Data Science

Data science is a growing discipline aimed at equipping our students to enter a modern workforce that is increasingly data-driven. Converse’s data science program prepares students to succeed in both the job market and graduate studies. From their first introductory course, students begin gaining skills in visualizing and analyzing data in programs such as Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau, R, and Python. Converse’s low student-to-faculty ratio allows for plenty of one-on-one faculty attention as students build their knowledge base.

Our introductory courses meet in the new Bank of America Data Analytics Learning Laboratory, which emphasizes a dynamic learning environment. Students will be actively engaged in labs and group projects in the classroom. This collaborative environment also fosters effective communication and presentation skills.

Bank of America Data Analytics Learning Laboratory: Converse’s Bank of America Data Analytics Learning Laboratory encourages classroom participation and active problem-solving. The lab includes interactive platforms allowing students to share their work in real time with the instructor and fellow students. This dynamic learning environment encourages active learning, student involvement and collaboration in the education process.

Data Consulting: Dr. Sorrells’ Quantitative Consulting class spent a semester working on industry-relevant problems from a partnering company, Bank of America, and were tasked with designing creative quantitative approaches to cybersecurity problems involving large sets of data.

Dr. Mangum’s Quantitative Consulting course partnered with the Upstate Family Resource Center to provide data-driven solutions for their budget projections. Specifically, they worked to predict the amount of aid a client would receive over the course of their journey to self-sufficiency based on their intake data.

Dr. Mangum’s Datathon course allowed students with no prior coding knowledge to tackle a datathon focused on identifying whether or not a patient was likely to receive a diagnosis within 90 days of a breast cancer screening. After a couple of weeks, students submitted their work through Kaggle and watched their teams rise up the Leaderboard.

Data and Cybersecurity Week: Each year, Converse’s Math and Computer Science Department hosts a Data and Cybersecurity Week. Events throughout the week bring successful practitioners to campus and allow students to gain insight into internships and professions in these fields. The invited guests also serve as industry contacts for students as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Conferences: Students have been able to present their data-focused research projects at local, regional, and national conferences. These valuable experiences help students see the broad applications of mathematics and data science as well as network with other students, graduate schools, and employers. Students have left our program with experience presenting via posters and talks.

Girls Who Code: Converse runs a local Girls Who Code Club for middle and high school students. We have also partnered with local schools to present at STEM Days in order to encourage the next generation to pursue studies in these exciting fields.

Internships: Students have completed internships at companies such as Carolina Software as a Service and MailProtector. They have even turned summer jobs such as being a camp counselor and swim instructor into Data Science internships. Since data is found everywhere, the opportunities are endless.

BS in Data Science

The core of the major is designed to teach standard Data Science methods drawn from mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Data Science combines all of these skills as well as domain knowledge in order to discover meaningful patterns and predictions from data. The coursework is designed to provide students with realistic experience working with real datasets. Students will also spend time thinking critically about the ethical implications of methods, incomplete data, and algorithms.

Sample Courses:

• Data Visualization (DSC 110)
• Ethics in Data Science (DSC 300)
• Database Design (CSC 305)

Mathematics Concentration 

The mathematics concentration allows students to explore the connections between applied mathematics and data science. This track is recommended for students who are interested in applied mathematics and for those who may want to prepare themselves for graduate study in the field of Data Science.

Business Concentration

The business concentration provides students with a strong foundation for transferring their Data Science skills to a business setting. Students who want to work in a business setting need to understand the basics of a business in order to understand the goals, constraints, and data associated with the field.

Child & Family Studies Concentration

Data is truly everywhere! Child and Family Studies is no exception. This unique concentration allows students an opportunity to apply their Data Science skills to a non-STEM, non-business field. As data is increasingly collected through devices, schools, and jobs, trends can be discovered in parenting, psychology, social issues, developmental stages, and more. This concentration demonstrates just how far-reaching Data Science can be. Students with an interest in Child and Family Studies should take advantage of this concentration.

Individualized Concentration

Since Data Science has applications in practically every field, Converse offers an individualized concentration for students who want to combine their studies in Data Science with a field other than math, business, or child and family studies. Students are welcome to meet with the program coordinator to devise a concentration designed to integrate another field of interest with Data Science. This flexible option allows students the freedom to make the major truly tailored to their interests and career goals.

View the Data Science Major requirements.

Data Science Minor

This minor consists of core classes covering the fundamentals of gathering, cleaning, processing, analyzing, and inferring meaning from data sets. Students can complete the minor by taking data-driven courses that pair well with their major and career aspirations. Applications to business and science are emphasized, but the minor is useful to nearly any major.

Sample Courses

• Data Science I (DSC 217)
• Data Science II (DSC 218)
• Quantitative Consulting (MTH 480)
• Accounting Information Systems (ACC 380)

Data Science major requirements will be in the catalog in Fall 2024.
View the Data Science Minor requirements.

Course Offerings & Academic Catalogs

What are common careers in Data Science?

• Data Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Strategy Analyst
• Healthcare Data Analyst
• Consultant
• Applications Architect
• Data Engineer
• Enterprise Architect
• Information Officer
• Database Manager
• Data Mining Analyst
• Data Visualization Developer