Introduction

The Data Science minor is an interdisciplinary course of study that uses standard scientific methods, algorithms, statistics and data analysis. A defining quality of data science and this minor is the application of these tools to large amounts of data in an increasingly powerful computing environment. The techniques involved in data science include data extraction, data cleansing, organizing data, discovering hidden patterns, trends and anomalies in data, transforming data into knowledge, modeling, data visualization and the communication of results. This data science minor can be used to enhance any major with a connection to data science and is specifically designed to allow easy entry for students with no prior exposure to statistics or computer science.

Career Options

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the job outlook for data scientists to grow much faster than the average occupation in the coming decade. According to their Occupational Outlook Handbook a bachelor’s degree is the typical entry level education for data science careers. In 2022, Data scientists held about 168,900 jobs with a median annual salary of $103,500. The largest employers of data scientists were as follows:

  • Computer systems design and related services 13%
  • Insurance carriers and related activities 9%
  • Management of companies and enterprises 8%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services 7%
  • Scientific research and development services 5%

For more detailed career information, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Academic Catalog Information

Information about the Data Science minor will be available in the Academic Catalog in Fall 2024. In the meantime, please contact the Physics Department for more information.

Department and Contact Information

If you are interested in the program or have questions, please contact Physics at (773) 442-6050 or physics@neiu.edu.

Physics Department Homepage

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