Data Science Minor Requirements 2024-2025 & 2025-2026

These degree requirements apply to students who declared between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2026.

Course Requirements

Linear Algebra (5 units)

Select one course:

  • ENGR 108:  Introduction to Matrix Methods
  • Math 51: Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, and Modern Applications
  • Math 104: Applied Matrix Theory

*Students who've taken CME 100 are recommended to take ENGR 108 to satisfy this requirement. 

Programming (5 units)

Select one course:

  • CS 106A: Programming Methodology 
  • CS 106B: Programming Abstractions

*CS 106AP and CS 106AJ also satisfy this requirement.

Probability (3-5units)

Select one course: 

  • CS 109: Introduction to Probability for Computer Scientists
  • EE 178: Probabilistic Systems Analysis
  • MATH 151:  Introduction to Probability Theory
  • MS&E 120: Introduction to Probability
  • STATS 117: Introduction to Probability Theory
  • STATS 118: Probability Theory for Statistical Inference

*Students who have taken CS 109 / EE 178 / MS&E 120 and are using it to fulfill a requirement for their major or another minor will be required to take STATS 118 or MATH 151 to satisfy this requirement. 

Statistics (3-5 units)

Select one course:

  • ECON 102A: Introduction to Statistical Methods (Postcalculus) for Social Scientists
  • HUMBIO 88: Introduction to Statistics for the Health Sciences
  • HUMBIO 89: Introduction to Health Sciences Statistics
  • MS&E 125: Introduction to Applied Statistics 
  • STATS 110: Introduction to Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences
  • STATS 141: Introduction to Statistics for Biology
  • STATS 191: Introduction to Applied Statistics 
  • STATS 200: Introduction to Theoretical Statistics
Data Mining and Machine Learning (3-5 units)

Select one course:

  • DATASCI 112: Principles of Data Science
  • POLISCI 150B: Machine Learning for Social Scientists 
  • STATS 202: Statistical Learning and Data Science

*STATS 202F and STATS 202V also satisfy this requirement. 

Data Science Methodology from the cognate field of interest (2-5 units)

Note that courses may not be offered every year: refer to ExploreCourses. 

Select one course:

  • BIODS 210: Configuration of the US Healthcare System and the Application of Big Data/Analytics
  • BIOMEDIN 202: BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE
  • COMM 177I: Investigative Watchdog Reporting
  • CS 224N:  Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning
  • CS 224W: Machine Learning with Graphs
  • CS 246: Mining Massive Data Sets
  • CS 279: Computational Biology: Structure and Organization of Biomolecules and Cells
  • DATASCI 154: Solving Social Problems with Data
  • DATASCI 156: Thinking and Making with Data
  • EARTHSYS 141: Remote Sensing of the Oceans
  • EARTHSYS 240: Data Science for Geoscience
  • ECON 102B: Applied Econometrics
  • ECON 102C: Advanced Topics in Econometrics
  • ECON 137: Decision Modeling and Information
  • ECON 151: Tackling Big Questions Using Social Data Science
  • ECON 291: Social and Economic Networks
  • ENGLISH 184E: Literary Text Mining
  • ESS 171: Climate Models and Data
  • GEOPHYS 115: Taking the Pulse of the Planet
  • HUMBIO 151R: Biology, Health and Big Data
  • IMMUNOL 206: Introduction to Applied Computational Tools in Immunology
  • MS&E 125: Introduction to Applied Statistics
  • MS&E 135: Networks
  • MS&E 226: Fundamentals of Data Science: Prediction, Inference, Causality
  • MS&E 245A: Investment Science
  • POLISCI 150B: Machine Learning for Social Scientists
  • POLISCI 150C: Causal Inference for Social Science
  • PUBLPOL 185: Data Science for Environmental Business
  • SOC 10: Introduction to Computational Social Science
  • SOC 126: Introduction to Social Networks
  • SOC 180A: Foundations of Social Research
  • SOC 180B: Introduction to Data Analysis
  • SUSTAIN 101C: Climate 101
  • SYMSYS 1: Minds and Machines

Additional Information

  • All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade.
    • Data Science will accept a letter grade or credit for all major/minor courses from the 2020-21 academic year.
    • Data Science will also accept courses that are only offered as S/NC (i.e. letter grade option not available).
  • A note about double counting: For majors & minors with overlapping requirements, the only courses that may be double counted are CS 106A and MATH 51.  Beyond that, students would need to find another suitable course to satisfy the requirements for the minor.
  • Any changes to the initial course of study should be updated in your shared program sheet.
  • If you have any questions or would like to talk more about the minor, please reach out to the Student Services Specialist.
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