Data Science Minor Requirements

Introduction to Data Science (3 hours)

DS 1000 is an introduction to data science and provides a broad overview of data science applications and techniques. As an introductory course, students are highly encouraged to take DS 1000 early in their academic careers, and should not depend on enrollment in this course in their senior year.

Students who are currently enrolled in or have already taken DS 3100 or PSCI 2300 may also request substitutions which will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please fill out the DS 1000 substitution form here for consideration. Email undergraduate.datascience@vanderbilt.edu if you have questions and for substitution approvals.

Computer Programming (3 hours)

One of the following (see also What Programming Course To Take?):

Introduction to Statistics (3 hours)

One of the following:

Data Science Fundamentals (4 hours)

Machine Learning (3 hours)

One of the following:

Elective (3 hours)

One course from the list of electives below.

Electives in data science are courses with various combinations of computation, visualization, simulation, statistics, psychometrics, and/or machine learning aimed at understanding and explaining data in the physical, life, or social sciences, engineering, arts, or the humanities, or courses that examine the impact of data on society and its institutions. Students and faculty are encouraged to petition for new courses with data science content to be considered as electives for the minor.

A. Intermediate / Advanced Programming, Modeling, Simulation

B. Intermediate / Advanced Probability, Statistics, and Data Analysis

C. Machine Learning, Visualization, Data Science

D. Research Hours in Data Science

The minor in Data Science is jointly administered by the Blair School of Music, the College of Arts and Science, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and the School of Engineering; it is an official minor within each of the four schools.

Students electing the undergraduate minor in Data Science must follow academic regulations regarding minors in their home school, including but not limited to regulations regarding unique hours. Additional credit hours in Data Science that must be earned because of college-specific regulations regarding unique hours must be earned by taking additional courses chosen from the list of electives.

If you have questions about the Data Science Minor or Immersion opportunities in data science, please email us at undergraduate.datascience@vanderbilt.edu.