To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 216 |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
Purpose Statement
Because the amount of global information collected is increasing rapidly due to technological advances, businesses and organizations that can utilize that information stand to benefit. Those organizations need people with the unique skillsets to store, access, and manipulate large sets of data; visualize and model relationships present; and draw actionable inference to make data-informed decisions.
Our students learn the fundamentals of computer science to facilitate the automation of tedious tasks, data storage, and algorithmic problem solving. They also learn statistical science foundations to inform data collection methods, model linear and non-linear relationships, and create predictive models. Students will be exposed to real data drawn from many different fields and have hands-on experience in how data insights are made.
Students with a Bachelor of Science degree in data science could pursue jobs as a business analyst, actuary, and data scientist for both public and private organizations in a diverse set of fields such as research, engineering, finance, marketing and public health.
Student Learning Outcomes
This major requires 58 to 60 units.
Take the following 58 - 60 units with Grade of "C" or better
The required course work is in statistics and computer science with the upper-division statistics courses utilizing the program competency acquired. Students are encouraged to pursue a minor in another field of interest in order to gain deep understanding of the challenges and needs that can be addressed by data science.
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.