Academic Programs Catalog

The Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science is designed to provide students with a strong background in data science using a broad range of computational techniques, practice in statistical thinking, as well as in-depth exposure to topics in data science.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Data Science

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science.
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Data Science major is met by completing Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering 495, referenced in item 3. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Natural Science for the Bachelor of Science degree.
   1. The following requirements for the major:

      a.	One course from each of the following groups (8 or 10 credits):
      	(1)	CEM	141	General Chemistry				4
      		CEM	151	General and Descriptive Chemistry				4
      		CEM	181H	Honors Chemistry I				4
      		LB	171	Principles of Chemistry I				4
      	(2)	CEM	142	General and Inorganic Chemistry				3
      		CEM	152	Principles of Chemistry				3
      		CEM	182H	Honors Chemistry II				4
      		LB	172	Principles of Chemistry II				3
      	(3)	CEM	161	Chemistry Laboratory I				1
      		CEM	185H	Honors Chemistry Laboratory I				2
      		LB	171L	Introductory Chemistry Laboratory I				1
      b.	One course from each of the following groups (8 to 10 credits):
      	(1)	LB	273	Physics I				4
      		PHY	173	Studio Physics for Scientists and Engineers I				5
      		PHY	183	Physics for Scientists and Engineers I				4
      	(2)	LB	274	Physics II				4
      		PHY	174	Studio Physics for Scientists and Engineers II				5
      		PHY	184	Physics for Scientists and Engineers II				4
      c.	One course from each of the following groups (14 or 15 credits):
      	(1)	LB	118	Calculus I				4
      		MTH	132	Calculus I				3
      		MTH	152H	Honors Calculus I				3
      	(2)	LB	119	Calculus II				4
      		MTH	133	Calculus II				4
      		MTH	153H	Honors Calculus II				4
      	(3)	LB	220	Calculus III				4
      		MTH	234	Multivariable Calculus				4
      		MTH	254H	Honors Multivariable Calculus				4
      	(4)	MTH	314	Matrix Algebra with Computational Applications				3
      d.	One of the following groups (4 or 6 credits):
      	(1)	STT	380	Probability and Statistics for Data Science				4
      	(2)	STT	441	Probability and Statistics I: Probability				3
      		STT	442	Probability and Statistics I: Statistics				3
      e.	All of the following courses (31 credits):
      	CMSE	201	Introduction to Computational Modeling and Data Analysis					4
      	CMSE	202	Computational Modeling Tools and Techniques					4
      	CMSE	381	Fundamentals of Data Science Methods					4
      	CMSE	382	Optimization Methods in Data Science					4
      	CMSE	495	Experiential Learning in Data Science					4
      	CSE	232	Introduction to Programming II					4
      	CSE	331	Algorithms and Data Structures					3
      	STT	180	Introduction to Data Science					4
      f.	A minimum of 12 credits of approved 400-level courses or above. The following courses are eligible to fulfill this requirement. Other may be substituted with advisor approval.
      	CMSE	401	Methods for Parallel Computing					4
      	CMSE	402	Data Visualization Principles and Techniques					3
      	CMSE	410	Computational Biology and Bioinformatics					3
      	CMSE	411	Computational Medicine					3
      	CMSE	492	Special Topics in Data Science					1 to 4
      	CSE	402	Biometrics and Pattern Recognition					3
      	CSE	404	Introduction to Machine Learning					3
      	CSE	440	Introduction to Artificial Intelligence					3
      	CSE	480	Database Systems					3
      	CSE	482	Big Data Analysis					3
      	MTH	468	Predictive Analytics					3
      	STT	464	Statistics for Biologists					3
      	STT	465	Bayesian Statistical Methods					3
      	A maximum of 12 credits may count towards the degree for enrollments in CMSE 492 with advisor approval.

The Minor in Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering complements a students’ major by providing a strong background in computational modeling of a variety of systems using a broad range of computational techniques, functional and object-oriented computer programming, practice in computational thinking, as well as in-depth exposure to some subset of discipline-focused or methodology-focused topics in computational and or data science.

The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University with the exception of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Data Science and the Bachelor of Science Degree in Computational Data Science. With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Students who plan to complete the requirements of the minor should consult the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering.

Requirements for the Minor in Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering

Complete 17 credits from the following: 

The Minor in Data Science, which is administered by the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, is designed to provide students with a strong background in data science using a broad range of computational techniques, practice in statistical thinking, as well as in-depth exposure to topics in data science.

The minor is available as an elective to students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University with the exception of the Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science and the Bachelor of Science Degree in Computational Data Science. With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Students who plan to apply to the program should consult the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering.

Requirements for the Minor in Data Science

Complete a minimum of 23 credits from the following: