Data Science for Society Graduate Certificate

Coordinator: D. Brian Walton
Email: waltondb@jmu.edu

Program Description

The Data Science for Society Graduate Certificate is designed to provide students with the core technical proficiencies in managing and leveraging data assets for real-world decision making and problem solving, modeling and related activity. This program responds to a prevalent need to build bridges between the academic world and a growing data intensive industry. It prepares students for a variety of jobs in data science, with emphasis on environmental and social applications.

The certificate is completely online and can be earned in as few as two semesters or in as many as four semesters, giving students the flexibility to build a schedule of courses that suits their lifestyle. Earning this certificate requires the completion of 12-15 graduate-level credit hours, depending on the statistical and computational background of the students. This program is available to both degree seeking and non-degree seeking students.

Certificate Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Foundational Coursework
Foundational coursework may be fulfilled through prior learning and experience (prior education, prior learning assessment, working experience and/or external certificates).
Optional Requisite		0-3
MATH 522	Statistics for Researchers
Subtotal		0-3
Core Courses
DATA 525	Principles of Data Science	3
DATA 526	Data Visualization	3
DATA 527	Applied Machine Learning	3
Subtotal		9
Data Science Elective
DATA 530	Data Science for Environment and Society	3
Or other data science-related course as approved by the certificate director.
Subtotal		3
Total Credits		12-15

Recommended Schedule

If MATH 522 has not been completed prior to admission to the certificate program, it must be taken in the summer before the fall semester of the student's first year.

Students must choose one of the following course sequence options:

Two-Semester Sequence

Plan of Study Grid

Fall Semester		Credits
DATA 525	Principles of Data Science	3
DATA 526	Data Visualization	3
	Credits	6
Spring Semester
DATA 527	Applied Machine Learning	3
DATA 530	Data Science for Environment and Society	3
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	12

Four-Semester Sequence

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall Semester		Credits
DATA 525	Principles of Data Science	3
	Credits	3
Spring Semester
DATA 527	Applied Machine Learning	3
	Credits	3
Second Year
Fall Semester
DATA 526	Data Visualization	3
	Credits	3
Spring Semester
DATA 530	Data Science for Environment and Society	3
	Credits	3
	Total Credits	12