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CS92PROD
Digging the Digital Era: A Data Science Primer

QAC 211
Spring 2025
Section: 01  
Course Cluster and Certificates: Applied Data Science Certificate

The course introduces students to the practice of what has come to be known as data science. Using a multidisciplinary approach and data from a variety of sources that cover any aspect of everyday life--from credit card transactions to social media interactions and Web searches--data scientists try to analyze and predict events and behavior. The first part of the course defines the area and introduces basic concepts, tools, and emerging applications that will include a broad introduction to machine learning tools and algorithms. It will include a brief mathematical background and introduction to modeling across disciplines. In part two of the course, we work on data acquisition and management and introduce appropriate programming and data management tools. In part three, we concentrate on basic analytical and visualization techniques as we explore and understand the emerging patterns. Using a learning-by-doing approach in a computing laboratory, students will learn how to write computer programs in R to access, organize, and analyze data through a series of small projects designed to illustrate the application of the techniques we develop for a variety of data sets and situations. The class will include hot topics like big data, privacy, and ethical issues around data, to name a few. Students will also engage in a semester-long project where they will address their own research questions working with "messy data."
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM QAC, SBS QAC
Course Format: Laboratory CourseGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (CADS)(DATA-MN)(HRAD-MN)(PSYC)
Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89%

Last Updated on NOV-23-2024
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