DATSC-BA - Data Science (BA)
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Program Overview
Mission of the Undergraduate Program in Data Science
The undergraduate program in Data Science aims to provide students with an analytical and quantitative foundation for tackling data-driven problems in science, industry, and society. Data science is an interdisciplinary field combining computational and inferential reasoning to extract knowledge or insights from data for use in various applications. It synthesizes the most relevant parts of foundational disciplines to solve particular problems or applications. As more data and new ways of analyzing data become available, our economy, society, and daily life will become even more dependent on our ability to learn from data systematically.
Students pursuing a BA in Data Science with the Social Systems subplan will develop a rigorous understanding of methods and approaches from computer science, statistics, and the social sciences. They will learn to apply technical tools to address substantive problems in that domain. They will develop multiple fluencies in computational methods, broad domain knowledge and applications of social science, and the moral and political frameworks shaping social systems. The BA in Data Science with the Social Systems subplan is an ideal major to prepare students for work in the technology sector and a range of industries that require integrating quantitative thinking with an understanding of human behavior or public policy or for careers in the public and social sectors where data-intensive approaches are prized.
Students pursuing a BA in Data Science with the Artistic and Cultural Analysis subplan will learn to integrate a comprehensive knowledge of Data Science methods and theories alongside core critical thinking and creative skills from humanistic study and artistic practice. They will learn how to apply quantitative and statistical methods to the study of cultural and aesthetic objects; discover how data can change our understanding of history; practice the integration of computation into the creative process; and think critically and philosophically about the role of data in society, culture, and the arts. Students will gain fluency in a broad range of computational and statistical methods and will learn how to apply these skills to a variety of disciplinary domains including philosophy, history, literature, art, and cultural studies. The BA in Data Science with the Artistic and Cultural Analysis subplan will prepare students to work in industries and sectors where a deep knowledge of data science, creative thinking, and critical problem-solving skills are prized.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
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Most students should take CS 106A. However, students who have experience with programming but not Python can take course instead. Note that course (the required gateway course) uses Python.
For students with prior experience in Python who successfully complete DATASCI 112 without taking CS 106A, CS 106A can be waived.
- 1172571
- 2244902
- 1172891
- 2254081
- 2012081
- 1042771
OR 2253771
OR 2193641
Pre-Approved Substitutions: We recommend all students take the standard courses shown above. However, to provide flexibility, students may use up to two of the following pre-approved substitutions within the Data Science Core without additional approval. Students requesting more than two substitutions must submit the Data Science Requirement Inquiry Form and obtain approval from the program directors.
Required course: course | Approved substitutions: course, course, or course
Required course: course | Approved substitutions: course or course
Advanced Alternatives: Students interested in more advanced alternatives to the standard courses may also choose from the following. Students may take any number of advanced alternatives:
The Extended Core is specific to each version of the data science major and offers additional coursework in the methods and frameworks used in each program's theoretical and applied areas of study.
Students must fulfill the Extended Core that aligns with their subplan.
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- 1254201
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- 2260352
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- 1055861
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- 1222691
Students who identify another course that explores the intersection between data, technology, and ethics may submit the Data Science Requirement Inquiry Form to obtain approval from the program.
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- 1057301
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Students who identify another course that explores the intersection between data, technology, and ethics may submit the Data Science Requirement Inquiry Form to obtain approval from the Program Director.
Students must fulfill the WIM requirement that aligns with their subplan.
Most students pursuing the Data Science B.A. with the social systems subplan will complete the Data Science Practicum (DATASCI 192A/B), which double-counts to satisfy both the capstone and WIM requirements.
In special instances, students can apply to fulfill the capstone requirement through conducting an independent data science research project under the supervision of a professor (see capstone requirement for more details), in which case they must take DATASCI 120 to satisfy the WIM requirement.
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AND 2253501
All students pursuing the Artistic and Cultural Analysis subplan must complete the following as their WIM.
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The capstone is a culminating experience completed during senior year. Students must fulfill the capstone requirement that aligns with their subplan. In addition, each student must participate in the final Capstone Showcase in spring of their senior year.
Most students pursuing the Data Science & Social Systems B.A. will complete the Data Science Practicum (DATASCI 192A/B) for their capstone, which double-counts to satisfy both the capstone and WIM requirements.
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In special instances, completing DATASCI 120 and an independent research project in data science could also be considered for the capstone requirement; the project must be pre-approved by the program directors, substantially use techniques from upper-division Data Science coursework, connect to a social issue (typically related to the student’s pathway), and be completed during senior year.
By the final study list deadline of autumn quarter during senior year, students should join the Canvas page for Independent Research Projects.
During autumn quarter of senior year, students should find a professor who agrees to supervise the research project.
By the last day of classes of autumn quarter, students must complete the Proposal to Use Independent Research for Data Science & Social Systems B.A. Capstone form, have it approved by the research advisor, and submit it to the Canvas page for Independent Research Projects. Approval must be obtained from the program directors through this process.
Students should enroll in course (independent study) for a letter grade with the supervising professor in every quarter until they finish conducting the research and creating the report/poster.
To complete the capstone, the student must submit a final report and approval form signed by their research advisor.
Students who use an independent research project to fulfill the capstone requirement will need to take DATASCI 120 (Data Narratives) to fulfill the WIM requirement. DATASCI 120 complements independent research, and it can be taken before or concurrently with working on the project.
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All students pursuing the Artistic and Cultural Analysis subplan must complete the following as their capstone.
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The pathway is an opportunity for students to develop specific expertise on a topic they are passionate about and where data science methods and approaches have something compelling to offer. Students must choose one of the following pathways or develop their own, with guidance and approval from the program.
Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
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Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
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- 2260941
- 2244981
- 2102451
To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Neuroscience
Cognitive Science.
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To encourage students to pick a coherent set of courses, the set of courses will be approved by the data science program.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
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- 2144841
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- 2271742
- 2171981
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Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
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- 2237382
- 2244981
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To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
EARTHSYS 106 must be taken for 5 units to count toward the pathway.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas: Energy, Climate, Oceans, Food, Policy. For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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Students who take ENERGY 177A/B must enroll for three units each quarter to use these classes toward the pathway.
Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
- 1132461
- 2277031
- 2270351
- 1132501
- 2171981
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- 1237681
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Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
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To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Labor Markets, Human Capital & Inequality
Race, Gender, Immigration & Inequality
Policy Options & Inequality Movements
Development Economics & Political Economy
Sustainable Development
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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Students who take ENERGY 177A/B must enroll for three units each quarter to use these classes toward the pathway.
Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
- 1132501
- 2025561
- 2171981
- 1170141
- 1237681
- 1408383
- 2045911
- 1243891
Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
- 2237382
- 2261362
- 2244981
- 2094801
- 2252401
- 2230602
To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Policy & Context
Race, Ethnicity, Diversity & Inequality
Educational Research Methods
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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- 1244784
Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
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- 1132501
- 2171981
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- 1237681
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Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic
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To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
U.S. Healthcare System
Health Disparities & Social Determinants of Health
Global Health
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
CS 124 is required for all students in this pathway.
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Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
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- 2244981
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- 2226372
- 2079792
To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Processing & Learning Language
Language & Digital Media
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
- 2023101
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- 2197201
- 2181541
- 2041791
- 2213771
- 2011661
- 2183662
- 1207061
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Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
- 2270351
- 2270141
- 1132501
- 2171981
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- 1170141
- 2049951
- 1237681
- 1243891
Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
- 2170121
- 2237382
- 2244981
- 2213951
- 2117621
- 1129651
- 2269392
To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Constitutional Law
Justice & Inequality
Law & Economics
Law & Technology
Political Institutions
Political Economy
Political Behavior
Democratization & Political Change
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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- 2136501
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Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
- 2196001
- 2171981
- 1170141
- 2126633
- 1237681
- 1408383
- 1243891
- 1244741
Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
- 2216302
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- 2202891
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To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses in Content Production.
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Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
- 2270351
- 2196001
- 1132501
- 2171981
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- 1170141
- 1237681
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- 1244741
Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
- 2216302
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- 2213951
- 2237382
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To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Governance & Politics
Data & Society
Markets & Incentives
Building Better Technologies
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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Complete seven total courses, at least two from each category (Foundation, Intersection, Context).
Courses must span at least two social science disciplines.
To support students in selecting balanced pathway coursework, students will be required to meet with the data science team to discuss their planned pathway courses and receive final program approval.
Foundation Courses introduce students to the social sciences through survey or introductory courses relevant to the pathway.
- 2144841
- 2277031
- 1132501
- 2171981
- 1170141
- 1237681
- 1243891
- 2203221
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- 1244741
Intersection Courses give students the opportunity to work with data or apply computational methods within their pathway topic.
- 2237382
- 2244981
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- 2271901
- 2195971
To use DATASCI 120 toward the pathway, students must submit the Request to use DATASCI 120 for Pathway form and receive program approval.
To use DATASCI 199 toward the pathway, students must enroll for at least 2 units and conduct research relevant to the pathway under supervision of a faculty advisor.
Context Courses provide additional knowledge on topics or methods used in this area of study. This pathway covers courses from the following areas:
Cities
Inequality
Contemporary Urban Issues
Environmental Planning
For recommended courses within each area, please see our website.
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Upon declaring, students in this subplan will select one of the following four pathways as their primary concentration:
Analysis (applying methods of data science to the study of cultural or artistic objects);
Archive (understanding new data driven methods for storing and accessing the cultural record);
Creation (making and designing artistic objects or visualizations using data);
Critique (applying humanistic methods to critique computational or quantitative objects or processes).
Students must complete a total of at least 4 foundation classes for a total of 15-20 units. This must include 2 classes from their chosen pathway and 2 classes that cover 2 of the remaining 3 pathways.
Students must complete a total of at least 4 foundation classes for a total of 15-20 units. This must include 2 classes from their chosen pathway and 2 classes that cover 2 of the remaining 3 pathways.
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Students must complete a total of at least 4 foundation classes for a total of 15-20 units. This must include 2 classes from their chosen pathway and 2 classes that cover 2 of the remaining 3 pathways.
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Note that any of the Doing History (HISTORY 200) seminars count towards this requirement.
Students must complete a total of at least 4 foundation classes for a total of 15-20 units. This must include 2 classes from their chosen pathway and 2 classes that cover 2 of the remaining 3 pathways.
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Students must complete a total of at least 4 foundation classes for a total of 15-20 units. This must include 2 classes from their chosen pathway and 2 classes that cover 2 of the remaining 3 pathways.
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Students will work with their advisor and the program administration to select 12-16 units of advanced coursework within their chosen pathway:
Analysis (applying methods of data science to the study of cultural or artistic objects);
Archive (understanding new data driven methods for storing and accessing the cultural record).
Creation (making and designing artistic objects or visualizations using data);
Critique (applying humanistic methods to critique computational or quantitative objects or processes);
Given the interdisciplinary nature of the program, students may submit the Data Science Requirement Inquiry Form to include additional courses not in the lists below towards their advanced class requirements.
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