These sample paths serve as a guide for earning a Data Science Certificate. Course offerings vary from year to year; not all courses are offered each semester. Refer to the data science certificate requirements to inform course selection.
Note: Prior knowledge in statistics and programming is strongly recommended for this certificate. Consider taking STAT 100 and CSCI 7 prior to beginning your certificate courses.
You may wish to earn our Programming Certificate before pursuing this certificate.
| Path Options | Description | Course 1 | Course 2 | Milestone 1 | Course 3 | Course 4 | Milestone 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Path A | This path is recommended for students who don’t have a background in data science. You build a strong foundation in statistics in your first course, which prepares you to succeed in subsequent courses. Please be sure to note course prerequisites when selecting your electives and reach out to instructors if you have questions about your preparedness for a course. | Statistics course | Elective course | You begin your studies with a statistics course, followed by an elective. | Elective course | Required data science course | You earn your certificate by completing your second elective and then the required data science course. |
| Path B | This path is recommended for students who have some background in data science. You build a strong foundation in statistics in your first course, which prepares you to succeed in subsequent courses. You complete your certificate with an advanced data science course. Please be sure to note course prerequisites when selecting your electives and reach out to instructors if you have questions about your preparedness for a course. | Statistics course | Elective course | You begin your studies with a statistics course, followed by an elective. | Required data science course | Elective course | You earn your certificate by completing the required data science course and an advanced elective. |
| Path C | If you already have significant experience in the field of data science and feel prepared to take the required data science course as your second certificate course, we recommend the following course path. | Statistics course | Required data science course | You begin your studies with a statistics course. You then take the required data science course, which serves as a prerequisite for your advanced data science coursework. | CSCI 109B: Advanced Topics in Data Science | CSCI 82: Advanced Machine Learning, Data Mining, and Artificial Intelligence | You earn your certificate by completing two advanced electives. |
