Oct 04, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Data Science, B.S.


Sara Shirley, program director
Sara.Shirley@mtsu.edu

615-898-2122

Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that covers the use of data to make decisions, gain insight, or develop knowledge. Data scientists combine skills from computer science, statistics, and business analytics. Students will start from a business understanding of the question at  hand, using it to inform and understand the data available, then use skills in the preparation and display of data and in the modeling of data to evaluate the issue at hand. Finally, they will deploy the model they created in order to ensure that it is widely used. A capstone project or internship will allow students to follow the process of data science in a real-world setting and will ensure that they have a portfolio of work to show prospective employers.

Academic Map


Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Data Science, B.S., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements


True Blue Core (TBC) 41 hours
Major Requirements 45 hours
Data Science Electives 12 hours
Supporting Courses 7 hours*
Electives 15-21 hours
TOTAL 120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the True Blue Core curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill True Blue Core requirements, the number of elective hours may vary. 

True Blue Core (41 hours)


True Blue Core (TBC)  requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

The following courses required by the major meet True Blue Core requirements:

Data Science Cognate (12 hours)


Choose one cognate from the following:

Supporting Courses (7 hours)


Electives/Minor (15-21 hours)


  • Minor strongly recommended

Curriculum: Data Science


Students should consult their advisors each semester to plan their schedules.

Freshman Fall


Subtotal: 15 Hours


Freshman Spring


Subtotal: 16 Hours


Sophomore Fall


Subtotal: 17 Hours


Sophomore Spring


Subtotal: 15 Hours


Junior Fall


Subtotal: 15 Hours


Junior Spring


Subtotal: 15 Hours


Senior Fall


Subtotal: 15 Hours


Senior Spring


Subtotal: 12 Hours