Data Science

What is DATA SCIENCE?

Data Science is a new area of specialization being offered at Bowling Green State University. This field integrates math, statistics, and computer science to prepare for the rapidly expanding need for data scientists. BGSU has undergraduate, master's, and PhD programs in Data Science.  This page is about the undergraduate program.  Read about the MS in Data Science and PhD in Data Science programs at BGSU.

The undergraduate program in Data Science is a specialization of the Mathematics major, and is offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.  Undergraduate students seeking to pursue studies in Data Science should declare a mathematics major as entering freshmen, in anticipation of completing the specialization in years three and four.

The development of this program was supported by a the grant from the National Science Foundation: EXTREEMS-QED: Computational Mathematics and Statistics (COMAST) Program with principal investigators Professor Jim Albert and Professor Maria Rizzo from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at BGSU.

Special features of the undergraduate Data Science program:

• Data Science Program Requirements
• Data Science general description
  
• Courses in computer programming and computing with data
  
• Courses in statistical learning methods
  
• Learn methods for exploring data and visualizing of data
• Capstone experience to obtain hands-on experience with real-life data from an applied discipline such as geography, biology, computer science, linguistics, geology, etc. The student will participate in a one to two-semester experience working with data to address questions in an applied discipline. Students will generally complete the capstone experience in their senior year or the summer before their senior year. The capstone experience should provide the student with an opportunity to practice data science in an application area. This capstone experience can be fulfilled in one of several ways. The student will select an appropriate capstone experience among those listed below with the approval of his/her academic advisor or Math/Stat advisor in the case of a double major.

Requirements to apply for this program for incoming freshmen:

• Admitted to Bowling Green State University
• Minimum cumulative 3.0 High School GPA
• Recommended minimum composite score of 23 on the ACT composite

REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) Opportunities

• Search for a NSF REU on Data Science

Links to learn more about Data Science

• How to become a data scientist in 6 steps
• How to become a data scientist in 8 steps
• Occupational outlook handbook for Data Scientists
• Modern Data Scientist
• Mathematics of Data Science - Data Science is Everywhere video
  
• The Journey of a Data Scientist: Katy Micek video
  
• Why Data Science is The Career of The Future
  
• Important Job Skills for Data Scientists

For more information about the undergraduate program in Data Science, contact

Dr. Umar Islambekov
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403
iumar@bgsu.edu
419-372-6079

For more information about the master's and PhD programs in Data Science including contact information, please see the pages about the MS in Data Science and PhD in Data Science programs at BGSU.

BGSU Students at DataFest 2018 at
Miami University