective, the technical expertise for applying analysis techniques to “big data,” and the ability to extrapolate solutions and make realistic recommendations to society.
Career Paths
Operations Research Analyst
Computer and Information Research Scientist
Statistician
Investment Analyst
Quantitative Financial Analyst
Survey Researcher
Search more jobs for this degree.
Courses
Data Science major (56-60 credits) combines Statistics, Computer Science, and coursework in an application area chosen by the student. Students complete both a one-year senior project and an off-campus internship to get real-world experience. In addition to existing classes such as Applied Statistics, Math Modeling, Database Programming, and Statistical Learning with R, the major includes two new courses, both heavily using data science software such as Python and R.
Data Science minor (22-28 credits) is available since many jobs other than data scientist need the analytical skills developed in the major.
One of the best ways to discover a degree program is to check out the course listings. Preview the courses for Data Science at Indiana Wesleyan University using the course catalog.