Data Science Major Requirements
Data Science Major Declaration Requirement
Prior to declaring the major in Data Science, students are required to complete 3 courses that provide the student with experience in fundamental components of Data Science: statistics, mathematics, and programing. For the list of the courses students are required to complete, see the Data Science Major Declaration Requirement section found at the bottom of this page.
Major in Data Science Requirements (19 units)
Required Related Courses (8 units)
Required Major Courses (11 units)
Required Related Courses (8 units)
Mathematics (5 units)
Technical and Domain Science electives (2 units)
Ethics elective (1 unit)
Mathematics (5 units)
MATH 220-1 Single-Variable Differential Calculus
MATH 220-2 Single-Variable Integral Calculus
MATH 230-1 Multivariable Differential Calculus
MATH 235-0/STAT 228-0 Series and Multiple Integrals (Data Science majors should register for STAT 228-0) - can be replaced by MATH 226 & MATH 230-2 or their equivalents
MATH 240-0 Linear algebra
(Note: MATH 220-1, 2 or MATH 230-1 or MATH 240-0 can be replaced by their equivalent courses)
Technical and Domain Science Electives (2 units)
This requirement is designed to assist students in deepening technical and/or domain knowledge. Students can opt to take any 2 courses from the Technical and/or Domain Science Electives pre-approved course list. Because these are required related courses, they can also be used to fulfill other degree requirements. If students would like to request approval of a course or courses not on the pre-approved course list, they should submit the course name and number, course description, and whenever possible a copy of the course syllabus to the Director of Data Science.
Ethics Elective (1 unit)
This requirement is designed to expose students to ethical reasoning and considerations that will assist them in becoming ethical data science practitioners. Students can opt to take course from the Ethics Elective pre-approved course list . Because this is required related course, it can also be used to fulfill other degree requirements. If students would like to request approval of a course not on the pre-approved course list, they should submit the course name and number, course description, and whenever possible a copy of the course syllabus to the Director of Data Science.
Required Major Courses (11 units)
Foundational courses (4 units)
Data Science core courses (6 units)
Capstone experience course (1 unit)
Foundational courses (4 units)
Introductory Programming Requirement: STAT 201-0 Introduction to Programming for Data Science (or COMP_SCI 110-0)
- an Introduction to Programming course is required
- Students who take COMP_SCI 110-0 are responsible for independently learning topics covered in STAT 201-0 that are not covered in COMP_SCI 110-0 before taking a STAT course for which STAT 201-0 is a prerequisite. STAT 201-0 topics not covered in COMP_SCI 110-0
Introductory Statistics Requirement: STAT 202-0 Introduction to Statistics and Data Science (or STAT 210-0 or STAT 232-0)
- an Introduction to Statistics course is required
- STAT 202-0 includes a brief introduction to the statistical programming language R, while STAT 210 instead spends more time covering the basic elements of mathematical probability.
STAT 320-1 Statistical Theory and Methods 1
- Co-requisites for Data Science majors: STAT 202-0 (or STAT 210-0 or STAT 232-0) and STAT 228-0 (or MATH 226-0 and MATH 230-2)
- Students who haven’t taken MATH 226 + MATH 230-2 must take STAT 228 before or concurrently with STAT 320-1
- NOTE: May not receive credit for both STAT 320-1 and any of STAT 383-0, MATH 310-1, MATH 311-1, MATH 314-0, MATH 385-0, ELEC_ENGR 302-0, or IEMS 302-0 (formerly IEMS 202-0)
STAT 320-2 Statistical Theory and Methods 2
- Prerequisite: STAT 320-1 (or equivalent listed above)*
- If you take a STAT 320-1 equivalent course, please see this pdf for information on the topics that may not be covered in the equivalent course but that you will be required to understand for STAT 320-2. Students who have not taken STAT 320-1 are responsible for independently learning these topics prior to starting STAT 320-2.
Data science core courses (6 units)
STAT 304-0 Data Structures and Algorithms for Data Science
- Prerequisites: STAT 201-0 (or COMP_SCI 110-0) and and STAT 202-0 (or STAT 210-0 or STAT 232-0)
- Can be replaced by COMP_SCI 214-0
- Enrollment in STAT 304-0 is restricted to declared Data Science majors. Statistics majors and Data Science minors by department permission if space allows
STAT 305-0 Information Management for Data Science
- Prerequisites: STAT 201-0 (or COMP_SCI 110) and STAT 202 (or STAT 210 or STAT 232)
- Can be replaced by COMP_SCI 217-0
- Enrollment in STAT 305-0 is restricted to declared Data Science majors. Statistics majors and Data Science minors by department permission if space allows.
STAT 303-1, 2, 3 Data Science 1, 2, 3 with Python or STAT 301-1, 2, 3 Data Science 1, 2, 3 with R**
- Prerequisite: STAT 201-0 (or COMP_SCI 110-0) and STAT 202-0 (or STAT 210-0 or STAT 232-0)
- Courses must be taken in the quarters assigned at declaration
- **Students electing to take Data Science 1, 2, 3 with R should be aware that many of the other required courses for the major will require a knowledge of Python.
STAT 362-0 Advanced Machine Learning for Data Science
- Prerequisites: STAT 301-3 or STAT 303-3
- Co-requisite: MATH 240-0
- Enrollment in STAT 362-0 is restricted to declared Data Science majors. Statistics majors and Data Science minors by department permission if space allows
Capstone experience course (1 unit)
STAT 390-0 Data Science Project
- Prerequisites: STAT 301-3 or STAT 303-3
- Enrollment in STAT 390-0 is restricted to declared Data Science majors
- STAT 390-0 Data Science Project is designed to be taken at the end of the data science major coursework.
Data Science Major Declaration Requirement
Data Science Major Declaration Requirement
Prior to declaring the major in Data Science, students are required to complete 3 courses that provide the student with experience in the fundamental components of Data Science:
- STAT 201-0 or COMP_SCI 110-0*
- STAT 202-0 or STAT 210-0 or STAT 232-0 (may be fulfilled by receiving AP credit for STAT 210-0)
- One of the MATH courses required for the major (MATH 220-1, 2 or MATH 230-1 or MATH 240-0 or their equivalent courses) taken at Northwestern. Which MATH course a student will take as their first MATH course at Northwestern depends on their placement as determined by AP/IB credit and the Mathematics Department as well as the MATH sequence requirements of any other majors/minors the student intends to pursue. Please see https://www.math.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/first-year-focus/index.html for more guidance on MATH courses.
Students may begin the pre-advising portion of the declaration process for the major as soon as they have started the second of the three required courses.
We suggest First Year students who wish to declare the major complete the 3 required courses in their first two quarters they are at Northwestern.
We recommend all students interested in either the Data Science major or minor join the Data Science Interest List (opens Sept 1 each year). This list helps the department communicate with students interested in the major/minor and prepare them for their declaration process.
*Students who take COMP_SCI 110-0 are responsible for independently learning topics covered in STAT 201-0 that are not covered in COMP_SCI 110-0 before taking a STAT course for which STAT 201-0 is a prerequisite. STAT 201-0 topics not covered in COMP_SCI 110-0