Data Science Minor

The Data Science Minor, an interdisciplinary collaboration administered by the Department of
Statistics, is designed to provide students with an understanding of data science, including statistical analysis and inference, computation, and business intelligence. A Minor in Data Science will assist students with their major field of study to apply tools of quantitative analysis and data fluency in that field. It will also prepare students for graduate studies in a multitude of areas where data science plays an important role.

All University of Illinois undergraduate students are eligible to earn the Minor in Data Science, except for those enrolled in a BS degree program for an X+DS major.

Course Registration

Due to the continued growth in the interdisciplinary fields associated with Data Science and high demand for certain courses, some course offerings may hold major restrictions to ensure the highest priority to specific majors. Pursuing a Data Science Minor does not grant a student priority registration rights for restricted courses. Check the Course Explorer for details on individual course restrictions and release timelines.

Major and Minor Overlap

Completion of the Minor in Data Science requires at least six hours of advanced (300 or 400 level) course credit distinct from credit earned for any major or another minor.

That means as long as you have AT LEAST two upper-level courses that count ONLY towards the minor, then other courses can count towards both the minor and your major.

Prerequisites

Some courses in the Data Science Minor have prerequisite courses not in the minor that must be satisfied. For example, students will need to complete a Linear Algebra course (one of MATH 225, MATH 227, MATH 257, MATH 415, MATH 416, ASRM 406) prior to taking CS 307. Prerequisites for all minor courses in the core and among the electives should be followed as written in the Course Explorer. For students interested in potentially moving beyond the DS Minor, note that Calculus I (one of MATH 220, MATH 221, MATH 234) is a required course for all X+DS Majors and may be a prerequisite for certain DS Minor courses.

Minor Requirements

Core DS Courses:

  • STAT/CS/IS 107: Data Science Discovery (4 credit hours)
  • STAT 207: Data Science Exploration (4 credit hours)
  • CS 307: Modeling and Learning in Data Science (4 credit hours)

Note that students must complete a Linear Algebra course (one of MATH 225, MATH 227, MATH 257, MATH 415, MATH 416, ASRM 406) prior to taking CS 307. Completion of Calculus I (one of MATH 220, MATH 221, MATH 234) is also recommended prior to taking CS 307.

Choose TWO courses from the below list of courses in Domain Specific Data Science:

  • ATMS 207: Weather and Climate Data Science (3 credit hours)
  • CS 225: Data Structures (4 credit hours)
  • CS 277: Algorithms and Data Structures for Data Science (4 credit hours)
    Students may use credit from CS 225 or CS 277, but not both.
  • CS 416: Data Visualization (3 credit hours)
  • CS 441: Applied Machine Learning (3 credit hours)
  • GGIS 407: Foundations of CyberGIS & Geospatial Data Science (4 credit hours)
  • IS 357: Introduction to Data Storytelling (3 credit hours)
  • IS 417: Data Science in the Humanities (3 credit hours)
  • IS 445: Data Visualization (3 credit hours)
  • LING 406: Introduction to Computational Linguistics (3 credit hours)
  • STAT 432: Basics of Statistical Learning (3 credit hours)
  • STAT 440: Statistical Data Management (3 credit hours)
  • STAT 447: Data Science Programming Methods (3 credit hours)
  • STAT 480: Big Data Analytics (3 credit hours)

Choose ONE course in Data Ethics

  • IS 467: Ethics and Policy for Data Science (3 credit hours)
  • IS 477: Data Management, Curation & Reproducibility (3 credit hours)

In total, the DS Minor requires a minimum of 21 credit hours, excluding prerequisites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute a different course for something that’s listed in the DS Minor?

As of right now, no substitutions are accepted in the DS Minor. The courses currently required in the minor have been carefully curated from courses presently offered across campus. As data science curricula across the University develop, other courses approved by the steering committee for the Minor in Data Science will be added.

Can courses in the minor also count toward my major?

Students must have two advanced (300- or 400-level) courses that are distinct to the minor. That means you must have two advanced courses that you use ONLY towards the Data Science Minor; the rest of the courses in the Minor can count toward your major or another minor. 

I'm majoring in Statistics; can I used my STAT 4XX electives in both the major and this DS minor?

Yes. For students majoring in Statistics, the distinct hours requirement (see above) is met with CS 307 and the Ethics requirement (IS 467 or IS 477).

Are these courses interchangeable as prerequisites for other courses? For example, if I take CS 277, can that be used in place of CS 225 as a prereq for CS 416?

If a given course specifies it requires one course, then it requires that course. In the above example, CS 277 does not suffice as a prerequisite for CS 416. The Course Explorer shows what the accepted prerequisites are for all courses.

Can I take a course for the DS Minor if I have not satisfied the official prerequisites?

Students should not attempt any course without satisfying the appropriate prerequisites.

Some courses do enforce their prerequisites, which means a student is prevented from registering if the prerequisite is not on their official academic record.

In the context of courses for the DS Minor, one core course, CS 307, requires linear algebra (MATH 225, 227, 257, or 415, or equivalent). Other prerequisites mean students may need to seek out alternative courses in the domain-specific category, depending on their individual level of academic preparation. There are plenty of options available for students to explore!

I want to take Course X for the DS Minor, but I’m getting a major field of study restriction error when I register. Can I register for that course?

Pursuing a Minor in Data Science does not necessarily grant priority registration privileges for courses. That means you’ll need to wait until any applicable restrictions on a given course are lifted before you can register for that course.

Check the Course Explorer or the appropriate department’s website for details on restriction and registration information.

Can I declare the DS Minor?

This minor is open to undergraduate students in ANY major at the University of Illinois, unless you’re pursuing one of the X+DS majors.

Graduate students are not eligible for this minor.

Ready to join the Minor in Data Science?

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