Data Science

Data Science majors draw inference from large data generated from a variety of disciplines. Core courses cover mathematical foundations of data science, programming, algorithms, and databases as well as statistical methods for data science. Majors will also learn about data science in practice within subject matter areas.

Students who wish to major in data science must consult a department advisor early in their programs.

Requirements for the Major

The BS in Data Science requires 15 credits of foundational coursework plus a minimum of 56 credits in data science and related coursework. Students must earn a minimum grade of B, within two attempts (including withdrawals), in STA 2023 or STA 3032 and in the calculus sequence MAC 2312 and MAC 2313 (or, for honors students, MAC 3473 and MAC 3474). A minimum grade of C+, likewise within two attempts (including withdrawals), is required in STA 4321. All other required core and major elective courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C, also subject to the two-attempt limit; grades from all attempts (including withdrawals) will be used in computing the minimum GPA. Prerequisites for all courses must be satisfied prior to enrollment; to register for STA 3100 students must have STA 2023 (minimum grade B) or STA 3032 (minimum grade B) or a score of 4 or higher on the AP Statistics exam. Students may not retake core or statistics elective courses after earning the minimum grade of C, except that STA 2023 or STA 3032 and the calculus sequence above may be retaken to attain the required B, and STA 4321 may be retaken to attain the required C+. Students may elect COP 3504C in lieu of COP 3502C and COP 3503C; doing so requires completion of an additional 4 credits to fulfill degree requirements. 

A minimum of 18 credits of major coursework must be taken at UF, including a minimum of 12 credits of core coursework.

Required Foundation Coursework

Required Major Coursework 

¹

minimum grade of B

²

minimum grade of C+

Relevant Minors and Certificates

Data Science majors may want to consider a minor in actuarial science, which prepares students for careers as actuaries. Required courses cover the material for the beginning examinations and VEE credits leading to an associateship in the major national actuarial societies

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

• Complete MAC 2311 or MAC 3472
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Semester 2

• Complete (MAC 2312 or MAC 3473) and (STA 2023 or STA 3032) with minimum grades of B
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Semester 3

• Complete MAC 2313 or MAC 3474 with a minimum grade of B and MAD 2502 
• 2.5 critical-tracking GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Semester 4

• Complete (COP 3502C or COP 3504C) and MAS 3114  and  STA 3100
• 2.65 critical-tracking GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Semester 5

• Complete (COP 3503C or COP 3504C) and (MAD 3107 or COT 3100) and STA 4210 and STA 4321 with a minimum grade of C+ 
• 2.75 critical-tracking GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Semester 6

• Complete COP 3530 and MAS 4115 and STA 4322
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Semesters 7-8

• Complete CIS 4301 and and PHI 3681 and STA 4241 and STA 4273 and one Subject Area elective
• 2.0 UF GPA Required

Students are expected to complete the Writing, Civic Literacy, summer enrollment, and Quest requirements while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically, GE-C, H, or S) as part of the CLAS Basic Distribution requirements. One of the two general education mathematics courses must be a pure math course.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences allows students additional flexibility in its Distribution Requirements. Students may count a maximum of 6 credits TOTAL from the CLAS Distribution course lists towards Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or Biological and Physical Sciences, with no more than 3 credits of Humanities, 3 credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences, or 6 credits of Biological or Physical Sciences.

The full list of major-specific requirements for this major can be found on the Overview tab. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree requirements can be found on the College’s degree requirements page.

MAC 2312, MAC 2313, the Subject Area electives, and the Data Ethics course count towards 3000-level or above electives outside of this multidisciplinary major.

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

¹

MAC 2312 or MAC 3473, and MAC 2313 or MAC 3474, require minimum grade of B

STA 4321 requires minimum grade of C+

²

Degree Requirements

The Data Science major enables students to achieve proficiency in the fundamentals of programming, databases, and statistical reasoning. Through coursework and projects, students will gain knowledge in problem solving, data science applications and ethics, and statistical inference. Emphasis is on developing the ability to approach real world problems and through the use of computing and statistical methods to draw valid scientific inferences.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Complete an exam on the fundamentals of data science, which will be 5% of their grade in STA 4241 .
• Complete a data analysis project, which will be 10% of their grade in STA 4241 .

• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Identify, define, and describe concepts and issues in data science, including those involved in computing and programming, databases, ethics, mathematical foundations, and statistical methods.

Critical Thinking

2. Identify sources of variability and bias in a given set of data and formulate and carefully program an appropriate statistical analysis.

Communication

3. Clearly and effectively present ideas in speech and in writing concerning issues in the proper analysis of data.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Assessment Types

• Exams
• Projects
• Written and oral presentations