First graduates from the Data Science minor

May 5, 2022

When 6,192 Tar Heels graduate this weekend, 62 will be the first Carolina students to earn a minor in data science from the College of Arts & Sciences. The program launched in the fall of 2021 and is designed to introduce students from diverse academic backgrounds to data science and explore its role in modern society.

After fulfilling the three core requirements — “Data and Computational Thinking,” “Data and Statistical Thinking” and “Data, Culture and Society” — students take two elective courses, choosing from classes in more than 20 departments, including English, linguistics, statistics and operations research, biology, political science and computer science.

“This is a minor designed to invite people from any background to learn and become more comfortable with data science,” said Mariana Olvera-Cravioto, the program chair and a statistics and operations research associate professor. “Whatever department their major is in, data science is applicable and connected in some way.”

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