(New) Bachelor of Science in Data Science - Center for Cybersecurity Innovation

Bachelor of Science in Data Science

Help Organizations Make Data-Driven Decisions

The Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS) is specifically designed for students seeking to enter an emerging field of data science. The BSDS provides graduates with the skills, knowledge, and abilities to understand and process data and extract valuable information to assist in making data-driven decisions for organizations. As our world becomes more digitized and filled with data, Harvard Business Review reported the data scientist is the sexiest job of the 21st century.

The BSDS program offers flexible learning options, both mixed–mode and online. The bachelor’s program follows the Body of Knowledge of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Data Science and aligns with ABET standards.

Program Information Summary

Enrollment: All Quarters

Course Format: Online, Mixed Mode, On-Site (Seattle)

Total Credits: 180

Undergraduate Program Director

TBD

The Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS) is interdisciplinary and requires the effective integration of three components to produce meaningful results. The three components include :

1) The  domain that provides the data, 

2) Statistics for analysis, modeling, and inference, and

3) Computer science  for data access, management, protection, as well as effective processing in modern computer architectures. 

This degree prepares graduates for a myriad of opportunities to work in and advance their data science careers.

Click HERE for admissions and tuition information.

Click HERE for the complete program catalog.

The Bachelor of Science in Data Science  will prepare students to: 

1. Apply fundamental principles and practices of data science (Data Science Principles and Practices).

2. Integrate foundational knowledge of all areas of data science (General Data Science Knowledge).

3. Apply critical and ethical thinking to solve problems in data science (Critical and Ethical Thinking).

4. Evaluate data to inform decisions and solve problems in data science (Quantitative Literacy).

5. Create the ability to develop and express ideas while applying a variety of delivery models, genres, and styles (Communication).

6. Collaborate effectively on diverse teams to accomplish a common goal (Collaboration).

Note: For full course descriptions please refer to the current catalog.

Total Required Credits (180 Credits)

Lower – Division Requirements (70 Credits)

Students must meet General Education requirements listed below. This is typically completed within the 90 required lower division credits. See the General Education Requirements section of this catalog for more detailed information.

For this program Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning is met through the course MATH 141 Precalculus or an equivalent course. MATH 138(NS) is a pre-requisite for MATH 141.

General Education Requirements	Total Credits
College Composition I** & II (CCII)	10 Credits
Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning (QSR)	5 Credits
Humanities (HU)	10 Credits
Social Sciences (SS)	15 Credits
Natural Sciences (NS)	15 Credits

** If College Composition I is waived through transfer or articulation, students must take an additional 5 quarter credits from a humanities discipline.

Preparatory Courses (20 Credits)

These preparatory courses may be applied towards CityU’s General Education and Lower Division credit requirements.

MATH 138	College Algebra (QSR or NS)	5
CS 132	Computer Science I	5
CS 251	Statistical Computing (QSR for select programs OR NS)	5
IS 201	Fundamentals of Computing	5

Data Science Major (45 Credits)

CS 330	Network Communications	5
CS 340	Operating Systems *	5
CS 351	Discrete Mathematics in Computing (NS)	5
CS 320	Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence *	5
IS 312	Web Design and Programming *	5
IS 345	Cybersecurity	5
IT 434	Cloud Computing	5
IS 360	Database Technologies	5
IS 471	Cyber Ethics (SS)	5

Depth of Study: Data Science (30 Credits)

Select 30 credits from the courses listed below.

CS 469	Data Structures and Algorithms in Computing	5
CS 475	Artificial Intelligence	5
IS 456	Database Systems Management *	5
DS 410	Programming in Data Analytics *	5
DS 476	Data Analysis and Presentation *	5
DS 479	Data Mining and Machine Learning *	5
DS 483	Mathematics and Statistics for Machine Learning (NS) *	5
DS 484	Big Data Systems *	5

Electives (10 credits)

Students may select two elective courses from any upper-division courses within STC.

Capstone (5 Credits)

CS 497

Technology and Computing Capstone *

With the global Big Data & analytics market already worth over $348 billion and employment of data scientists projected to grow 36 % between 2023 and 2033, the need for professionals who can translate data into insight keeps accelerating. Data science isn’t just about reporting the past – it’s about predicting and optimizing the future.

Graduates of CityU’s Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS) exit the program ready for entry-level and early-career roles such as:

Data Analyst / Junior Data Scientist: Explore, clean, and model data using Python, SQL, and tools like pandas and scikit-learn; communicate insights through visualizations and executive dashboards.
Analytics Engineer / BI Developer: Build analysis-ready data models, create dashboards, and support decision-making with real-time analytics powered by tools like Power BI and Tableau.
Data Engineer: Develop pipelines that feed machine learning systems, manage structured/unstructured data, and implement ETL workflows using cloud services and open-source tools.
Machine Learning Associate: Assist in building, testing, and deploying supervised and unsupervised models using platforms like AWS SageMaker or Azure ML -supporting projects in NLP, forecasting, and classification.
AI & Data Product Associate: Support the development of data-driven and AI-powered products, helping define user needs, KPIs, and success criteria from prototyping to launch.
Data Quality & Ethics Analyst: Monitor data integrity, privacy, and fairness—ensuring ethical use of AI and compliance with data regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).

CityU’s BSDS graduates work with teams at Adobe, AWS, Google, and Microsoft, among others, helping to power intelligent systems and insights in areas such as: