Why the Data Science Certificate
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers several related undergraduate and master’s level programs, including actuarial science, statistics, data science, predictive analytics, and mathematical finance. This certificate program, as well as our other certificate program and master’s degrees, may be completed entirely online or face-to-face.
There is a universal need for individuals with strong problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to communicate complex ideas in clear, nontechnical ways. In particular, with the advent of information technology, artificial intelligence, and big data, the demand for data scientists has exploded across industries. The career outlook for these individuals is excellent.
This online program is intended for individuals with bachelor’s degrees who want to learn modern data science techniques without completing a master’s degree. The certificate can be earned by taking just one or two courses at a time for three or four sixteen-week semesters. Students come from various academic backgrounds including economics, business, mathematics, statistics, computer science, actuarial science, engineering, and physics. This program prepares students for employment or further graduate study in areas including statistics, data science, computer science, economics, and engineering. Many of our graduates already working in data-related capacities, and need to take a few courses on how to handle data and build models. This certificate serves that purpose. All courses comprising this certificate count toward the master’s in predictive analytics: students who complete this certificate may then complete the entire MS degree after five additional courses.
The program faculty members are seasoned graduate-level professors of mathematics
and statistics.
They combine theory with real-life industrial applications, providing quality learning
experiences. All full-time faculty members hold terminal degrees in mathematical
or statistical fields, and part-time faculty members have many years of industrial
experience. Many faculty members are engaged in multi-disciplinary research and are
active in local, state, or national professional mathematics or statistics organizations.
Admission Requirements
For information related to admission requirements or to view the courses within each program, please visit the graduate bulletin.
What Will I Learn
- demonstrate understanding of statistics by building and interpreting appropriate statistical models from real-world data.
- are trained on current statistical and data science software, including R, Python, and SAS.
- can clearly communicate findings in written and oral reports.