Data Science Major & Minor

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Learn how to extract meaning from data and drive more informed decisions with a data science major.

Why Study Data Science?

How do you manage big sets of data? How can you help an organization use its data to make better decisions?

That’s where data scientists come in. As a data science major at Luther, you’ll use math, statistics, programming, and other related subjects to organize large data sets. You’ll also learn how to uncover solutions hidden in the data to take on business goals, help solve public health challenges, understand climate change, and so much more!

Why Study Data Science at Luther?

Our program provides you with the in-demand skills of a data scientist. But at Luther, you’ll also learn to write well, speak publicly, and interact successfully with other people. You’ll graduate knowing how to communicate with teams and clients.

Luther’s data science major is built around the idea that data science skills can complement many other fields. So you’ll use theories from related fields to help you understand and analyze data.

By studying data science at Luther, you’ll also grow as a person. You’ll develop strong problem-solving skills and learn how to apply them in real-world settings.

Well-Rounded Data Scientists

Housed in computer science, a data science major lets you specialize in areas such as business management, biology, economics, and communication studies.

Engaging Student Organizations

Luther’s Computer Science Society provides students in computer and data science classes access to a supportive group of classmates and resources for school and personal projects. Join this student group to grow your professional network and expand your knowledge beyond the classroom.

Knowledgeable, Experienced Faculty

Luther’s data science faculty bring real-world experience to your classroom.

What You’ll Learn

The data science major combines techniques and theories from many fields. These areas include mathematics, computer science, probability and statistics, machine learning, pattern recognition, communication studies, art, and ethics. You’ll also complete a capstone research project.

The data science minor includes introductory and fundamental computer science courses like Introduction to Data Science, Fundamentals of Web Programming, Database Design and Querying, Introduction to Computer Science, Statistics, Data Analysis and Visualization, and Applied Machine Learning.

At Luther, you’ll learn the technical skills required to enter the data science field. You’ll also discover how to apply these skills to a particular field of study.

Curriculum

Having an interdisciplinary skill set and knowing how to handle and analyze large amounts of data is now essential for many career paths.

Scott Boyken '07

Careers and Outcomes

There are limitless job opportunities for data science majors—especially for one trained in a liberal arts program like Luther’s. Our major includes courses from computer science, business management, economics, communication studies, and biology.