CDS Introduces its BS in DS Program
We are delighted to announce the BS in Data Science program in the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University.
Data science is a rapidly growing field that draws from and builds on traditional STEM disciplines to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data. Data scientists must not only have experience with programming and math, they must also have the patience to work on long projects and overcome roadblocks, the ability to communicate effectively, act as team players, and embody a strong commitment to ethical and privacy considerations intrinsic to working with data. Data science is an inherently interdisciplinary field given the diversity of disciplines needed to understand and model processes, which may span natural, physical, social, economic, and humanistic dimensions. The unique organization of CDS allows it to offer DS programs which are truly integrative, providing students not only with exciting career paths but also opportunities for advanced study.
Our data science degree program prepares students with some of the same technical training they would obtain through a traditional STEM degree program, such as computer science. Rather than going in-depth into the discipline, it teaches how to use computer science and math and statistics tools to build models from data that can be used to understand phenomena, answer a question, etc.
Anchored in foundational, applied, integrative, and in-the-field training, the program is designed to provide students with ample opportunities to pursue a minor in a discipline, for which data-driven inquiry is prevalent – from natural, biomedical, social, and management sciences to arts and humanities. The program focuses on aspects of mathematics, statistics, algorithmics, informatics, and software engineering that are relevant to the manipulation, analysis, and actionable use of complex data assets. To gain a deep appreciation of the human and social contexts, the regulatory and institutional structures, and the ethical and professional practices that shape technical work around computing and data science, the program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to carry out the full cycle of data-driven investigative inquiry in real-world settings. The program also allows students to develop their knowledge and skills through experiential learning opportunities, including internships, and work with faculty whose work is interdisciplinary in nature. Foundational to the CDS learning experience is providing students the integrative skills necessary to apply data science to domain-specific questions. This has been a core feature of the experiential learning experiences offered through Spark! and will be expanded through CDS.
Starting in the fall of 2021, the first phase of the program's rollout will allow students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at BU to apply for transfer to CDS and to declare the DS as a major through an Intra-University Transfer (IUT) process. In fall of 2022, the second phase allows direct application and admission of first year students to CDS as well as students who transfer to BU from another institution in their sophomore or junior years. In addition to courses offered through CDS, such as DS 100 Data Speaks Louder Than Words, courses that could be used towards the data science major include many from the existing inventory of course offerings at BU, from cognate departments and others.
The launch of the Data Science BS program will open up opportunities for students at BU to “mix and match” their interest in data science with other courses of study. Graduates from the program will be ready to contribute to the art, science, and engineering of the data- driven processes that are woven into all aspects of society, economy, and public discourse. They will be ready to pursue careers in which they contribute to the synthesis of knowledge through methodical, generalizable, and scalable extraction of insights from data, as well as to the design of new information systems and products that enable actionable use of those insights towards discovery and innovation in a wide range of application domains.